NWSL Power Rankings: Jaedyn Shaw makes history as Gotham FC stay No. 1, Ashley Sanchez ties single-season scoring record
Angel City stunned Washington and Kansas City scored four, while Chicago Stars, Racing Louisville and Bay FC saw their playoff hopes come to an end.
Jaedyn Shaw turned what looked like a routine weekend for Gotham FC into another milestone. Facing last-place Chicago, the Bats kept their dominant season rolling behind Shaw’s brace. Her eighth and ninth goals of the season made her the youngest player in NWSL history to reach 25 career goals.
For Chicago, the loss officially ended its playoff hopes. Racing Louisville and Bay FC were also eliminated over the weekend.
The North Carolina Courage dropped three points to the Utah Royals, but Ashley Sanchez still had a moment to celebrate. The Golden Boot leader scored her 20th goal of the season, tying Temwa Chawinga’s single-season record.
Elsewhere, Angel City stunned the Washington Spirit, while a Jess Fishlock brace helped Seattle Reign roll past Boston Legacy. Kansas City Current put four past Denver Summit FC, with Haley Hopkins scoring a hat trick.
The weeks are dwindling, and the playoff picture is getting clearer. After another eventful weekend, GOAL ranks all 16 NWSL teams.
Chicago Stars
Prior ranking: 16
Result: Lost 3-1 vs. Gotham FC
Ramifications: Perhaps there's some hope for Chicago with Vlatko Andonovski in the mix, but there's no saving this season. The Stars are now at just 17 points and remain in last place in the league standings with a 5-19-2 overall record.
Racing Louisville
Prior ranking: 14
Result: Lost 2-0 vs San Diego Wave
Ramifications: Racing Louisville dropped another match, this time against a very good San Diego side. Racing Louisville are in second-to-last place with just 23 points. This loss to the Wave was their 17th of the season.
Bay FC
Prior ranking: 15
Result: Lost 3-1 vs. Orlando Pride
Ramifications: Bay FC's Racheal Kundananji scored her third goal of the season, but the Northern California side couldn't stop the visiting Pride. Bay FC are in 13th place in the league standings and are tied with the Legacy at 26 points.
Boston Legacy
Prior ranking: 13
Result: Lost 2-0 vs. Seattle Reign
Ramifications: Boston had looked more competitive over the past few weekends, which made the shutout loss to Seattle a bit of a surprise. The Legacy sit 14th in the standings, level with Bay FC on 26 points.
Houston Dash
Prior ranking: 12
Result: Drew 1-1 with Portland Thorns
Ramifications: A point against Portland is a good result for 12th-place Houston. Rookies Kat Rader and Kate Faasse have given the Dash a spark through the middle, but the team has struggled to put together a complete performance.
Orlando Pride
Prior ranking: 11
Result: Won 3-1 vs. Bay FC
Ramifications: The Orlando Pride put three past Bay FC, thanks to a brace from Haley McCutcheon and an extra-time finish from Jacqueline Ovalle. The Pride still aren't in the clear for the playoffs, currently sitting in 11th place.
Kansas City Current
Prior ranking: 10
Result: Won 4-1 vs. Denver Summit FC
Ramifications: The Kansas City Current looked like the best version of themselves over the weekend, and it was Haley Hopkins who stepped up majorly for the Current, scoring a hat trick.
Denver Summit
Prior ranking: 9
Result: Lost 4-1 vs Kansas City Current
Ramifications: The Summit couldn't hang on after Lindsey Heaps put the Denver side ahead in the 13th minute. Denver are in 10th place in the league standings, so they will need to find some more wins if they want to make it to the postseason.
Seattle Reign
Prior ranking: 8
Result: Won 2-0 vs Boston Legacy
Ramifications: Seattle Reign's Jess Fishlock scored both of the goals to blow past the Legacy 2-0 on Friday. The Reign are middle of the table, in eighth place and will have to put together a big result against the Courage on Friday to stay above the playoff line.
Angel City
Prior ranking: 7
Result: Won 1-0 vs. Washington Spirit
Ramifications: A great result for Angel City, who, despite looking good this season, haven't been able to come away with a consistent stretch of wins. Getting the win against a top-of-the-table team is just the boost the Los Angeles team need to make a strong run at the end of the season.
Portland Thorns
Prior ranking: 6
Result: 1-1 Draw vs. Houston Dash
Ramifications: The Thorns conceded in just the 10th minute of play, but were able to equalize late in the second half. They squeezed away with a point against a near bottom of the table Houston team.
Utah Royals
Prior ranking: 5
Result: Won 2-1 vs. North Carolina Courage
Ramifications: The Utah Royals went ahead first, and despite conceding a penalty kick before the half, were still able to get another one past the Courage. The Royals are now in fourth place in the league standings, just one point behind the Spirit.
Washington Spirit
Prior ranking: 4
Result: Lost 1-0 vs. Angel City
Ramifications: The Washington Spirit fell to Angel City in the 88th minute, at home. The Spirit have had a tough stretch of games these past two weekends, and even with dropping the three points are still in third place.
North Carolina Courage
Prior ranking: 3
Result: Lost 2-1 to Utah Royals
Ramifications: Ashley Sanchez scored her 20th goal of the season to tie the NWSL’s single-season record, but the Courage still fell to Utah. Given how strong Sanchez and North Carolina’s front line have been, it’s surprising to see the Courage in ninth place, just below the playoff line.
San Diego Wave
Prior ranking: 2
Result: Won 2-0 vs. Racing Louisville
Ramifications: The Wave took care of business with two first-half goals and remain in top form. They’ve done it without Cat Macario, who signed earlier this year but has yet to play for the club. She was recently placed on the season-ending injury list.
Gotham FC
Prior ranking: 1
Result: Won 3-1 vs. Chicago Stars
Ramifications: With a playoff berth secured, Gotham are chasing the first NWSL Shield in club history. Sam Kerr set up the opener and headed in the second against Chicago, helping the Bats extend their club-record home unbeaten streak to 11 matches. They sit six points clear at the top with four games left.
