All eyes are on Kansas City, as the Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit take the pitch one last time in Saturday's 2024 NWSL Championship.
Both teams led the league in regular-season play after missing the 2023 NWSL Playoffs entirely. Now, the No. 1 Pride are staring down their first-ever title, while the No. 2 Spirit will look to add a second star to their crest to join their 2021 win.
As the only squad to defeat Washington twice this season, Orlando holds the pair's head-to-head advantage. The Pride's second win over the Spirit also served as their 2024 Shield coronation — a match that saw Washington captain Andi Sullivan's season end in an ACL tear.
MVP candidates lead championship charge
With three of the 2024 NWSL MVP candidates on Saturday's title-defining pitch, both Orlando and Washington will look to their superstars to lead them to glory.
The Pride's strength lies in Brazilian icon Marta and Zambian striker Barbra Banda, who've proven unstoppable in the attack throughout the postseason. Scoring five of Orlando's seven playoff goals between them, Banda has now netted 16 NWSL goals in 2024, with Marta notching 11.
Leading the Spirit's offensive charge is potential MVP Trinity Rodman. With eight league goals on the year, Rodman has yet to find the back of the net in the postseason, though she's been key to Washington's fight by creating scoring opportunities throughout the playoffs.
Alongside Rodman, NWSL newcomers have been stepping up for the Spirit all season. Most recently, Hal Hershfelt propelled Washington to the final with a rocket of a header in last weekend's semifinals. The Spirit's young core could be the difference-maker in Saturday's showdown.
Explosive offense to decide 2024 NWSL Champion
The old adage that defense wins championships is likely to be challenged on Saturday as offense takes centerstage.
Subsequently, fans can expect the NWSL Final to come down to whichever team manages to score at-will. With Washington's 51 regular-season goals good for second in the NWSL and Orlando sliding in third with 46, the pair's attacking prowess is set to determine who lifts the league's luxury hardware.
How to watch the 2024 NWSL Championship
Hosted at Kansas City's CPKC Stadium, the 2024 NWSL Championship kicks off at 8 PM ET on Saturday. Live coverage will air on CBS and Paramount+.
The NWSL announced the finalists for the 2024 end-of-year awards on Tuesday, with lists showcasing heavy-hitters around the league.
The 2024 MVP award is an all-attacker affair, as the league's top scorers all earned nominations. The Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda and Marta both snagged nods, with Kansas City's Golden Boot-winner Temwa Chawinga, Washington's Trinity Rodman, and Portland's Sophia Smith rounding out the shortlist.
The Rookie of the Year category is similarly stacked, as injured Washington rookie Croix Bethune and her record-tying 10 assists goes up against Utah standout Ally Sentnor and KC Current star Claire Hutton for top honors.
Position players snag share of NWSL awards spotlight
The NWSL's top position players are also vying for solo hardware this season.
In the league's first-ever Midfielder of the Year category, Kansas City's Vanessa DiBernardo and celly queen Lo LaBonta earned nominations, as did Orlando's Marta and North Carolina's Ashley Sanchez. Washington rookie Croix Bethune's short but impressive season also scored her a nod.
Battling in the backline for Defender of the Year are North Carolina's Kaleigh Kurtz and Washington's forward-turned-center back Tara McKeown. Both Iron Women are in the running alongside San Diego’s Naomi Girma and Orlando’s Emily Sams and Kylie Strom.
As the new NWSL single-season shutout leader, Orlando's Anna Moorhouse headlines the Goalkeeper of the Year race, with Gotham's Ann-Katrin Berger and Utah's Mandy Haught in hot pursuit.
Top sideline leaders earn NWSL Coach of the Year nominations
After flipping Orlando from a non-playoff team into 2024’s Shield-winners with a record-setting 23-match undefeated streak, Pride boss Seb Hines is the frontrunner for Coach of the Year (COTY).
However, Hines faces tough competition from Gotham's Juan Carlos Amorós and Kansas City's Vlatko Andonovski.
Andonovski took the Current from a second-to-last 2023 finish to fourth-place on this season's table, while 2023 COTY winner Amorós is one of just two coaches to defeat Orlando this year.
How to vote for the 2024 NWSL individual awards
Fan ballots account for 10% of the final tally, so weigh in by voting online for this season's individual awards, as well as the Best XI First Team and Best XI Second Team. Ballots are due by 3 PM ET on Friday.
After a quarterfinal round that was all chalk, this weekend's NWSL semifinals have massive nail-biter potential, with the league's top four teams facing off in two highly anticipated pairings.
Will Gotham get rowdy at Audi?
The stakes couldn't be higher as No. 2 Washington kicks off the tightly contended 2024 semis against No. 3 Gotham FC in front of another raucous sellout crowd in DC on Saturday — the East Coast powerhouses' first-ever postseason clash.
Having both having advanced from strikingly similar quarterfinal matchups last weekend, the teams enter the match with a split 5-5-4 record against each other over the last four seasons. Even more, the squads finished the regular season tied at 56 points apiece.
The Spirit remain the only team to defeat Gotham twice this year, though both those meetings occurred early in the season. Since their second loss to Washington in June, the NJ/NY squad has fallen just once in NWSL play — to No. 1 Orlando on September 1st. Along with the Pride, Gotham leads the league as the toughest team on the road, a claim that will be tested by a Spirit side that hasn't lost at home since July.
Saturday's semifinal will be a battle between one of the league’s most prolific offenses against one of the NWSL’s stingiest defenses. With the league's second-highest goal tally under their belt, Washington is arguably the most dangerous NWSL team in transition. But if Gotham's backline can stifle the Spirit's attack, their unmatched depth could keep their back-to-back championship dreams alive.
Budding rivals set for NWSL semifinal fight night in Florida
Orlando and Kansas City's freshly minted rivalry will come to a head on Sunday, when the NWSL's No. 1 squad hosts this season's top goal-scorers in Sunday's semifinal showdown.
Both teams began the year on impressive unbeaten runs, until the Pride snapped KC's 17-match streak just before the Olympic break in early July.
The Current then became the only team to hold Orlando scoreless at home in the pair's September 13th draw — the only home match the Pride failed to win since opening the year with three draws in March.
The Pride's league-leading defense and the Current's ultra-organized midfield make Sunday's semi a guaranteed thriller, with the winner likely decided by the NWSL's most prolific scorers, KC's Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga and star Orlando striker Barbra Banda.
After needing medical attention late in KC’s quarterfinal, there are lingering concerns about Chawinga’s ongoing knee injury affecting her semifinal fitness. Meanwhile, Banda snapped a five-match scoring drought with a decisive brace last weekend, and if she can keep that momentum, Orlando will be tough to beat.
How to watch the 2024 NWSL semifinals this weekend
With the November 23rd NWSL Championship match on the line, Gotham and Washington will kick off the 2024 NWSL semifinals at 12 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on CBS.
The weekend's NWSL semifinal closer between Orlando and Kansas City will take the Pride's pitch at 3 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage on ABC.
Top seeds stole the show in this weekend's NWSL quarterfinals, as surging strikers, clutch saves, and center-back perfection saw all four higher-ranked teams advance to the semifinals in style.
With the league's top four towering over the rest of the pack by at least 16 points at the end of regular-season play, the weekend's results held few surprises — though the stakes for next weekend's semis have officially been raised.
Orlando's offense, KC's defense shine in quarterfinal wins
Proving why they're the 2024 Shield-winners, No. 1 Orlando blasted No. 8 Chicago 4-1 to kick off the NWSL Playoffs with the club's first-ever postseason win on Friday.
After defensive midfielder Haley McCutcheon opened Orlando's account in the 26th minute with her first goal on the season, star Barbra Banda added a brace before the first-half whistle. Legend Marta topped off the Pride's goal count with a second-half penalty, rendering Red Stars forward Jameese Joseph's sneaky score too little, too late.
After setting the league's goal-scoring standard this season — both at the team and individual level — No. 4 Kansas City secured their semifinal spot thanks to top-notch defense on Saturday.
Despite No. 5 North Carolina controlling the majority of the game's possession, the Current held strong, shutting out the Courage to let Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga's eighth-minute goal stand alone in the 1-0 victory.
East Coast sends West Coast packing
While tactically different, Sunday's doubleheader followed similar scripts: Goalless first halves led to 1-1 scorelines before East Coast powerhouses No. 2 Washington and No. 3 Gotham emerged with late 2-1 wins over No. 7 Bay FC and No. 6 Portland, respectively.
The earlier match served arguably the most drama, with the Spirit needing extra time to decide their semifinal fate. Bay FC attacker Asisat Oshoala broke the scoreless deadlock in the game's 82nd minute before Washington center back Tara McKeown notched her Iron Woman season's first goal to equalize four minutes later.
A cross from Spirit star Trinity Rodman deflected off Bay's Caprice Dydasco in the 96th minute to clinch the Washington victory.
In the later battle between the league's last two champions, Gotham's Tierna Davidson kept the center back party going with her first-ever goal for the club in the 67th minute. Rookie Reilyn Turner equalized seven minutes later off a Portland set piece, but Rose Lavelle ended the Thorns' 2024 campaign — and soccer legend Christine Sinclair's unparalleled career — by netting the game-winner seven minutes into stoppage time.
How to watch the 2024 NWSL semifinals
No. 2 Washington will kick off the semifinal round by hosting defending NWSL champions No. 3 Gotham at 12 PM ET on Saturday. Live coverage will air on CBS.
No. 4 Kansas City will then visit No. 1 Orlando in the second semifinal at 3 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ABC.
The BBC dropped its 2024 Footballer of the Year shortlist on Tuesday, with three of the five nominees hailing from the NWSL.
Orlando striker Barbra Banda, Portland forward Sophia Smith, and San Diego center back Naomi Girma headline the 10th edition of the traditionally UK-heavy award. Barcelona FC standouts Aitana Bonmatí and Caroline Graham Hansen round out the five-player selection.
A panel that includes coaches, players, journalists, and administrators selects the award's shortlist, with the final winner determined by fan votes.
Footballer of the Year looks outside the UK
Seven of the nine previous winners of the London-based broadcaster's award played their soccer, whether club or country, in the UK.
Only two-time BBC Footballer of the Year Ada Hegerberg, a Norwegian national and striker for Lyon, has earned the honor without a connection to England.
Hegerberg's 2019 win also came during the only other year when all five of the BBC's Footballer of the Year nominees played outside the UK.
Stellar resumes back the 2024 Footballer of the Year nominees
After winning Olympic gold in Paris this summer, USWNT stars, NWSL game-changers, and longtime friends Smith and Girma have dominated on both international and domestic pitches this year.
Along with her three Olympic goals, Thorns forward Smith has already matched her 2023 NWSL Golden Boot-winning tally of 11 goals in her 2024 campaign — despite being recently hampered by an ankle injury.
Representing the back line, Girma was the only field player to feature in every minute of the 2024 Paris Games, with USWNT boss Emma Hayes calling her "the best defender I have ever seen."
Despite such praise, the 2023 US Soccer Player of the Year was notably snubbed last month from the 2024 Ballon d'Or shortlist. The other four BCC-nominated players feature on both lists.
Meanwhile, with 13 NWSL goals so far this season, Zambian national Banda is a frontrunner for the league's 2024 MVP award. With three hat tricks across the Tokyo and Paris Games, her 10 goals across those tournaments make her Africa's all-time leading Olympic scorer.
As for the Barça athletes, Norwegian national Hansen's injuries left her underrated for much of the 29-year-old's career, but her last two seasons with the Liga F side has seen her score an astounding 45 goals in 55 appearances.
Meanwhile, Bonmatí has secured every possible club-level trophy during her Barcelona career, including three UWCL titles. The 2023 World Cup champion with Spain is also the 2023 Ballon d'Or winner.
How to vote for the BBC 2024 Footballer of the Year
Fans worldwide can cast their votes online now through 5 AM ET on October 28th, with the winner announced on November 26th.
In today’s episode, host Claire Watkins talks through whether she needs to amend her 2024 WNBA Finals prediction, and notes both the resiliency of the Lynx and the mentality of the Liberty.
She then hits all the major storylines of the NWSL weekend action, including broken individual NWSL records, streaks both snapped and saved, playoff spots clinched and lost, and off the field happenings that shape the larger NWSL conversation.
The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.
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With the 2024 NWSL Shield firmly in Orlando's hands, attention turns to the final three available playoff spots up for grabs as the regular season turns into the home stretch. The Chicago Red Stars, currently in sixth, could become the next team to clinch a postseason berth with a win against the surging Gotham on Saturday at 4pm ET (Paramount+).
Only Houston has been eliminated from postseason contention thus far, but Portland (7th) and Bay FC (8th) will try to hold off those below the playoff line to better their odds at a quarterfinal appearance. Racing Louisville appears poised to challenge for their own spot, sitting only three points below eighth place.
Both Portland and Bay FC will have their work cut out for them, as the Thorns take on first-place Orlando on Friday at 10pm ET (Prime), and Bay FC battles fourth-place Kansas City on Saturday at 10pm ET (ION). Amidst a losing skid, Portland is already looking toward the future after announcing this week that general manager Karina Leblanc will be transitioning out of her role at the end of the 2024 season.
Standings stragglers look to ward off elimination
With only three regular season matches left, Seattle, Angel City, San Diego, and Utah will all face elimination scenarios this weekend.
LA's playoff hopes hang by a thread after a three-point deduction due to a salary cap violation, but forward Alyssa Thompson is keeping the dream of the postseason alive. Thompson has scored five goals and registered two assists in her last seven NWSL games, including a crucial assist in a win against the Seattle Reign last weekend.
Six points off the playoff pace with three games to go in the regular season, Angel City will need Thompson at the height of her powers in their matchup against North Carolina on Saturday at 7:30pm ET (ION).
Andi Sullivan suffers season-ending ACL tear
The Washington Spirit announced on Wednesday that captain Andi Sullivan suffered an ACL tear in the team's loss to the Orlando Pride on Sunday, and will miss the rest of the 2024 season. A Spirit stalwart, Sullivan started all 21 regular season matches she appeared in for the club in 2024, tallying two goals.
Sulivan joins a growing number of injured Spirit contributors, including Croix Bethune (out for the season), Trinity Rodman, Casey Krueger, and Ouleye Sarr. The Spirit will take on Racing Louisville on Sunday at 5pm ET.
The MVP race heats up
With KC Current forward Temwa Chawinga running away with the 2024 NWSL golden boot, is there still intrigue to be found in this year's MVP race? Chawinga won NWSL Player of the Month for September, while forward Barbra Banda continued to excel with the unbeaten, Shield-winning Orlando Pride.
Banda's goal contributions are slightly off Chawinga's pace, with 13 goals and six assists to Chawinga's 18 goals and six assists. Chawinga leads the league in goals per 90 minutes, but Banda holds the title in goals and assists per 90 minutes, while both players comfortably lead the league in xG and npxG per 90.
It's been a year for blazing offense in the NWSL, personified by Chawinga and Banda's excellence. But voters will have to decide if individual contributions, playmaking, and total team success are a bigger part of the picture when deciding who will walk away with 2024 NWSL MVP.
The NWSL, in collaboration with Tiffany & Co., dropped revamped Shield and regular-season MVP trophies on Wednesday.
The bold new hardware is part of a plan to “set a new standard for recognition in women’s sports” by giving the Tiffany treatment to all NWSL end-of-season awards. This year's two additions join the redesigned Championship and Championship MVP awards that kicked off the league’s partnership with the jewelry company last year.
An NWSL Shield worthy of superheroes
Both awards are handcrafted by Tiffany & Co. The refreshed MVP award includes a silver soccer ball atop a tall base.
"The best players in the world play here at the NWSL, and it is only fitting that we work with Tiffany to honor the best of the best," said NWSL chief marketing and commercial officer Julie Haddon in the league's announcement. “It has been a long time coming to create a suite of awards that are as extraordinary as our athletes."
Inspired by ancient Greco-Roman armor, the 24K gold and sterling silver Shield features a unique, interactive design. It is equipped with a handle so it can be removed from its base and held like "a true shield."
Orlando poised to handle the new hardware
As the still-undefeated league leaders, the Orlando Pride are the clear frontrunners to claim the redesigned NWSL Shield.
The second-place Washington Spirit, third-place Gotham FC, and fourth-place KC Current are technically still in the running. However, with four matchdays left, Orlando can clinch the Shield outright by either defeating the Spirit this Sunday or winning two other remaining matches.
The regular-season MVP award race is tighter. Though Golden Boot leader Temwa Chawinga (KC) and the league's next top scorer Barbra Banda (Orlando) have pulled away from the pack.
And if Banda snags the honor, both new trophies will likely be bound for Florida.