The North Carolina Courage earned their first winning results of the 2025 NWSL season in high-scoring style, when a last-gasp goal by attacker Ashley Sanchez handed the previously undefeated Kansas City Current their first loss on Saturday.
The Courage trailed Kansas City 2-1 just before the end of regulation, after goals from Haley Hopkins and Bia Zaneratto put the Current in the lead.
Center back Kaleigh Kurtz's 90th-minute equalizer flipped the script for the Courage, before Sanchez buried the closer three minutes later in second-half stoppage time.
The comeback victory boosted the formerly last-place Courage to No. 11 in the standings, while the league-leading Current's grip on No. 1 is loosening as they pull level in points with No. 2 Orlando.
Gotham caps roller-coaster week with win over Washington
Elsewhere on Saturday, No. 4 Gotham downed East Coast rivals No. 3 Washington 3-0, solidifying their spot in the NWSL's top five.
The victory was buoyed by a brace from Golden Boot-leader Esther González, whose seven season goals have all come in the last four matches — tying the NWSL record for most goals scored in a four-game span.
Still at the start of her third season with the NJ/NY side, the 32-year-old has already become the team's second all-time leading scorer, passing both Carli Lloyd and Midge Purce with her 18th Gotham goal on Saturday.
That weekend win capped off a crowded three-match week for the Bats. Before securing their multi-goal victory over DC, Gotham first beat Angel City 4-0 the previous Friday, then fell 4-1 to Portland last Tuesday.
"This was one of the proudest moments for us as a team and as a club," Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said after Saturday's match. "I couldn't be prouder of the players. I think they've been outstanding the whole week."
As for injury-ridden Washington, their performance wasn't a total loss, as 2024 Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune returned to the pitch for the first time since tearing her meniscus shortly after winning Olympic gold with the USWNT last summer.
"I do feel like I'm about 90%," Bethune told reporters after the match. "I had a hip/quad situation — I feel like that gave me a little bit more time to get stronger for my knee and just make sure I'm overall 100%."
While the Spirit continue dealing with an onslaught of injuries, Gotham — now just one point behind Washington in the standings — is steadily creeping in on the 2024 NWSL Championship runners-up's third-place spot.
Sixth NWSL matchday fueled by high-scoring results
Saturday's high-scoring tally fit right in with the rest of the NWSL, with the league's weekend slate delivering a high-octane 24 goals across its seven matches.
Defending champion Orlando secured a three-point result with a 3-2 comeback win over the visiting No. 9 Angel City, while the last-place Chicago Stars suffered a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of No. 5 San Diego.
However, it was No. 6 Portland and No. 12 Louisville that produced the most dramatic scoreline of the season's sixth matchday, settling for a 3-3 Sunday draw after the Thorns converted two penalty kicks.
"This is just another example of how good this league is, and how you literally cannot relax even for a second regardless of who you play and where you play them," said Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski, summing up a strong showing across the NWSL.
NWSL teams continue to attract big-name investors, with a few new ownership shake-ups making headlines in recent weeks.
Former USWNT World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Lauren Holiday and her husband, two-time NBA champ Jrue Holiday, bought into the North Carolina Courage this week, becoming NWSL investors via the couple's Holiday Family Trust.
Retiring from pro soccer in 2015, Holiday will be an active owner with the Courage, serving as an advisor, ambassador, and consultant on the operations side.
"I'm an investor in North Carolina, but I think I have invaluable insight being as I was part of the league when it was in its inaugural season," the two-time NWSL champion and 2013 league MVP told ESPN.
NWSL draws more investors as league grows
As club valuations skyrocket, money has flowed into the NWSL through high-profile investments — and even outright sales.
Earlier this month, former Utah Jazz owners the Miller family purchased the Utah Royals, as well as MLS club Real Salt Lake, from short-term owner David Blitzer in a deal weighing in at a reported $600 million.
Last September, Angel City sold for a record $250 million, while the expansion fee for Denver's incoming NWSL team reportedly tops $110 million.
With further expansion looming and NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman recently saying she sees the league growing to as many as 32 teams, expect transactions to keep building as more investors look to buy into the game.
The Soccer Tournament (TST) presented by RBC Wealth Management revealed its 2025 women's bracket on Tuesday, with 16 7v7 teams gearing up to compete for the $1 million winner-take-all grand prize this June.
The US Women's Team is back to defend their 2024 title, fueled by World Cup-winning USWNT vets Heather O'Reilly, Carli Lloyd, and Ali Krieger, plus retired Scotland national and Bay FC defender Jen Beattie.
Additional teams participating in the competition include 7v7 offshoots of NWSL clubs Angel City, KC Current, and 2024 runners-up NC Courage, as well as former USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo's Solo FC.
Returning to Cary, North Carolina, for its third year, TST doubled the size of its women's bracket after a successful eight-team debut in 2024.
"Our inaugural women's championship game viewership performed exceptionally well, as we grew our audience 452% from the beginning of the game until the moment the game-winning goal was scored," TST founder and CEO Jon Mugar told The Athletic.
"TST soccer is electrifying," Mugar added. "Our goal is to become the preeminent soccer festival in the world. Judging by the number of returning fans and teams, we are well on our way."
How to attend, watch the 2025 TST 7v7 contest
TST's 7v7 women's competition kicks off on June 5th and runs through the $1 million championship game on June 9th.
Tickets to attend are currently available online.
All matches will air live on either YouTube or ESPN platforms.
The NWSL returns this weekend, bouncing back from April’s international break as teams who excelled early attempt to prove they belong on the top half of the table.
The fourth matchday of the 2025 NWSL season is loaded, as the league resets with pairings from all over the standings — leaving teams jockeying to shift or solidify their positions for the long season ahead.
Given that only five points currently separate first and eighth place, each match carries significant weight. Plus, with national team players returning on short rest after a busy international spin, expect squad rotation to play a major role in this weekend's results.
Rising teams take aim at league-leaders
With the defending champion Orlando Pride riding last season's dominant play to a three-win 2025 start, a rising Seattle club faces a tough task this weekend.
The Reign, who finished second-to-last in 2024 play, already bounced back to claim sixth place on the table — but they'll still need significant home-pitch advantage to topple the league-leaders on Saturday.
This weekend's docket also features the NWSL's only other three-win squad, as the second-place KC Current hits the road to take on San Diego.
Like the Reign, the fifth-place Wave have put together a similar turnaround after missing last year's postseason cut. To keep that momentum, however, they'll have to combat 2024 NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga’s high-flying attack on Saturday.
On the other end of the table, two clubs with high 2025 expectations enter this weekend still scrambling for a first season win, as the talent-laden Gotham FC and NC Courage will pit their robust rosters against each other in New Jersey on Sunday.
How to watch this weekend's top NWSL games
Saturday kicks off when Orlando visits Seattle at 7:30 PM ET, before San Diego hosts Kansas City at 10 PM ET. Both games will air live on ION.
Then on Sunday, the Courage will battle Gotham at 4 PM ET, with live coverage on Paramount+.
Some of the NWSL's brightest stars made headlines this week, as the league's free agency transfer window continues to turn heads both at home and abroad.
Brazil forward Kerolin is officially departing North Carolina after spending all three of her NWSL seasons with the Courage, the club confirmed on Wednesday. The 2023 NWSL MVP will reportedly head to the WSL's Manchester City in a deal extending through 2028.
Sources are also linking two-time NWSL Defender of the Year Naomi Girma to the first $1 million transfer offer in women's soccer history, courtesy of French side Lyon and UK titans Chelsea and Arsenal. The 24-year-old USWNT star's current contract with the San Diego Wave runs through 2026, making a transfer fee a necessary part of any earlier deal.
The current record for a women's soccer transfer fee is $860,000, which Bay FC shelled out to receive Zambian forward Rachael Kundananji from Spain's Madrid CFF in February 2024.
More NWSL teams make moves to lock down contracts
NWSL preseason has already started for select clubs, with teams putting the final touches on solidifying both their rosters and front offices.
Angel City hired former Portland Thorns FC and Washington Spirit head coach Mark Parsons as the club's new sporting director on Wednesday. The franchise is still searching for a permanent head coach after parting with boss Becki Tweed in December.
The 2022 expansion team also signed veteran forward Christen Press to a new one-year contract, per a Friday morning press release.
Meanwhile, with Girma's possible departure dominating the rumor mill, the Wave announced the addition of 17-year-old UNC defender and 2024 College Cup champion Trinity Armstrong to the club's ranks on Thursday.
Though Girma's fate is yet to be confirmed, San Diego's decision to pick up a talented young center back — on a three-year contract, no less — supports the theory that the USWNT standout is on the move.
On Thursday, Sportico reported that former Milwaukee Bucks owner Marc Lasry is close to finalizing a deal to buy a controlling stake in the NC Courage from the NWSL club's current owner, Steve Malik. The sale reportedly values the team at $108 million, with Lasry eyeing 60% of the club's ownership.
That valuation is more than double Sportico's 2023 assessment of the North Carolina club at $52 million, reflecting NWSL franchises's skyrocketing values.
Cleveland makes NWSL expansion moves
NWSL expansion also made Thursday headlines as Cleveland Metroparks and franchise bid-leaders Cleveland Soccer Group announced their intention to build a women's soccer-specific stadium downtown, with the express purpose of bringing a new NWSL franchise to the city.
The newly purchased 13.6 acres slated to house the stadium is directly across the street from the Cleveland Guardians's Progressive Field, surrounded by businesses and infrastructure already set up to support thousands of fans.
Should Cleveland's bid be accepted, the project would become the first newly constructed professional women's sports stadium backed by a public-private partnership.
Top-table NWSL teams face off in weekend clash
As the 2024 MVP race tightens, two of the NWSL's most exciting forwards will square off in Friday's top-table clash. Trinity Rodman's Washington Spirit will travel to Kansas City to take on Temwa Chawinga's Current. Last month, the Spirit handed KC a 4-1 defeat.
Chawinga leads the Golden Boot race with 15 goals and six assists in regular-season play, while Rodman has been a post-OIympic break standout. Her eight goals and six assists have helped lead second-place Washington to their first postseason berth since 2021.
How to watch Kansas City Current vs. Washington Spirit
Fourth-place KC will look to clinch a trip to the playoffs against Washington Friday night at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on Prime Video.
USWNT and NWSL superstar Alex Morgan played her final professional match on Sunday, narrowly missing a left-footed penalty for San Diego before being subbed out within the game's first 15 minutes.
"I came off the field and I thought to myself, 'That's the best example I could give of betting on yourself,'" Morgan said in a postgame press conference. "I think that's just how I've tried to live my life and my career as a soccer player."
Alex Morgan leaves historic mark on women's sports
Sharing news that she was pregnant with her second child, the 35-year-old forward announced her imminent retirement late last week.
"You pushed me to be my best self every day — you pushed me to be the best soccer player, to be the best mom, to be the best person I could be," Morgan told Snapdragon Stadium's 26,500 fans after the game.
Before the game concluded, the soccer icon made one final bit of history. The match marked the first women’s sports event to be simultaneously broadcast across multiple US outlets, with CBS Sports, ESPN2, Prime, Paramount+, and others getting in on the action.
However, North Carolina damped the celebratory sendoff vibes by soundly defeating the 12th-place Wave 4-1, extending San Diego's regular-season winless streak to five.
The Courage now sit fifth in the standings after overtaking Portland, solidifying their place above the postseason cutoff line.
NWSL standings hold steady in weekend play
In Kansas City's 1-0 win over Utah on Saturday, Temwa Chawinga added a 15th goal to her Golden Boot campaign. The Current snapped a three-game losing streak in the process.
Also on Saturday, Washington beat Portland in front of a raucous Audi Field crowd. In the match, the Spirit's Ballon d’Or nominee, Trinity Rodman, registered both a goal and an assist.
On Sunday, Marta scored a stunner against Chicago to keep Orlando's undefeated season alive. The Pride became the first NWSL club to clinch a 2024 postseason berth in the process.
Speaking of the postseason, Bay FC have launched themselves into seventh place and playoff contention after two straight wins, including Saturday's 1-0 victory over Louisville.
NWSL chaos reigned supreme this weekend, as lower-table teams walked away victorious in five out of seven matches.
Even Sunday’s 1-1 draw between second-place Washington and 12th-place San Diego was a lopsided affair, as Wave defender Kristen McNabb received credit for both goals.
The only expected result was Orlando’s 2-0 win over fourth-place Gotham on Sunday. With the victory, the Pride remains atop the standings while extending their record winning streak to 19.
Courage adds to Kansas City's loss count
On a streak of their own, now-fifth-place North Carolina added an 18th match to their home unbeaten stretch — one that dates back to 2023 — with Sunday’s 2-1 win over third-place Kansas City. The loss is KC’s third in a row, a marked departure after going undefeated through their first 15 games.
The Current's goal was unsurprisingly notched by Golden Boot race-leader Temwa Chawinga, who now sits two goals ahead of Orlando’s Barbra Banda with 14 on the season — four shy of tying ex-NWSL star Sam Kerr’s single-season record.
Mid-table movement heats up NWSL playoff race
This weekend’s upsets shook the mid-table, proving that securing a playoff berth won't be an easy task.
On Friday, Bay FC beat Portland 3-1, lifting the now-eighth-place expansion team over the postseason cutoff line while stalling the sixth-place Thorns at 27 points for the third straight week.
Extending their unbeaten streak to six matches, 11th-place Seattle defeated a restructured Louisville 3-2 on Saturday. Then on Sunday, striker Sydney Leroux’s stoppage-time winner delivered ninth-place Angel City a 2-1 win over Chicago.
With just eight regular-season matches to go, a slim four points now separate the seventh-place Red Stars from 10th-place Louisville.
Arsenal and North Carolina Courage are in advanced talks to send star defender Emily Fox across the pond.
Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall has hinted at adding more players this offseason, and Fox could be sent to Arsenal on a free transfer, according to a report from OneFootball. Fox may be moving in the January transfer window, per Arsenal reporter Tim Stillman. Fox is a restricted free agent, though, so nothing is certain yet.
“Ideally was hoping to say this after a win (!) but I understand that USWNT right-back Emily Fox to Arsenal in January is at an advanced stage,” Stillman wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The 25-year-old defender made 17 starts for the Courage in the 2023 season. She also started in all four matches for the U.S. women’s national team at the 2023 World Cup. She is versatile enough to play both left and right back and is a key target in the Gunners’ plans, according to the latest reports.
Further to this, understand a right-back is considered a priority for Arsenal Women in January. USWNT right-back Emily Fox a potential target. Player is currently a restricted free agent after spending this year at North Carolina Courage #AWFC
— Tim Stillman (@Stillmanator) December 16, 2023
The NWSL is hosting its newest iteration of a two-team expansion draft at 7 p.m. ET Friday, as Bay FC and the revamped Utah Royals look to add to their growing rosters in preparation for their inaugural seasons in 2024.
Expansion drafts are unpopular affairs, both among the players bearing the brunt of the process’s uncertainty and among existing clubs not eager to part with the talent they’ve developed. So it’s not shocking then that this year’s draft has been somewhat defanged, with exemptions for free agents and U18 players and many trades for draft protection.
To summarize, only OL Reign and the Chicago Red Stars made no deals for at least partial protection prior to Tuesday’s transaction freeze, but a flurry of activity saw seven clubs bow out of the proces entirely. The San Diego Wave, Racing Louisville and North Carolina Courage all have protection from one of the two expansion sides, though each could still lose two players in the draft.
As a result, just five protection lists were released to the public, with a few with limitations on who can be selected. (Full rules can be found here.)
Ahead of expansion draft, here are a few players that stand out as possible targets for Bay FC and the Royals, both in fit and in upside:
Bay FC: Kelsey Turnbow, San Diego Wave
Turnbow has college ties to the Bay Area, as she won an NCAA title in 2021 with the Santa Clara Broncos. Coming into the NWSL as a proven goalscorer at the collegiate level, Turnbow has featured for the Wave as both a forward and as more of a playmaker in a deep-lying attacking role. But Turnbow played most of her soccer for the Wave in 2022, and she saw her minutes dwindle significantly in 2023 as other players shined in the attack. If she is looking for a fresh start, Bay FC might be a good landing spot.
Utah Royals: Sarah Griffith, Chicago Red Stars
The Red Stars leaving Griffith unprotected is somewhat puzzling considering her steady integration into the team as a rookie in 2022. But her inability to find the pitch in the latter stages of 2023 could indicate that she’s ready for a new challenge. Griffith is a versatile attacking player who played in a box midfield for the Red Stars in 2022 and even occasionally filled in at wingback. With the Royals looking for midfield options to complement Mikayla Cluff, Griffith could be a great addition.
Bay FC: Brianna Pinto, North Carolina Courage
Pinto has the tools to be a very consistent NWSL midfielder despite finding herself on the outside looking in during the second half of North Carolina’s 2023 season. The 23-year-old is a player that can aid a midfield in hold-up, possession-style football, as well as look for the final ball to break open a defense. She also isn’t afraid to turn towards goal herself, playing forward at times in college at North Carolina.
Utah Royals: Elyse Bennett, OL Reign
If Bennett is selected in the expansion draft, she’ll be moving to her third club in as many years in the league, which is more of a reflection that she’s a talent that deserves a space to get consistent playing time. Bennett was used as a game changer first in Kansas City as a rookie and then again in Seattle in 2023, and she has a tenacity in front of goal that not many young players share. Utah could use Bennett as a wide player or as a focal point at center-forward, where she could link up with wingers like Michele Vasconcelos to create a potent attack.
Bay FC: Sam Hiatt, OL Reign
Bay FC already have one piece to their center-back pairing, acquiring Emily Menges from Portland in exchange for draft protection for the Thorns. A good partner for Menges could be Hiatt, who started many matches for the Reign during their Shield-winning campaign in 2022 but moved to the bench after the club brought in Lauren Barnes as a center-back in the second half of 2023. A Stanford graduate, Hiatt has college ties to the area, and she has experience putting together staunch performances in the central defense.
Utah Royals: Paige Monaghan, Racing Louisville
Monaghan has showcased an impressive amount of versatility with both Gotham FC and then Racing Louisville, playing primarily as a winger but also showing the willingness to slot in at outside back. A steady league veteran, the 27-year-old can play wide on all three positional lines competently, with experience and a work ethic that is obvious on both sides of the ball. With the inevitable positional imbalances that can take shape for a first-year expansion team, a player with her qualities could be invaluable.
Bay FC: Kyra Carusa, San Diego Wave
Carusa has been something of a revelation since signing with San Diego in August 2023. She was used as both a starter and as a reserve off the bench throughout the second half of the Wave’s Shield-winning season. Carusa can play centrally and would interplay well with wingers such as already-signed Scarlett Camberos in the Bay FC attack. The only possible question mark for Carusa would be her desire to leave her hometown of San Diego and her possible desire to return to play in England.
Utah Royals: Thembi Kgatlana, Racing Louisville
Kgatlana being available for selection in this draft is so surprising that it makes me wonder if she has other plans than the NWSL for 2024. But the forward’s talent upside is so high it’s impossible to leave her off this list even if she isn’t ultimately destined for Utah. The 27-year-old is an excellent goalscorer both at the domestic and international level, with a willingness to run long lengths of the pitch for service if necessary. She can fool any defender, and with the right midfield behind her, she could be a consistent scoring threat for years to come.
Bay FC: Amanda Kowalski, Chicago Red Stars
Kowalski is another strong contender for defensive depth, with experience playing both at outside back and in a three-back system. She was signed by the Red Stars in 2022 after the team lost Tierna Davidson to an ACL tear and stepped in admirably while growing into her new role as the season progressed. Depending on the system that Bay FC wants to run, Kowalski could be a player who pushes the starters in front of her or slots into multiple roles in a pinch.
Bay FC: Olivia Wingate, North Carolina Courage
What Bay FC could find in Wingate is a young player that has shown flashes of NWSL-level brilliance in one year as a professional. The 23-year-old got the bulk of her minutes in North Carolina in the middle of the 2023 season, showing an ability to create chances for both herself and her teammates. If Bay FC took a swing at a player without as much experience, what they could get in return is an attacker that can grow with the organization — and who already looks well on her way.
