As No. 7 Racing Louisville zeroes in on a franchise-first berth to the NWSL Playoffs, the 2021 expansion team locked down a big part of their future on Thursday when they signed USWNT forward Emma Sears to a new contract through 2028.
"I'm so proud to be continuing my career with Racing Louisville FC — a club and city that have truly become home for me," Sears said in Thursday's team statement. "We've built something special here."
Drafted out of Ohio State by Louisville in 2024, Sears claimed the club's rookie scoring record with five goals last season before setting a new single-season scoring record for Racing this year, with the 24-year-old registering 10 goals so far in 2025.
"In her two years here in Louisville, Emma has quickly become a foundational player for this club, and she's only scratching the surface of her potential," said Racing GM Caitlyn Flores Milby.
With their star secured, Louisville's full focus is on climbing further above the postseason cutoff line, with Racing aiming to keep their current momentum going against the No. 14 Chicago Stars on Friday night.
Entering the weekend on a two-match winning streak, Louisville holds the edge over Chicago and the Stars' four-game winless run.
Even more, every point helps the narrow race to the 2025 NWSL Playoffs, as only four points separate Nos. 3 through 8 in the NWSL standings — with all but two postseason tickets still on the table.
How to watch Racing Louisville vs. the Chicago Stars on Friday
No. 7 Louisville will host No. 14 Chicago at 7:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage streaming on NWSL+.
The 2025 NWSL season for the No. 5 Orlando Pride has taken a sharp downturn, as the reigning league champions are now winless in their last seven games following Sunday's 5-2 loss to the No. 13 Chicago Stars at Northwestern University's Martin Stadium.
While left back Carson Pickett and defensive midfielder Haley McCutcheon each managed to take a goal back for the Pride, a leaky Orlando back line saw five different Stars players hit the back of the net — including a 10th goal on the season for Chicago star striker Ludmila.
"I apologize to the fans that were watching at home, and I apologize to the fans that were here with their support. That was not us today and we have to get it right," Pride head coach Seb Hines said following the match.
Orlando have continued to slide down the NWSL standings since their last win on June 13th, most recently logging three straight losses as the team struggles to find their form following MVP candidate Barbra Banda's season-ending injury on August 16th.
One of the Pride's rare bright spots on Sunday was record-breaking signee Lizbeth Ovalle, with the Mexican international subbing in at the half to make her NWSL debut.
Chicago, on the other hand, hasn't dropped a match since returning from the midseason summer break, with the surging Stars putting on a Sunday show in their impending lakefront home.
"I feel like it's just a really cool atmosphere, a lot more people can come now, and it's really good vibes," midfielder Julia Grosso said after the match.
The No. 1 Kansas City Current have been unstoppable this season, riding a 10-match unbeaten streak into Saturday's game against the No. 9 North Carolina Courage and inching closer to claiming a franchise-first NWSL Shield.
The Current's dominant 12-point advantage over the No. 2 Washington Spirit marks the league's largest top-table margin since the Courage finished 15 points ahead in 2018.
Even more, Kansas City tops the NWSL in goals scored (34) while also registering the fewest goals allowed (10), entering the league's 18th weekend of play with a record-tying five consecutive shutouts.
After coming in fourth in 2024, the Current's defense has continued to improve under manager Vlatko Andonovski, while another MVP-level year from star forward Temwa Chawinga has bolstered Kansas City's offense.
Chawinga currently leads the 2025 NWSL Golden Boot race with 11 goals through 17 games, while sitting in the league's Top 3 for both shots and shots on goal.
"I think because we have such a powerful offense, the defensive things, maybe people don't notice as much," Kansas City forward Michelle Cooper said earlier this week. "I think something absolutely important to us is our entire back line and the commitment to get little touches in, to take [advantage] of angles, and block shots."
How to watch the Kansas City Current this weekend
No. 1 Kansas City will host No. 9 North Carolina — one of just two teams to defeat the Current all season — at 7:30 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage airing on ION.