Angel City star Ally Sentnor scored her second straight penalty to spark Wednesday's 3-1 win over Seattle Reign FC. The result moved Angel City within one point of Seattle in the NWSL standings, while also giving the LA club its 10th win of the year — the most in franchise history.
Seattle Reign FC vs Angel City FC Comes Down to Record-Tying Goal
Sentnor opened the scoring from the spot in the 20th minute after a handball call in the box. From there, Ary Borges, returning to the NWSL just two weeks after giving birth, rose unmarked to head in an Evelyn Shores corner before halftime.
"There is a competitive spirit in us now that I like a lot," interim head coach Leif Smerud said of yesterday's performance.
Angel City's depth proved just as important late in the game.
Rookie Taylor Suarez needed only 21 seconds after entering as a substitute to find the net in the 81st minute — tying for the fastest substitute goal in NWSL history. Sofia Huerta answered for Seattle in stoppage time. However, the scoreline damage was already done.
With four consecutive wins, Angel City has turned a tight NWSL scores race into one it can control heading into the final stretch.
They'll look to carry their winning momentum into their next match against the Utah Royals on Sunday at 7 PM ET on NWSL+.
The latest Seattle Reign FC vs San Diego Wave meeting ended with a decisive road win for the Reign on Sunday night. Two early headers, both from San Diego natives, sealed a 2-0 shutout at Snapdragon Stadium.
Maddie Mercado & Jordyn Bugg Spark Early Seattle Reign Lead
Maddie Mercado opened the scoring in the 17th minute after midfielder Ainsley McCammon found her with a sharp pass inside the box. Mercado got behind defender Perle Morroni to nod it home.
Just three minutes later, Jordyn Bugg doubled the lead off a corner kick. McCammon again played provider, flicking a backward header for Bugg to tap in.
It was the sixth time this season San Diego has been shut out. Still, the Wave generated chances after halftime, finishing with 22 shot attempts and seven corner kicks. But Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey stood firm, recording eight saves to preserve the clean sheet.
Meanwhile, Sandra Paños made her NWSL debut in net for San Diego. She finished with three saves but was put in difficult positions on both goals.
NWSL Scores & Standings After San Diego Wave Loss
The win gives Seattle some momentum after losing two of its previous three matches. The Reign climbed to eighth with 11 points, right on the playoff line. San Diego, meanwhile, dropped to third with 18 points after its fourth loss this season.
The San Diego Wave heads to CPKC Stadium tonight for the ninth "Water War" rivalry match against the Kansas City Current.
San Diego sits atop the NWSL table, though the Wave enters after a 2-0 loss to Angel City FC. The Current are also looking to bounce back following a 3-0 shutout in Orlando last week. Both sides need a good result to steady their recent form.
What to Watch for in the Kansas City Current vs San Diego Wave Matchup
At the center of this matchup is a contrast in strengths.
Current forward and reigning league MVP Temwa Chawinga ranks third in the Golden Boot race with eight goals. On the other end, center back Kennedy Wesley has played every minute for San Diego this season, anchoring the team's defense.
Kansas City does hold a clear edge in rivalry history, winning the last five meetings and owning a 6-1-1 head-to-head record. They also haven't lost a home match in 23 straight games.
But the Current haven't played at CPKC Stadium in over six weeks due to World Cup scheduling, adding another variable to a match that could reshape the NWSL table picture heading into the season's second half.
Match kick-off is set for 8 PM ET, with the game airing on Prime.
San Diego Wave FC extended forward Trinity Byars's contract through the 2028 season, the club announced Wednesday. The deal keeps the 23-year-old locked in as the Wave continue to build around one of the league's most productive young attackers.
Byars has four goals in nine appearances for the Wave this season, and three of those came off the bench. Two arrived in second-half stoppage time, giving San Diego results they might not have had otherwise. General manager Camille Ashton acknowledged that composure, praising Byars's finishing and ability to deliver under pressure.
"My time in San Diego thus far has been incredible and I'm really excited to continue my career with this club," Byars said.
Byars Hopes to Keep San Diego Wave Atop the NWSL Standings
That impact is even more notable given the road she took to get here.
Byars joined San Diego Wave in late 2024 as the first active NCAA athlete to sign with an NWSL club after the league moved away from the NWSL draft. She then missed the entire 2025 season recovering from an ACL injury before breaking out this year.
Her extension comes at a fitting time. The Wave sit atop the NWSL standings at 9-5-1 with 28 points. Keeping Byars only strengthens their push toward a title.
The Utah Royals are officially on top, as the team’s unexpected NWSL standings surge continued with Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Denver Summit. The victory extended a nine-match unbeaten streak.
Utah’s Mina Tanaka scored the game-winner from the penalty spot. The win launched the Royals over previous league-leader Portland, claiming No. 1 in the NWSL standings for the first time in team history.
“We’re putting in a shift,” said head coach Jimmy Coenraets. “You have to beat the 11 players when you’re defending. And you have to chase 11 players when you’re attacking as well.”
While the surging Royals benefit from a game in-hand, the race to the 2026 NWSL Shield only gets harder from here.
Utah faced just one team above the postseason cutoff line in its last nine games, while next weekend’s clash with No. 2 Portland serves as one last test before the league’s midseason break.
“After the game against Portland, whatever the result is, the first beer will be on me in the hotel,” Coenraets joked on Saturday.
Where to Watch Utah Royals vs Portland Thorns NWSL Match
The Utah Royals kick off against the Portland Thorns on Saturday at 4 PM ET, live on ION.
Portland is back at No. 1, leapfrogging San Diego to top the NWSL standings after Wednesday’s 2-0 Bay FC takedown.
While injured starters Olivia Moultrie and Reilyn Turner watched from the sidelines, defender MA Vignola hit first against Bay FC, before midfielder Mallie McKenzie doubled the tally to secure the win.
“When those two players are out it’s a big loss, but luckily we have a lot of depth and can bring other attributes that make us shine,” McKenzie said. “I just try to channel their energy.”
The Thorns will look to widen the gap in Sunday’s clash with Kansas City, after the Current’s 2-1 midweek loss to Angel City snapped a three-game winning streak.
KC’s recent bright spot has been the resurgence of reigning MVP Temwa Chawinga, who’s racked up five goals in her last three games.
“The players are hungry,” said head coach Chris Armas. “They’ve been that way all year long and now we’re getting some results.”
Where to Watch Thorns vs Current NWSL Standings Showdown
Kansas City hosts Portland on Sunday at 1 PM ET, live on CBS.
The Utah Royals made NWSL history Sunday, extending their unbeaten streak to a franchise-record seven matches.
A 0-0 draw against Bay FC at PayPal Park secured a vital on-the-road point for the team. That result also keeps Utah in the 2026 NWSL playoff hunt, while cementing its status as one of the league’s most dominant defense.
Utah Royals Sets 468-Minute Franchise Shutout Record
Utah’s historic run is fueled by a backline that hasn't conceded a goal since late March. During the stalemate in San Jose, the Royals surpassed the previous club record, reaching 468 consecutive minutes of shutout soccer.
Goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn anchored the defensive surge, securing five clean sheets during the team's current seven-game unbeaten stretch.
"We’re not expecting an outcome of a win, expecting a shutout," McGlynn told The Athletic. "We’re just going there and we know how to execute the game plan and do that to our full ability."
The team's "process-oriented" mentality was on full display in the 40th match minute, when midfielder Narumi Miura made a lung-busting sprint to block a goal-bound shot from Bay FC's Racheal Kundananji, preserving the deadlock.
Offensively, Japanese international Mina Tanaka continues to drive the Royals' creative engine.
Granted a free role by head coach Jimmy Coenraets, Tanaka nearly broke the tie in the 79th minute, launching a powerful strike that forced an elite save from the Bay FC keeper.
Utah Royals vs. Racing Louisville: Shut-out Streak Watch Continues
With 17 points through nine matches, Utah currently sits in 3rd place in the NWSL standings. The club has already earned 11 road points this season — matching their combined road totals from 2024 and 2025.
The Royals return home to America First Field on May 17th to host Racing Louisville, looking to push their shutout record past the 500-minute mark.
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 Stars are investing in the future, with the Chicago NWSL team announcing on Tuesday that it's planning to build a club-owned training and performance center on a 10-acre site in suburban Bannockburn, Illinois.
"This facility will set the standard in women's professional soccer by providing the infrastructure our players need to develop to their highest level of performance," said executive chairperson Laura Ricketts in a club statement. "This new facility isn't just an investment in the Stars, it's an investment in the future of women's soccer."
Set to break ground in this spring, the Chicago Stars' private training ground will include two full pitches, a goalkeeper pitch, and a 45,000 square foot performance center as the founding NWSL club doubles down on its new identity after finishing the 2025 season in last place.
Along with a brand overhaul, the Stars announced last year that the club will relocate from Bridgeview's SeatGeek Stadium to Northwestern University's Martin Stadium in 2026.
"Providing our players with a private facility will be pivotal in their development and performance," said incoming head coach Martin Sjögren. "The environment will eliminate distractions to maximize the energy and focus our athletes are able to dedicate to their craft. This includes a focus on the whole person — optimizing both mental and physical health to drive results and help us continue to draw top level talent to Chicago."
The NWSL salary cap is back in the headlines, as ESPN's annual anonymous GM survey surfaced widespread concerns about the cap's impact on attracting and retaining talent on Tuesday.
A full 85% of executives from 15 of the 16 league franchises in the survey said the $3.5 million salary cap — even with its CBA-mandated yearly increase — is holding the NWSL back, as big-name players continue to seek out more lucrative European contracts.
"Right now, top talent is going only one way," one GM said. "We're not seeing players that are in top clubs in their prime coming this way…. If that becomes a trend, then that will be an issue."
The GMs also weighed in on commissioner Jessica Berman's performance as well as league expansion, the player development pipeline, other domestic and international leagues, the NWSL's strongest and weakest teams, and more.
While over half (54%) of those interviewed gave Berman's performance three to three-and-a-half stars out of a possible five, just 40% voiced support for the commissioner's longterm plan to grow the NWSL to 32 teams.
As for individual clubs, the majority said that the 2025 NWSL Shield-winning Kansas City Current are elevating the league the most, while 40% said this year's last-place Chicago Stars are "holding the league back," with one GM stating, "The ones at the bottom of the standings are there for a reason."