NWSL Power Rankings: Jaedyn Shaw makes history as Gotham FC stay No. 1, Ashley Sanchez ties single-season scoring record

Prior ranking: 16

Result: Lost 3-1 vs. Gotham FC

Ramifications: Perhaps there's some hope for Chicago withVlatko 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.