\u2699\ufe0f The set-up<\/h2>\n\nThe NWSL keeps growing<\/a> and will feature 16 teams this season,<\/strong> with expansion squads Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC joining the fun. Every club will compete in 30 regular-season matches (up from 26 in 2025), facing every team twice<\/a> \u2014 once at home and once away.<\/p>\n\n- \ud83d\uded1 The league will not hold any regular season games from June 1st to June 28th to account for both a CBA-mandated break and the men\u2019s FIFA World Cup. NWSL games will resume on July 3rd following the World Cup group stage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Come the end of the regular season in the fall, the top team will walk away with the NWSL Shield<\/a> <\/strong>(awarded to the club with the best regular-season record). Perhaps it\u2019ll come down to the always exhilarating Decision Day, aka the final day of the regular season where all 16 teams could still be battling for one of eight spots in the single-elimination NWSL Playoffs. Bring it on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\ud83d\udcf0 News to know<\/h2>\n![\"Everything](\"https:\/\/cdn.sanity.io\/images\/rdxk7lfa\/production\/ab20d2b320cf8cbea7171bc6b137396555776a3b-512x341.png?w=600&h=400&q=75&fit=max&auto=format\")
<\/p>\nSource: NBC News<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nBefore we dive into the teams,<\/strong> here are a few headlines to know ahead of the first whistle.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udcfa More than 1M people watched November\u2019s NWSL Championship, <\/strong>a monumental feat as the league hadn\u2019t broke the million-viewer mark for a single game yet. Plus, more fans attended the playoffs<\/a> than ever before. Girls just wanna have fun<\/del> watch women\u2019s soccer.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udc40 Speaking of, we\u2019re in the third year of the NWSL\u2019s four-year, $240M transformative media rights deal<\/a>.<\/strong> In the U.S., you can tune in on ION, Prime Video, CBS, ESPN, Victory+<\/a>, and NWSL+, while games will air on TSN, One Soccer, and NWSL+<\/a> in Canada.<\/p>\n\u2b50 The aforementioned Trinity Rodman signed a three-year, $2M annual contract <\/strong>in the offseason to stay with the Spirit. As a free agent, Rodman fielded massive offers<\/a> from abroad, so the NWSL, which abides by a salary cap<\/a>, made some changes.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udc4b Last but not least, Boston and Denver will make splashy league debuts, <\/strong>both hosting their home openers at NFL stadiums. Legacy play defending champ Gotham FC tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium, while Summit has already sold over 50K tickets<\/a> to their March 28th match at Mile High and are on track to break the league\u2019s single-game attendance record<\/a>. If you build it\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\ud83d\udcaa The contenders<\/h2>\n![\"Everything](\"data:image\/png;base64,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\")
![\"Everything](\"https:\/\/cdn.sanity.io\/images\/rdxk7lfa\/production\/9dda47058629ac00b17b757bb0e2b77fea61afc8-512x341.png?w=600&h=400&q=75&fit=max&auto=format\")
<\/p>\nSource: Soccer America<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\ud83d\uddfd Gotham FC: <\/strong>Folks love to underestimate Gotham, who won their second franchise \u2019ship as the lowest playoff seed last year. We won\u2019t make that mistake \u2014 especially with stalwart center back Tierna Davidson returning from injury<\/a> imminently.<\/p>\n\ud83e\udde8 Washington Spirit: <\/strong>Don\u2019t let the charming cherry blossom kit<\/a> fool you: The Spirit are out for revenge after losing their second straight championship game. Speedy striker Gift Monday was the breakout star of their postseason campaign and will be a force on the front line with Rodman.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udca7 Kansas City Current:<\/strong> KC made one of the splashiest offseason moves, acquiring $1M midfielder Croix Bethune<\/a> from the Spirit. Bethune will now team up with goal wizard Ally Sentnor<\/a> and two-time reigning MVP, friend of The GIST<\/a> Temwa Chawinga.<\/p>\n\ud83c\udf39 Portland Thorns:<\/strong> Midfielder Sam Coffey heading abroad<\/a> left a big hole in the Thorns\u2019 roster, one rookie Shae Harvey will try and fill. As for returners, 2022 MVP Sophia Wilson (n\u00e9e Smith) will return to the pitch following a season long maternity leave. In moms we trust<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u26f0\ufe0f Denver Summit:<\/strong> Denver is our expansion squad pick to make the playoffs. USWNT captain and Colorado\u2019s own Lindsey Heaps (n\u00e9e Horan) will join the squad in June<\/a> \u2014 until then, expect Northern Super League transfer Emma Regan to control the midfield.<\/p>\n\ud83c\udf0a San Diego Wave:<\/strong> The Wave have also been busy since November, acquiring not one, but two standout Brazilian forwards: Ludmila, who recently scored the fastest hat trick in league history<\/a>, and Gabi Portilho, fresh off a championship with Gotham.<\/p>\n\ud83c\udf4a Orlando Pride: <\/strong>Forward Barbra Banda\u2019s season-ending injury<\/a> in August 2025 put a real damper on the then\u2013reigning champ Pride\u2019s title defense. She isn\u2019t officially back for Orlando, but Banda did join the Zambian national team camp last week. Can\u2019t wait to see her on the pitch with Marta<\/a>.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udc51 Seattle Reign: <\/strong>The Reign struggled to score last season, but boast stout goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, who has firmly cemented herself in the USWNT pool. Alongside veteran midfielder Jess Fishlock, Dickey will provide the stability the squad needs as their forwards\u2026figure it out<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\ud83d\udc15 The underdogs<\/h2>\n![\"Everything](\"data:image\/png;base64,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\")
![\"Everything](\"https:\/\/cdn.sanity.io\/images\/rdxk7lfa\/production\/d1eb851051107fbcc2cb5b97d34fb2a71e8bcd9e-512x341.png?w=600&h=400&q=75&fit=max&auto=format\")
<\/p>\nSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\u2614 Bay FC:<\/strong> Their $1.1M trade<\/a> for 20-year-old midfielder Claire Hutton, who recently became the youngest player to captain the USWNT<\/a>, makes Bay FC intriguing. Time will tell if that move sends them back to the playoffs after a disappointing sophomore season.<\/p>\n\ud83c\udfc7 Racing Louisville:<\/strong> With reigning Coach of the Year Bev Yanez<\/a> at the helm and their playoff curse<\/a> broken, anything feels possible in Louisville. Now it\u2019s up to splashy forward Emma Sears to keep the foot on the gas.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udcaa Boston Legacy: <\/strong>Pro women\u2019s soccer is back in Boston for the first time since 2017<\/a>, a reason for celebration even as home stadium issues persist<\/a>. As for the players, 2025 Ballon d\u2019Or F\u00e9minin nominee Amanda Gutierres and goalkeeper Casey Murphy will be bright spots in Beantown.<\/p>\n\ud83d\ude07 Angel City FC:<\/strong> ACFC struggled with consistency in 2025, but that\u2019s nothing stalwart center back Emily Sams can\u2019t fix. What\u2019s more, defender Savy King is expected to return to the pitch<\/a> this season after suffering an on-field cardiac event last May. Already tearing up.<\/p>\n\u2b50 Chicago Stars:<\/strong> The rebuild continues, but in a new location: The Stars changed their home field<\/a> for the 2026 season. As fans await forward Mal Swanson\u2019s return from maternity leave<\/a>, Jameese Joseph<\/a> will carry the offense while goalie Alyssa Naeher holds it down during her 11th Chi season.<\/p>\n\ud83e\udec5 Utah Royals:<\/strong> Timing is everything and last season was too little, too late for the Royals, who went unbeaten in nine of their last 11 games, but failed to make the playoffs for the second straight year. Perhaps rookie and NCAA champion<\/a> Kameron Simmonds can provide the spark.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udca8 Houston Dash: <\/strong>Houston, we have a problem: scoring goals<\/a>. Watch for rookies midfielder Linda Ullmark and forward Kate Faasse, both from college powerhouse UNC, to remedy this.<\/p>\n\u270a North Carolina Courage:<\/strong> After missing the playoffs in 2025, the Courage made significant changes in the offseason, including adding goalie Kailen Sheridan and new head coach Mak Lind. Nothing like a refresh.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The NWSL keeps growing<\/a> and will feature 16 teams this season,<\/strong> with expansion squads Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC joining the fun. Every club will compete in 30 regular-season matches (up from 26 in 2025), facing every team twice<\/a> \u2014 once at home and once away.<\/p>\n Come the end of the regular season in the fall, the top team will walk away with the NWSL Shield<\/a> <\/strong>(awarded to the club with the best regular-season record). Perhaps it\u2019ll come down to the always exhilarating Decision Day, aka the final day of the regular season where all 16 teams could still be battling for one of eight spots in the single-elimination NWSL Playoffs. Bring it on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Source: NBC News<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Before we dive into the teams,<\/strong> here are a few headlines to know ahead of the first whistle.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa More than 1M people watched November\u2019s NWSL Championship, <\/strong>a monumental feat as the league hadn\u2019t broke the million-viewer mark for a single game yet. Plus, more fans attended the playoffs<\/a> than ever before. Girls just wanna \ud83d\udc40 Speaking of, we\u2019re in the third year of the NWSL\u2019s four-year, $240M transformative media rights deal<\/a>.<\/strong> In the U.S., you can tune in on ION, Prime Video, CBS, ESPN, Victory+<\/a>, and NWSL+, while games will air on TSN, One Soccer, and NWSL+<\/a> in Canada.<\/p>\n \u2b50 The aforementioned Trinity Rodman signed a three-year, $2M annual contract <\/strong>in the offseason to stay with the Spirit. As a free agent, Rodman fielded massive offers<\/a> from abroad, so the NWSL, which abides by a salary cap<\/a>, made some changes.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc4b Last but not least, Boston and Denver will make splashy league debuts, <\/strong>both hosting their home openers at NFL stadiums. Legacy play defending champ Gotham FC tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium, while Summit has already sold over 50K tickets<\/a> to their March 28th match at Mile High and are on track to break the league\u2019s single-game attendance record<\/a>. If you build it\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Source: Soccer America<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \ud83d\uddfd Gotham FC: <\/strong>Folks love to underestimate Gotham, who won their second franchise \u2019ship as the lowest playoff seed last year. We won\u2019t make that mistake \u2014 especially with stalwart center back Tierna Davidson returning from injury<\/a> imminently.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udde8 Washington Spirit: <\/strong>Don\u2019t let the charming cherry blossom kit<\/a> fool you: The Spirit are out for revenge after losing their second straight championship game. Speedy striker Gift Monday was the breakout star of their postseason campaign and will be a force on the front line with Rodman.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udca7 Kansas City Current:<\/strong> KC made one of the splashiest offseason moves, acquiring $1M midfielder Croix Bethune<\/a> from the Spirit. Bethune will now team up with goal wizard Ally Sentnor<\/a> and two-time reigning MVP, friend of The GIST<\/a> Temwa Chawinga.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf39 Portland Thorns:<\/strong> Midfielder Sam Coffey heading abroad<\/a> left a big hole in the Thorns\u2019 roster, one rookie Shae Harvey will try and fill. As for returners, 2022 MVP Sophia Wilson (n\u00e9e Smith) will return to the pitch following a season long maternity leave. In moms we trust<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u26f0\ufe0f Denver Summit:<\/strong> Denver is our expansion squad pick to make the playoffs. USWNT captain and Colorado\u2019s own Lindsey Heaps (n\u00e9e Horan) will join the squad in June<\/a> \u2014 until then, expect Northern Super League transfer Emma Regan to control the midfield.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf0a San Diego Wave:<\/strong> The Wave have also been busy since November, acquiring not one, but two standout Brazilian forwards: Ludmila, who recently scored the fastest hat trick in league history<\/a>, and Gabi Portilho, fresh off a championship with Gotham.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf4a Orlando Pride: <\/strong>Forward Barbra Banda\u2019s season-ending injury<\/a> in August 2025 put a real damper on the then\u2013reigning champ Pride\u2019s title defense. She isn\u2019t officially back for Orlando, but Banda did join the Zambian national team camp last week. Can\u2019t wait to see her on the pitch with Marta<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc51 Seattle Reign: <\/strong>The Reign struggled to score last season, but boast stout goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, who has firmly cemented herself in the USWNT pool. Alongside veteran midfielder Jess Fishlock, Dickey will provide the stability the squad needs as their forwards\u2026figure it out<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2614 Bay FC:<\/strong> Their $1.1M trade<\/a> for 20-year-old midfielder Claire Hutton, who recently became the youngest player to captain the USWNT<\/a>, makes Bay FC intriguing. Time will tell if that move sends them back to the playoffs after a disappointing sophomore season.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfc7 Racing Louisville:<\/strong> With reigning Coach of the Year Bev Yanez<\/a> at the helm and their playoff curse<\/a> broken, anything feels possible in Louisville. Now it\u2019s up to splashy forward Emma Sears to keep the foot on the gas.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcaa Boston Legacy: <\/strong>Pro women\u2019s soccer is back in Boston for the first time since 2017<\/a>, a reason for celebration even as home stadium issues persist<\/a>. As for the players, 2025 Ballon d\u2019Or F\u00e9minin nominee Amanda Gutierres and goalkeeper Casey Murphy will be bright spots in Beantown.<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude07 Angel City FC:<\/strong> ACFC struggled with consistency in 2025, but that\u2019s nothing stalwart center back Emily Sams can\u2019t fix. What\u2019s more, defender Savy King is expected to return to the pitch<\/a> this season after suffering an on-field cardiac event last May. Already tearing up.<\/p>\n \u2b50 Chicago Stars:<\/strong> The rebuild continues, but in a new location: The Stars changed their home field<\/a> for the 2026 season. As fans await forward Mal Swanson\u2019s return from maternity leave<\/a>, Jameese Joseph<\/a> will carry the offense while goalie Alyssa Naeher holds it down during her 11th Chi season.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udec5 Utah Royals:<\/strong> Timing is everything and last season was too little, too late for the Royals, who went unbeaten in nine of their last 11 games, but failed to make the playoffs for the second straight year. Perhaps rookie and NCAA champion<\/a> Kameron Simmonds can provide the spark.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udca8 Houston Dash: <\/strong>Houston, we have a problem: scoring goals<\/a>. Watch for rookies midfielder Linda Ullmark and forward Kate Faasse, both from college powerhouse UNC, to remedy this.<\/p>\n \u270a North Carolina Courage:<\/strong> After missing the playoffs in 2025, the Courage made significant changes in the offseason, including adding goalie Kailen Sheridan and new head coach Mak Lind. Nothing like a refresh.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
\ud83d\udcf0 News to know<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nhave fun<\/del> watch women\u2019s soccer.<\/p>\n\ud83d\udcaa The contenders<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n\ud83d\udc15 The underdogs<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n