The 2025 NWSL regular season starts on Friday signaling another thrilling chapter in women’s soccer. All 14 clubs will be in action over the weekend and will show off their offseason prep, while rising stars start to shape the league’s competitive landscape in year 13. As the season unfolds, the NWSL typically delivers skill and flare along with drama and chaos. Fans can watch select NWSL regular season matches across CBS platforms including CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
With new talent and strategic roster moves, some teams have already emerged as leading candicdates for successful season. But which clubs are the front runners and who has work to do?
Let’s see where teams have separated themselves to start the season:
Contenders
These are the top teams in the NWSL heading into the 2025 season, the ones that have already established gaps between themselves and ten other clubs. Not only will they compete against the league for supremacy, they’ll be gunning for each other when it comes to titles on the line.
Orlando Pride: Reigning Shield winners and NWSL Champions, the Pride are back, with most of their title winning roster in tact. In fact, they’re welcoming back key pieces from injury, and Rafaelle adds another layer to the Pride’s backline as Barbra Banda, Marta, and Ally Watt handle the attack.
Washington Spirit: Head coach Jonatan Giraldez and his squad already snatched the first title of the year witht he 2025 Challenge Cup and could gear up for more. Their internationals have high potential to shake things up and if Trinity Rodman can stay healthy, she’ll have early MVP chatter around her and the Spirit will be difficult to stop.
Kansas City Current: Armed with 2024 MVP and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga, the Current looked poised for another deep run in 2025. If head coach Vlatko Andonovski can get the team off to a better defensive start and manage the goalkeeper postion, they’ll find themselves competing for titles again.
NJ/NY Gotham FC: The squad misssed out on a shot at spot in the 2024 Championship on penalties, so they’ll be motivated. USWNT players Rose Lavelle, Tierna Davidson, and Emily Sonnett are back, and Midge Purce returns for one more season. New international signings Gabi Portilho and Stella Nyamekey could be game changers if the coaching staff stick with their organized chaos and continue to utilize the entire roster.
Dark Horses
These are teams who will likely be in the playoff mix and could even break through. They could land anywhere from fifth through seventh place and even break up a bracket in the playoffs if they’re hitting their stride. But, they might be missing a certain piece or even experience to make a deeper run.
North Carolina Courage: The Courage will remain a dark horse until they can get past the quarterfinal round, but new acquisitions could bring some needed unpredictability to their mostly constant style of profit through possession. The club made a huge move in trading for Jaedyn Shaw, and if she’s developing quick chemistry with Ashley Sanchez then then the duo could get the club further into the postseason than the last two seasons.
Seattle Reign FC: The Reign missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2018 and made moves to make their return in 2025. Adding USWNT forward Lynn Biyendolo immediately boosts the attack and if sophomore players Jordyn Bugg, Sam Meza, Madison Curry, and Emeri Adames can be breakout contributors, the Reign will break back into the playoffs.
Bay FC: No team is teetering the will they or won’t they line more than Bay FC. The coaching staff is currently under investigation and the players are expected to compete alongside something outside of their control. They cracked the 2024 playoffs as a seventh seed , but how they’re managed will play a role in where they go in 2025.
Utah Royals FC: The squad went on a solid second-half run last season and were the only bottom half table team to have a three game win streak in the final five weeks of the 2024 season. If they can carry that momentum into 2025 they’ll remain a dark horse candidate, and if Mina Tanaka and Ally Sentnor have strong seasons, then Utah may crack the playoff picture.
Long shots
Congrats on every team in this category as the club fighting to be the eighth best team in the league. It’s far from a glowing compliment, but it’s never over until its over, and for all these teams it’s just beginning. Chasing eighth means it’s a change to participate in the postseason, and anything can happen in playoffs. Can’t manage an eighth place finish in a 14 team league? Yikes.
Angel City FC: A lot will depend on how interim coach Sam Laity can get young players out the gate. Jun Endo is their most dynamic player and is coming off an ACL injury, and Christen Press is back for one more season. If Angel City can set themselves up with some good early results, they can make things less difficult on themselves in the second half of the season.
Houston Dash: The club made a lot of offseason moves to try and compete in 2025, but everything will have to come together. Adding Yazmeen Ryan, Delanie Sheehan, and Messiah Bright were good steps in a competitive direction, but what tactics head coach Fabrice Gautrat settles on is the big question. Combine that with a club sale inquiry, and whatever success the Dash get this season will be brought by players excelling beyond a difficult environment.
Racing Louisville FC: No other team has been a ninth place team more times in a row than Racing Lousiville. Where ninth place was just flat out poor in past seasons, last year’s expanded playoff format meant they found themselves just outside of postseason picture. The puzzle might not be any less complicated in 2025, but Savannah DeMelo, Taylor Flint, Bethany Balcer, and Janine Sonis might change things.
Portland Thorns FC: Soccer is a team sport and no one player can dicate everything, but not having Sophia Wilson for 2025 will be a change for the Thorns. The USWNT striker recently announced her pregnancy and the squad also has to manage multiple season ending injuries to Morgan Weaver, defender Nicole Payne, and defender Marie Muller. Young midfielder Olivia Moultrie returns from injury, and Sam Coffey and Hina Sugita will be tasked with dictating play if Portland want to reach the playoffs.
Chicago Stars FC: They made the playoffs in 2024, but their competitive decline happened with a skid into that postseason. For 2025 they may or may not have Mallory Swanson to contend this year so that means they’ll have to bank on third-year player Ally Schlegel to have a big year and for Ludmilla to break out after joining the club last year during late mid-season. Add in question marks around healthy defenders and things don’t look great to start.
San Diego Wave FC: They have a new coach and small roster to start the year. There’s no replacing Naomi Girma or Alex Morgan, but they’ll certainly try. It just might be painful along the way. How their new international signings adapt to the league could help them get resuls over the season.
Read the full article here
