It’s Monday, and another week of NWSL action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.
Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 15 to come up with this week’s order of all 14 teams in the league. Let’s dive in.
Previous ranking: 1
Next match: Saturday, Aug. 16 vs. Orlando Pride, 4 p.m. ET
The Current weren’t at their best on the road in Utah on Friday, but with A collision up to her old game-changing tricks, it meant an otherwise unimpressive showing didn’t come back to bite them. Chawinga’s goal in the 82nd minute was the match’s only goal, giving Kansas City a 1-0 win, their 13th out of 15 games this season. Adding to the spectacle was Ally Sentnor playing the second half against her old team just over a week after a blockbuster trade saw her exchange Salt Lake City for Kansas City. The rich keep getting richer.
Previous ranking: 2
Next match: Friday Aug. 15 vs. Racing Louisville, 8 p.m. ET
Despite playing on the road, it will be difficult for the Spirit to view a 0-0 draw with Gotham on Saturday as anything other than two points dropped. After the hosts went down to 10 players following Geyse‘s red card in the first half, Washington controlled the ball, but couldn’t break the deadlock. On a more positive note, Trinity Rodman made her second-consecutive appearance since returning from injury. Factoring in stoppage time, the U.S. women’s national team superstar played 40 minutes off the bench and is getting closer to full fitness.
Previous ranking: 4
Next match: Saturday Aug. 16 at Kansas City Current, 4 p.m. ET
The Pride threw nearly everything they could at Racing Louisville on Saturday, only to end up with a single point in the form of a 1-1 draw in front of the Orlando crowd. After failing to convert two penalties, it’s difficult to place blame anywhere but on the field. Between sloppy finishing and a rare lapse in their transition defending that allowed Louisville to take a lead in first-half stoppage time, Orlando left points on the table and allowed the gap between them and the first-place Kansas City Current to grow even larger, to 12 points with 11 games remaining.
Previous ranking: 3
Next match: Saturday, Aug. 16 at Bay FC, 10 p.m. ET
Late-game fireworks were the order of the evening in Southern California on Saturday. The two goals in San Diego’s 1-1 draw with Angel City came in the 85th and 92nd minutes, with substitute Makenzy Robbe putting the Wave ahead before Alanna Kennedy leveled less than 10 minutes later. Though San Diego’s unbeaten streak is now up to four games, this weekend’s draw served as a reminder that the Wave have work to do in attack. According to FBref, they’ve only generated over 1.1 xG twice in their last eight games. The result of that sluggish attack on Saturday? More dropped points at home.
Previous ranking: 6
Next match: Saturday Aug. 16 at North Carolina Courage, 7:30 p.m. ET
For the third time this season, the Portland Thorns bagged four goals in a single game, besting Seattle Reign FC by a 4-2 scoreline to close out the weekend’s slate. After a Sam Coffey penalty kick equalized for Portland, Reilyn Turner, Reyna Reyes and Tordin stone all worked their way onto the scoresheet for the hosts in a game won by committee. With the Thorns playing out of a narrow 4-2-3-1 formation, Seattle simply didn’t have answers for Portland’s devastating attacking waves. With three wins from their last four games, the Thorns are red-hot.
Previous ranking: 5
Next match: Monday Aug. 18 vs. Chicago Stars FC, 10 p.m. ET
Despite taking an early lead through teenage attacker Emeri AdamesSeattle simply couldn’t stop Portland from finding the back of Claudia Dickey‘s net in a 4-2 loss on Sunday. Even when a goal from Jessica Fishlock cut the Thorns’ lead to a single goal partway through the second half, Pietra Tordin almost immediately doubled the lead for the hosts. The Reign were second best for the vast majority of Sunday’s contest at Providence Park and saw their four-game unbeaten streak broken along the way.
Previous ranking: 8
Next match: Friday Aug. 15 at Washington Spirit, 8 p.m. ET
Jordyn Bloomertake a bow. Racing Louisville’s starting goalkeeper had a career day in her team’s 1-1 draw with the Orlando Pride on Saturday. Bloomer saved not one, but two penalties for Louisville in a matchup with one of the most dangerous attacks in the NWSL. Thanks to the 27-year-old’s heroics in goal and a well-worked transition attack moments before the halftime whistle, Louisville earned a difficult road point in Orlando.
Previous ranking: 9
Next match: Sunday, Aug. 17 vs. Houston Dash, 4 p.m. ET
Though they wanted more than a single point at home against the Washington SpiritNJ/NY Gotham extended their unbeaten streak to four games with a 0-0 draw on Saturday afternoon. A red card for Geyse in the 30th minute changed the contest, forcing the hosts to spend more time defending and less dictating the game in front of the Sports Illustrated Stadium crowd. Gotham’s talent level and results still haven’t quite clicked this year, even as results roll in.
Previous ranking: 7
Next match: Saturday Aug. 16 vs. Portland Thorns, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Courage are tough to play at home, and the team successfully fended off a strong San Diego squad in a 0-0 draw in North Carolina. However, with the second half of the season officially underway, they’re still sitting below the playoff spots with time ticking to kick-start momentum.
Previous ranking: 10
Next match: Friday Aug. 15 at Utah Royals, 10 p.m. ET
Angel City’s 1-1 draw on the road in San Diego on Saturday was all about resilience. Though they fell behind late in the second half, Kennedy’s 92nd minute equalizer rescued a point for her team against the Wave. Their own attack was far from firing, but Angel City did well to absorb San Diego’s attacking pressure — the visitors ceded 61% of the ball to their hosts and were rarely punished for it. Still, draws have to start turning into wins for Angel City FC: they’re winless since May.
Previous ranking: 11
Next match: Saturday Aug. 16 vs. San Diego Wave, 10 p.m. ET
Despite generating more danger than their opponents in the final third, Bay fc couldn’t earn anything more than a 1-1 draw on the road against Chicago Stars fc. Taylor Huff opened the scoring for the visitors in the 29th minute, but the scoreline remained deadlocked after a concession later in the first half. Despite four-straight quality attacking performances dating back to before the NWSL’s summer break, Bay FC have gone winless in those four matches. They remain on the outside of the playoff field looking in.
Previous ranking: 13
Next match: Sunday, Aug. 17 at Gotham FC, 4 p.m. ET
Up against the North Carolina Courage days into a managerial shift that saw Sean Nahas firedthe Houston Dash managed their first home win since April. Thanks to a game-winning goal from Sophie Schmidt deep into second-half stoppage time, Houston’s counter-attacking approach paid off to the tune of a 2-1 victory. Outside of a penalty concession in the first half, Houston did well to absorb pressure to limit North Carolina’s chances. That counts as progress for the Dash.
Previous ranking: 12
Next match: Monday Aug. 18 at Seattle Reign, 10 p.m. ET
The Stars’ quest for their second win of the season continues following their 1-1 draw with Bay FC on Sunday. Shea Groom scored Chicago’s lone goal of the day and was a bright spot for the hosts, creating looks for both herself and her teammates in a central attacking role. Even still, Chicago Stars FC were out-possessed, out-shot, out-xG-ed, and generally outplayed by Bay. There’s no shortage of work to be done in the Windy City.
Previous ranking: 14
Next match: Friday Aug. 15 vs. Angel City FC, 10 p.m. ET
There’s little doubt that it will have pained Utah to see Ally Sentnor coming on to start the second half on Friday … wearing another team’s colors. The U.S. women’s national team forward entered the match between the Royals and the Current as a substitute for Vlatko Andonovski’s team. Utah, despite limiting Kansas City to their second-lowest xG total of any game this season based on FBref’s data, couldn’t mount enough in the attack to get on the board in a 1-0 loss. Still searching for their second win of the season, things keep getting worse.
