Ashley Sanchez can’t be stopped. The NWSL’s Golden Boot leader broke No. 5 North Carolina’s single-season goals record with two more in last night’s 2-0 win over No. 9 Angel City.
Sanchez tied Lynn Biyendolo’s 2019 mark of 14 with a 41st-minute strike. She subsequently tacked on her 15th after running onto a long ball from keeper Kailen Sheridan and outpacing three defenders to slot it in.
The brace was Sanchez’s second in four days after Saturday’s 2-1 win over Boston. Sheridan also claimed a second career assist — more than any other goalie in league history.
The loss snapped a four-game unbeaten run for Angel City. LA battled league-leader Gotham to a tense 0-0 draw on Sunday — spotlighting this season’s tight turnarounds.
“We played a top team in a really good performance that demanded a lot from us on Sunday, and now we played again today,” said interim coach Leif Gunnar Smerud. “It’s natural that this is gonna cost some energy, and we need to make sure we are recovered.”
Sanchez returns Saturday, as NC visits No. 7 Kansas City at 6:30 PM ET (ION). Later, ACFC takes on Boston Legacy on Monday at 8 PM ET (CBS).
No. 9 Seattle is on the rise, quietly scaling the NWSL standings to sit one spot south of playoff positioning ahead of Sunday’s Reign vs Angel City NWSL match.
Last weekend’s fireworks are still fresh, after Reign veteran Jess Fishlock came off the bench to instantly score the game-winner against Bay FC. The goal helped Seattle take three of its last four matchups.
“The young players gravitate to her,” manager Laura Harvey said of the 39-year-old Welsh star. “It’s actually really cool to see.”
Seattle now enters a postseason bubble battle against No. 8 Angel City. LA and Seattle are tied on points. However, the Reign trails in goal differential.
LA has dropped just one result since firing coach Alex Straus. Angel City picked up a point in Kansas City last weekend, as it sharpens its own playoff push.
“It’s a skill to play these away games against good teams, and this was a confirmation of the character of the group,” said ACFC interim manager Leif Gunnar Smerud.
Seattle hosts Angel City on Sunday at 9 PM ET (ESPN).
The NWSL playoff race is taking shape, with postseason hopefuls No. 6 Kansas City and No. 8 LA jockeying for positioning in Saturday’s Current vs Angel City match as the 2026 regular season cruises past its halfway mark.
The Current leads ACFC by six points in the NWSL standings heading into the weekend clash — though LA has two games in hand.
KC arrives in blazing form despite losing back-to-back MVP Temwa Chawinga to WAFCON, riding high after routing No. 16 Louisville 5-1 on Wednesday.
ACFC is looking to regain its footing, after seeing its three-game post-break winning streak snapped in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Louisville.
Angel City is struggling with absences of its own, announcing star striker Jun Endo suffered another season-ending knee injury in July 11th’s upset win over No. 4 San Diego.
“This is not the news you ever want to receive about an athlete,” said Director of Medical Hollie Walusz. “Especially someone who has worked so incredibly hard to get back on the field doing what she loves.”
Kansas City hosts Angel City tomorrow at 6:30 PM ET, live on ION.
NWSL chaos reigned this weekend, as No. 9 Angel City upset SoCal neighbor No. 1 San Diego in Saturday's ACFC vs Wave 2026 Rivalry Week kickoff.
LA defended out the win after midfielder Maiara Niehues and fellow Brazilian Ary Borges combined for two quick first-half goals. The tally marked Niehues’s fourth in as many games.
“I feel like a win, and a win in San Diego, is amazing,” ACFC captain Sarah Gorden said. “But a shutout is really important for us.”
Angel City’s victory was dampened by a potential roster blow, as star forward Jun Endo exited the second half with a non-contact injury less than a year after returning from a 2024 ACL tear.
“Gruesome scenes in San Diego with Jun Endo down screaming and grabbing her knee from a non-contact injury,” ESPN’s Jeff Kassouf wrote on X. “Hopefully, somehow, it isn't as bad as it looked.”
The Wave will look to regroup against No. 6 Kansas City on Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime). Later, ACFC rides momentum into Saturday’s 6:30 PM ET match with No. 15 Chicago (ION).
The NWSL is staying busy during the midseason break, as No. 14 Boston deepened its inaugural roster while No. 12 Angel City cleaned house on Wednesday.
Gotham FC traded 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale to the Legacy. In exchange, the team received $350,000 in expansion allocation money.
“Lilly has been an important part of our club,” said President of Soccer Operations Yael Averbuch West. “She has made significant contributions to our success on and off the field, and we are grateful for everything she has brought.”
ACFC opened the day by sending 19-year-old Kennedy Fuller to Bay FC. In exchange, it subsequently fielded $500,000 in intra-league transfer funds and $20,000 in allocation money.
“Kennedy is an exciting player and a fantastic addition,” Bay FC coach Emma Coates said.
“Her creativity and quality on the ball make her a joy to watch and will add to our attack. What is most exciting is the room she has to continue developing, and I believe she has a very bright future ahead of her at Bay FC.”
Just two hours later, the team fired head coach Alex Straus, before reportedly adding Kansas City's Ally Sentnor for $850,000.
Straus joined Angel City in early 2025 from Bayern Munich. There, he led the Frauen-Bundesliga titan to back-to-back league titles.
The LA club tapped assistant coach Leif Gunnar Smerud to serve as interim manager.
The NWSL kicks off another El Clásico on Saturday, as No. 8 Angel City welcomes the No. 4 San Diego Wave in a Southern California showdown.
Both teams enter the weekend looking to snap losing streaks. San Diego (5-3-0) is coming off consecutive defeats, while LA (3-3-0) dropped its last match 1-0 to Utah Royals.
Angel City will be without midfielder Maiara Niehues after she was shown a red card in last Saturday's 1-0 loss to Utah. She later received an additional one-match suspension for Major Game Misconduct.
San Diego Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall is also sidelined after becoming the first coach to get sent off this season in last weekend's 1-0 loss to Bay FC. ACFC assistant coach Becki Tweed will take on lead managing duties on Saturday.
"These are things that you have to go through early in the season to experience, to come out the other side," Tweed said.
The San Diego Wave made its own waves when it announced the signing of USWNT forward Catarina Macario in March. The hometown product joins midfielder Lia Godfrey, who's tied for third in the NWSL with four goals scored.
San Diego Wave goalie DiDi Haračić returns to face her former team. The Bosnian keeper spent three seasons with the LA squad before moving south.
Angel City holds a 3-2-3 all-time record against San Diego across eight meetings.
Where to Watch NWSL Rivals San Diego Wave vs. Angel City
Angel City hosts the San Diego Wave on Saturday at 8:45 PM ET, live on ION.
No. 5 Utah is on the rise, climbing the NWSL standings on a club record four-game winning streak after Saturday’s 1-0 win over floundering Angel City.
Canada international Cloé Lacasse’s first-half strike broke the deadlock, putting the Royals on the front foot before LA midfielder Maiara picked up a red card, leaving ACFC to play out the second half down one.
“As a coach, you can be very proud of if there is a plan, and you tell the plan, and the plan has some small adaptions, and the team just wants to do it,” said Utah manager Jimmy Coenraets.
“That’s the biggest growth we’ve had since last season — being adaptable.”
The loss marked No. 8 Angel City’s third straight defeat, showing cracks in the foundation after a strong start to the season.
“If we come out in the first half like we did in the second half, I think we win that game,” said Angel City defender Emily Sams.
“That’s something that we can definitely learn from and take forward, that we don’t have to wait until we’re down a player, down a goal, to come out with that kind of intensity.”
Where to Watch Utah Royals vs. Houston Dash in NWSL Action
The Utah Royals will hunt another result on Wednesday, hosting No. 7 Houston at 10 PM ET, live on Paramount+.
The last remaining unbeaten team NWSL fell on Friday, as Orlando defeated LA 2-1 behind defender Haley McCutcheon’s flurry of last-minute goals.
After an 83-minute stalemate, McCutcheon opened the scoring off a scrum in front of Angel City’s goal, before LA’s Gisele Thompson equalized early in second-half stoppage time. But the Pride wouldn’t be denied, as McCutcheon came up big with a game-winning strike shortly before the final whistle.
"This is a difficult result for us to allow them to score in 90+, because we do feel like that is a mentality thing, which is what we've been working on," ACFC captain Sarah Gorden said postgame. "So it is really disappointing."
Both No. 6 Orlando and No. 4 ACFC continue to keep pace in the NWSL standings heading into the international break. No. 1 San Diego is currently on top, after all 16 teams registered at least one loss through the season’s first five matchdays.
"This completes a strong first quarter of the season," said Pride manager Seb Hines. "We'll reset and prepare for the next phase."
"Today, we could have gone away from here with a very, very good point and played an almost perfect away game," said Angel City coach Alexander Straus at his post-match press conference.
"But we threw it away in the end. And that's unacceptable for us as a team and as a unit."
NWSL Hits Pause for April's FIFA International Window
The NWSL now goes on break, with play resuming April 24th after the USWNT’s three-friendly series with Japan.
Just three unbeaten NWSL teams remain after Wednesday's midweek action — and two of them will square off on Friday night, when Angel City hosts the Houston Dash in Los Angeles.
Both clubs have earned six points across their two 2026 games, with ACFC currently sitting atop the NWSL table due to goal differential.
Plus, both rosters should enter the matchup well rested, as neither team participated in this week's Wednesday slate.
Notably, the Dash have yet to concede a goal this season, posting a 1-0 win over the San Diego Wave in their 2026 opener before claiming a 3-0 victory over NWSL newcomers Boston Legacy FC last Saturday.
Meanwhile, Angel City tallied six different goal-scorers over their first two games, defeating Bay FC 3-1 on Saturday after blasting the Chicago Stars 4-0 to open 2026 play.
"We're in a really good state right now — with rhythm, with how we're training, with the gelling of the team, so [I] feel very good going into this game," said Houston manager Fabrice Gautrat.
"It's about growing," said Angel City head coach Alexander Straus. "Having a growth mindset, and understanding that it's never a ceiling, and you can never be happy and comfortable."
How to watch Angel City vs. Houston on Friday night
The Dash will visit Angel City in a Top-2 NWSL clash at 10 PM ET on Friday, airing live on Prime.
The business of women's sports is booming, as Forbes confirmed this week in their Most Valuable Women's Sports Teams of 2025 rankings.
The publication reported that 25 women's sports organizations now boast valuations in the nine figures, with an estimated collective worth of $5.6 billion.
The WNBA's New York Liberty tops the list with an estimated value of $400 million, with women's basketball producing the inaugural rankings' five most valuable teams as the Indiana Fever, Seattle Storm, Las Vegas Aces, and Phoenix Mercury also punched at or above the $300 million mark.
Notably, all 12 long-established WNBA teams feature in the Top 25, with only 2025 expansion side Golden State still building into the top echelon of women's sports valuations — though the Valkyries seem a likely future addition to the list considering their record-breaking debut season.
Soccer standouts comprised the other 13 Most Valuable Women's Sports Teams of 2025, with eight NWSL franchises and five European football clubs scoring spots on the Forbes list.
No. 6 Angel City FC and No. 7 Kansas City Current lead the NWSL at $280 million and $275 million, respectively, while No. 8 Arsenal just edged Liga F side No. 7 Barcelona and fellow WSL club No. 8 Chelsea FC to top Europe's contingent with a valuation of $260 million.
Purpose-built arena and training facilities ultimately gave US teams a valuation edge, as many European clubs remain financially tied to their men's counterparts.
All in all, women's sports valuations reflect potential as much as they do current reality, as investors cash in on one of the sector's fastest-growing markets.