The Orlando Pride are league champions for the first time, defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 on Saturday to become just the second-ever team to earn both the Shield and the NWSL Championship in a single season.
The Pride's star striker Barbra Banda picked up Championship MVP honors after scoring the match's lone goal, a sneaky strike that just slipped past Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury in the 37th minute. With that goal, Banda set a new league postseason scoring record, finding the back of the net four times in the 2024 NWSL Playoffs.
Strong defense secured Orlando's title
Saturday's final was a cagey affair, with Orlando's backline holding strong in the face of the Spirit's seeming momentum, which they harnessed for long stretches of the match.
In total, Washington registered 26 shots to Orlando's nine, but the Pride's strong defensive performance held the Spirit to just five shots on goal and limited USWNT star Trinity Rodman's attacking power.
"It's no secret that I was fighting through back issues pretty much since I got back from the Olympics," Rodman said after the game. "That's not an excuse, but I wasn't the Trin that I wanted to be today."
A long-awaited NWSL Championship for Marta
The win ends a long drought for Brazil legend and Pride captain Marta, who saw her club through many ups and downs since her 2017 signing — the last year the team made the NWSL Playoffs prior to 2024.
"I f---ing waited eight years for this moment!," the 38-year-old icon exclaimed during the live trophy ceremony on CBS after the Pride's victory.
Those eight years were often a slog for the Florida club, who spent the bulk of them at or near the bottom of the league's standings. An improved 2023 left Pride fans hopeful, but Orlando just missed the postseason cutoff on the final day of the regular season.
This season, a shift in mentality and a Coach of the Year-winning showing from boss Seb Hines flipped the script in Orlando, where with the Pride put together a 23-match undefeated run and ultimately logged just two losses in NWSL play.
For Marta, the 2024 NWSL Championship proved her long dedication to the Pride was not in vain.
"It's like the answer that I'm trying to have," the Orlando captain told media before the game. "Many, many, many years here — [that's] why I'm still here."
The NWSL is continuing to roll out end-of-year awards this week, with the league's top performers taking home honors in the lead-up to the 2024 Championship.
Joining Rookie of the Year (ROTY) Croix Bethune and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga in earning 2024 hardware is Gotham's Ann-Katrin Berger. The German international subsequently became the first European player to win Goalkeeper of the Year on Wednesday, snagging the award in her first NWSL season.
In her 22 matches, Berger logged eight clean sheets. She conceded a league-low 16 goals and posted a save percentage above 80%.
Hines wins Coach of the Year
Also earning a trophy is Orlando Pride boss Seb Hines, who became the 2024 Coach of the Year this week.
A former assistant, Hines was elevated to interim coach in June 2022 after Orlando placed former head coach Amanda Cromwell on administrative leave. Now in his second full year as manager, Hines is already Orlando's winningest coach with a career record of 31-30-12.
After steering his team to a record 24-match unbeaten streak and first-ever NWSL Shield win, Hines ended the regular season with an overall record of 18-2-6 en route to the club's first playoff berth since 2017. Adding onto that 2024 campaign, Hines led the Pride to their first-ever postseason wins.
Orlando also set NWSL records with the most single-season points (60), victories (18), and the longest win streak (eight matches) under Hines.
The 36-year-old beat out Kansas City's Vlatko Andonovski and Gotham's 2023 winner Juan Carlos Amorós to take this year's honor.
Three more NWSL end-of-season awards await
Lastly, the final trio of 2024 NWSL awards will drop in the upcoming days, including Defender of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, and MVP. As fans await those announcements, more than a few finalists are gearing up to play in Saturday's Championship.
Pride defenders Emily Sams, Kylie Strom, and Spirit center back Tara McKeown are up for Defender of the Year. Meanwhile, Washington's Rookie of the Year Bethune could double-down as Midfielder of the Year.
On top of that, three of the NWSL's MVP candidates — Spirit winger Trinity Rodman and Orlando attackers Marta and Barbra Banda — will feature on the championship pitch.
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.
The Orlando Pride ended the Washington Spirit’s unbeaten streak and Marta scored her first league goal since 2021 during Saturday’s regular season NWSL matchup at Exploria Stadium.
After Pride forward Adriana was taken down in the box in the 21st minute, Marta stepped to the spot. The 37-year-old Brazilian star successfully converted the penalty, sending Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury diving the wrong way. She celebrated with a scream, and then made a heart with her hands.
“I just thought, ‘Yes, we scored! I scored a penalty,'” Marta reflected post-game. “I think it’s double pressure because if you miss, you don’t know how the game is going to go for you and for your team. I was so happy that I (scored) and that we won this game.”
Marta, who is aiming to compete at her sixth Women’s World Cup this summer, missed the entire 2022 NWSL season after tearing her ACL in March 2022.
“Any forward wants to get that feeling back and it’s a testament to her recovery, coming back from a long-term injury,” said Orlando Pride head coach Seb Hines. “You don’t want anyone else stepping up for that penalty other than her. She’s been in that moment so often on the biggest stage. We had full confidence in her hitting the back of the back of net.”
While the Spirit responded just moments later — thanks to a beautiful Sam Staab header — the Pride regained the lead in the 77th minute when Marta assisted a goal by Kylie Strom. (Video of all three goals is embedded below.)
With the 2-1 win, the Pride are now unbeaten in their last four regular season NWSL games — a strong statement after the squad opened the season with four straight losses. They also handed the Washington Spirit — the final remaining unbeaten NWSL team — their first loss.
“Beating the (team at the) top of the table just shows that the players can go away full of confidence knowing that they can beat anyone in the league now,” Hines said.
“It probably is a statement to the league that we are here to win and here to stay and to perform.”
Orlando makes it 4️⃣ straight unbeaten with big result against Washington!#ORLvWAS presented by @Nationwide pic.twitter.com/JbqcnuwIE7
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 21, 2023
Seb Hines was told he was interim head coach of the Orlando Pride on Tuesday.
It was the same day he found out head coach Amanda Cromwell and assistant Sam Greene had been placed on administrative leave, effective immediately, pending the conclusion of a joint investigation between the NWSL and NWSL Players Association that explores allegations of workplace misconduct toward NWSL players.
With the Pride (2-3-2) coming off a 5-0 loss to the Houston Dash, Hines, who was hired in 2020 as an assistant coach, didn’t allow himself much reaction to either piece of news. With a road game against the second-place Chicago Red Stars coming up on Sunday, he and the team needed to focus on training.
“I’ve got a job to do,” said the former Orlando City SC player. “I’ll do it to the best of my ability as long as I’m in this role … We’ve got to prepare for Sunday and get a result at Chicago and put on a performance that the players deserve.”
Orlando Pride Announces Amanda Cromwell and Sam Greene Placed on Administrative Leave pic.twitter.com/l8p8lBA61Y
— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) June 7, 2022
Hines, 34, cannot comment on the suspensions with the investigation still underway. He also did not say how long he expects to serve as the acting head coach. Supporting him will be goalkeeper coach Aline Villages Reis and assistant coach Michelle Akers.
“I take it every day as it comes,” he told reporters Wednesday. “Today is a training session that would be led by myself. Tomorrow we have a day off. Friday we’ll train. Saturday we’ll leave to Chicago, and Sunday we’ll play. So, we’ll take every day as it comes.”
Focusing on the game has also been Hines’ message to the players as they, too, process the suspensions of Cromwell and Greene, who came to the team this offseason.
“Football’s freedom,” he said. “Go out and express themselves, believe in themselves and go enjoy it. We’re all here to play football. We love the game. I love the game. I’ve been at this, it’s all I know, since I was 7 years old. I know how fun it can be and making sure the environments are fun and enjoyable.”
When asked about the club’s environment off the field, Hines again directed attention back to the pitch.
“I focus on the field,” he said. “I can control what’s happening on the field at this present moment, so making sure that it’s a competitive environment, making sure we’re prepared and that players feel free to play and express themselves on the field. That’s what I can control.”
All eyes on Sunday 👀#PrideOfOrlando pic.twitter.com/w0y9J9Uqw3
— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) June 8, 2022
Pride midfielder Gunny Jónsdóttir was on the same page. She said she had no reaction to the suspensions and was focused on the match against the Red Stars.
For her, it isn’t difficult to block out the off-field noise.
“We’ve all had situations in our personal life or on a team that we’ve been on where different things happen, so I think we all have experience with setbacks or anything like that, so I think the team knows what we need to do,” Jónsdóttir said. “We need to just focus on ourselves and our performance and on training … and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Cromwell, who joined the Pride after 25 years at the college level, is the seventh NWSL head coach in the past two seasons to be suspended due to alleged misconduct. Earlier this season, Houston Dash coach James Clarkson was suspended amid an ongoing investigation to “review current and historic complaints of discrimination, harassment and abuse.”
Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.