The 2025 NWSL season kick-off is here, with all of the league's 14 teams opening their regular-season campaigns this weekend.
The Orlando Pride enters as the reigning NWSL Shield and Championship winners, while Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga will defends her league MVP title this season — but rising contenders are bound to challenge 2024’s titans.
"Everybody’s gonna hunt after us, and we need to deal with this and find a way to keep doing our best to keep making history for this club," Orlando captain Marta told reporters last week.
"It's exciting to know that everybody is gonna look to us and then try to make it difficult for us."
Revamped rosters headline 2025 NWSL kick-off
After an offseason packed with coaching hires and player movement, many clubs will be debuting rosters that look decidedly different from last year — significantly raising the stakes of the 2025 season openers.
While Marta's Pride will begin their title defense against the rebranded Chicago Stars FC on Friday and Chawinga's Current will host the already injury-bitten Portland Thorns on Saturday, three of the weekend's other five matches will put some of the offseason's most dramatic roster shifts to the test.
The first marquee matchup will put Houston's revamped roster squarely in the spotlight.
After finishing 2024 at the bottom of the NWSL table, the Dash raided the league, signing rising stars like USWNT forward Yazmeen Ryan and former Angel City attacker Messiah Bright in an attempt to go from worst to first this season.
Houston's Friday opponent, however, is a tough task. The Dash will host 2024 runners-up Washington, who managed to win last weekend's 2025 Challenge Cup despite being plagued by injuries.
Stealing Saturday's stage are two teams who sat on opposite sides of one of the offseason's biggest trades — Gotham FC and the Seattle Reign.
After helping the NJ/NY club to their first-ever championship in 2023 and the 2024 semifinals, USWNT star Lynn Biyendolo (neé Williams) requested a move to Seattle. The December trade also sent goalkeeper Cassie Miller to the Reign, with Gotham receiving promising young midfielder Jaelin Howell.
Closing out the 2025 NWSL season kick-off on Sunday are the league's SoCal rivals, Angel City and San Diego.
Both teams enter the season as works-in-progress, as Angel City will compete under interim manager Sam Laity until June while the Wave charts its 2025 course with both a new coach and some recent big-name departures.
How to watch the 2025 NWSL season kick-off
The NWSL's 2025 season is full of potential, with 2024's top four teams seeking to solidify their dominance as new contenders look to rise on this year's pitch.
All the action begins at 8 PM ET on Friday, when both Orlando vs. Chicago and Houston vs. Washington will kick off, airing live on Prime and NWSL+, respectively.
Saturday will start with Kansas City vs. Portland at 12:45 PM ET on ABC, before Racing Louisville and the NC Courage kick off at 5 PM ET on NWSL+.
ION will live broadcast Saturday'd nightcaps, with the Utah Royals taking on Bay FC at 7:30 PM ET before Seattle and Gotham face off at 10 PM ET.
Rivals Angel City and San Diego will cap the weekend with Sunday's 6:50 PM ET tilt, airing live on ESPN2.
After just one season on the roster, USWNT star Crystal Dunn has mutually parted ways with Gotham FC, the NWSL team announced on Tuesday.
Gotham originally added the 32-year-old free agent on a multi-year contract in December 2023. Dunn was a part of a wave of high-profile signings that included fellow USWNT standouts Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, and Tierna Davidson.
The decorated utility player eventually made a total 23 appearances across all competitions for NJ/NY. However, Dunn hasn't suited up for Gotham since late September.
"I can't even find the words to express how incredibly sad I am," Dunn, who grew up on Long Island, posted to Instagram on Tuesday. "Though my journey continues elsewhere, I am at least grateful to have played at home in front of my friends and family for even a short while. I’ll carry those memories with me always.... The city of New York will forever be my home, and it will always hold a special place in my heart."
"As I turn the page and prepare for a new chapter, I am filled with excitement for what lies ahead," she added.
Dunn joins flood of Gotham departures
Dunn is just the latest player to exit Gotham this offseason, joining a growing list that includes attackers Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams) and Yazmeen Ryan as well as midfielders Delanie Sheehan and Maitane López.
On Monday, USWNT defender Jenna Nighswonger added her name to Gotham's impending departures. The 24-year-old outside back expected to officially sign with WSL side Arsenal.
According to The Athletic, the NJ/NY team attempted to orchestrate a trade within the NWSL for Dunn, but struggled to reach any agreements due to a reportedly high asking price.
After winning the 2023 NWSL Championship and contending in the 2024 league semifinals, Gotham's depleted roster faces an uphill battle entering the 2025 season.
After finishing 2024 in last place, the Houston Dash have been raising eyebrows with a series of offseason moves primed to make a splash next NWSL season.
Houston's top-tier transaction period continued on Thursday, landing Gotham and USWNT forward Yazmeen Ryan for a league-record $400,000 in allocation money plus a 2025 international roster spot.
On Thursday, Gotham confirmed that Ryan had requested the trade, saying the club "worked tirelessly to honor her request." As part of the deal, Gotham also traded $80,000 in intra-league transfer funds to Houston.
Ryan joins a growing roster of savvy Dash pick-ups, including fellow Gotham standout Delanie Sheehan and San Diego defender Christen Westphal.
Subsequently, while they've yet to announce a new head coach, Houston has solidified their front office by bringing on ex-Angel City GM Angela Hucles Mangano as president of women's soccer.
Gotham FC sees mass NWSL exodus
For Gotham, Ryan's departure is just the latest in a high-profile exodus. Sheehan, forward Lynn Williams, goalkeeper Cassie Miller, and defenders Sam Hiatt and Maitane Lopez have all left the one-time superteam.
"I don't want to get into everything with the end of Gotham, but I am really excited to be a part of a team that looks like they're just enjoying each other and having fun," Lynn Williams told The Women's Game after her trade to Seattle was made public.
Jonas Eidevall enters NWSL as San Diego boss
The San Diego Wave hired ex-Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall as the NWSL team's new head coach, according to multiple reports released earlier this week.
Eidevall finished his tenure at Arsenal with an overall record of 80-24-16. However, he stepped down after failing to resign star forward Vivianne Miedema ahead of a sputtering 1-1-2 start to the 2024/25 WSL season.
Eidevall will be the fourth coach to take the reins in San Diego this year, after Casey Stoney's mid-season firing led to interim stints from Paul Buckle and former USMNT mainstay Landon Donovan.
San Diego's 2024 tumult wasn't limited to staffing. Founding members like Alex Morgan retired while impact players like Abby Dahlkemper and Sofia Jakobsson departed the club for other opportunities.
Embattled Wave president Jill Ellis also left the team, accepting a new role at FIFA earlier this month.
The Wave and Eidevall will kick off this new chapter seeking stability after a rollercoaster year. As such, both club and coach will bank on a strong 2025 to chart a new course.
The USWNT ended 2024 with an unlikely win, overcoming a Dutch shooting barrage to earn a 2-1 comeback victory in Tuesday's Euro trip closer.
The world No. 1 squad looked overrun for much of the first half as the No. 11 Netherlands outshot the US 14-1. Oranje rookie Veerle Buurman ultimately broke through with a 15th-minute goal off of a corner kick to give the Netherlands a well-earned lead.
That said, the USWNT held tight, equalizing in the 44th minute when Buurman headed in Tierna Davidson's free kick for an own goal.
Subs made all the difference in the game's second half, taking back enough control to mount an impressive US comeback. In just her fourth cap, forward Yazmeen Ryan produced her first international assist, finding her Gotham FC teammate Lynn Williams streaking into the penalty area to put away the 71st-minute sliding goal that allowed the US to gut out the win.
"I thought today we demonstrated by not being at our best, both in and out of possession, that finding a way to win is a sign of a great team," commented US boss Emma Hayes after the match.
SWNT keeper Alyssa Naeher's epic final match against he Netherlands
Longtime starting goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher earned Player of the Match honors with six stunning saves in her final USWNT performance on Tuesday. The now-retired star finishes her international career with 89 wins, 69 clean sheets, and 112 starts in her 115 caps.
Reflecting on her final year in goal for the States, Naeher said after Tuesday's match, "I think part of why I've been able to play with so much extra joy and smiles and really enjoy it this year even more, is I really felt like it was the last the whole time."
A golden 2024 to fuel 2025 USWNT success
With Saturday's draw against No. 2 England and Tuesday's victory over the Netherlands, the USWNT ends 2024 on a 20-match unbeaten streak that included their 16th Concacaf title and fifth Olympic gold medal.
After taking the US reins in May, head coach Hayes caps the year with a 13-0-2 record, with eight of those wins coming against FIFA-ranked Top-15 teams.
The momentum Hayes has built sets the stage for continued success next year. The USWNT will kick off 2025 with a mid-January training camp to run concurrently with a "Futures Camp," designed to identify and develop young talent for the senior squad.
The first matches on the USWNT's 2025 schedule will come in February, when the team hosts No. 7 Japan, No. 15 Australia, and No. 21 Colombia in the 10th annual SheBelieves Cup.
Gotham FC apologized to fans on Thursday after not holding a celebration for their NWSL Championship win.
Traditionally, championship-winning teams will hold a rally or a parade in their local market in the days following the title game. Gotham FC, instead, is hosting a “trophy tour,” which included a team visit to the Empire State Building and a ceremonial ringing of the NASDAQ opening bell on Thursday.
Media, however, was not informed until around 1 a.m. the day of Thursday’s festivities.
“It’s sad,” Lynn Williams told The Messenger. “I wish we could have celebrated with our fans who have been there all year.”
Felt on top of the world at the @EmpireStateBldg! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Uy23gs1lnm
— NJ/NY Gotham FC (@GothamFC) November 16, 2023
“We would have loved to celebrate the fans. Fans are a huge part of why we’re here,” Yazmeen Ryan added. “It’s not ideal that it won’t be until next season. But hopefully they stick with us and know that we’re gonna have many more of these to come.”
Gotham’s supporters group, Cloud 9, expressed their disappointment in the delayed celebration, writing on X that they “deserve to celebrate NOW, as a collective fanbase, with the players that brought home that trophy.”
Gotham veteran McCall Zerboni responded to fans on X with an assurance that their complaints are being heard by the players.
very heard very much agree and pushing very hard for something more with yall🫶🗽🖤🦇
— McCall Zerboni (@McCaLL2) November 16, 2023
In response to the public pressure, Gotham issued an apologetic statement on Thursday night.
“We extend our sincere apology and recognize you deserved the chance to celebrate our champion athletes who brought the trophy home,” the club wrote. “We pledge to use the off-season to organize celebrations that befit a championship club and match the enthusiasm of the best fans in the world.”
It isn’t the first time a team has delayed its championship celebration. The Washington Spirit didn’t hold a rally to celebrate their 2021 championship win until April 2022, despite having the support of the Washington, D.C. mayor to schedule a parade sooner.
“We don’t even know if it’s gonna be the same team,” Williams told The Messenger, with the NWSL’s free-agency signing period set to begin Monday. “So that’s a bit upsetting. But I do think if we’re not going to do it right, then we have time to plan and go forward.”
Gotham FC players are trusting the process — and heading to the NWSL semifinals while doing so.
After Sunday’s 2-0 win against the North Carolina Courage, forward Midge Purce was asked by CBS Sports what the milestone meant to her. Gotham FC never before had won an NWSL playoff game. But Purce kept it simple.
“It means we’re going to the semis. I don’t think it’s anything more than that,” she said. “We love what it means, we love what it is and we’re here to play.”
Gotham FC turned in solid defensive performance from top to bottom. Purce led the team with seven duels won, while defender Ali Krieger and midfielder Maitane Lopez each had 16 possessions won.
Lynn Williams, meanwhile, had an assist, won three tackles, and also contributed an interception and a clearance. That might sound like a lot of defense for a forward – and it is.
“We have a lot of defensive responsibilities, more than I’d like as a forward,” Purce said. “But I’m committed to the process and the process works. We love it. We defend as 11, we attack as 11. It’s a huge team win and I’m really proud of everyone.”
And Purce’s teammates agree.
“I think our defensive effort was outstanding as a team,” said midfielder Yazmeen Ryan, who had the team’s second goal of the night on an assist from Williams. “Everybody was tracking back. Everybody was getting back and doing their roles and that’s so crucial in the way that we play and it’s what led to the second goal for sure. And so I think overall our defensive effort and our willingness to get back and then get forward in transition was outstanding.”
Sophia Smith is cheering on the Portland Thorns from Mexico, supporting her club team while away with the USWNT for the Concacaf W Championship.
“So proud of my thornies,” Smith tweeted in celebration of the club’s thrilling 1-1 draw Friday with Angel City.
Portland’s Yazmeen Ryan nodded in a perfectly placed ball from Madison Pogarch to equalize in the final minute of stoppage time to pull level with ACFC for the final whistle.
the pass … ✨👌🏽 the finish…😎🔥 so proud thornies!!! @maddiepogarch @yazmeenryan https://t.co/ufSJPtTEBX
— Sophia Smith (@sophsssmith) July 2, 2022
The Thorns’ late finish canceled out Savanah McCaskill’s early penalty kick, which put Angel City up 1-0 for the majority of the match.
Friday’s draw extends Portland’s unbeaten streak to six games, putting the club one point behind league leaders San Diego in the NWSL standings.