NWSL Power Rankings: Record-breaking Kansas City Current extend league mark with 20th win as postseason draws near

Prior Ranking: 14

Result: Drew Racing Louisville 1-1

Ramifications: Jameese Joseph scored her third goal of the year to give Chicago a 1-0 lead over Louisville, and - were it not for Bethany Balcer’s stoppage-time equalizer - they might have secured three points. Alyssa Naeher’s eight-saves were massive in this game for Chicago, no matter the result.

Prior Ranking: 13

Result: Drew Seattle Reign 1-1

Ramifications: The fact that Bay FC is already eliminated from the postseason doesn’t stop them from being competitive. While playing playoff-contending Seattle, Bay looked ready to take all three points on the road - and they nearly did before Jess Fishlock’s late equalizer.

Prior Ranking: 9

Result: Lost to Angel City 2-0

Ramifications: Technically, Houston can still make the playoffs. But losing to Angel City was a big blow for the Dash, who are winless in their last three games, with two defeats and one draw. They’ve got table-topping Kansas City up next, which will almost certainly spell the end of their postseason hopes.

Prior Ranking: 12

Result: Lost to 3-2 to San Diego

Ramifications: The Royals finished their year in incredible form, going eight-games undefeated before the loss on the weekend. They fended off elimination as long as they could, but after falling to San Diego at home, the Royals are officially out of this year’s postseason.

Prior Ranking: 11

Result: Beat Houston Dash 2-0

Ramifications: Angel City kept their postseason dreams alive with a seismic victory over fellow postseason hopefuls Houston. Both teams are tied on points and sitting below the playoff spots, but remain mathematically capable of breaking in. Whether they manage to make the playoffs, Angel City has shown progress as they secured their first win since Sept. 1. 

Prior Ranking: 10

Result: Drew Washington Spirit 1-1

Ramifications: North Carolina held on to ninth place for another weekend after drawing the second-place Spirit at home, and are now four points short of eighth-place Racing Louisville for the final playoff spot. Calling it even with the Spirit is a respectable result. But they’re still winless in three games, and will need to find a new gear to break into the playoffs. They’ve got Bay FC and Gotham next. 

Prior Ranking: 8

Result: Beat Utah Royals 3-2

Ramifications: San Diego snapped their seven-game winless run - two draws, five losses - with a high-scoring victory in terrible weather in Utah. They finished the weekend in sixth place with 34 points in a tightly-packed table. There’s only seven points separating third-place Orlando and ninth-place North Carolina. San Diego play Chicago and then Kansas City with a playoff spot still pending.

Prior Ranking: 6

Result: Drew Chicago Stars 1-1

Ramifications: For a moment, it seemed as if Louisville might fall to the last-place Stars. Naeher’s eight-saves proved near-impregnable. But Bethany Balcer scored a massive first goal of the season in stoppage time to salvage a point for Racing, who finished the weekend in the final playoff spot. Next up, a big test against Gotham. 

Prior Ranking: 4

Result: Drew Bay FC 1-1

Ramifications: Fishlock’s late goal salvaged a point for the Reign, who’ve yet to secure their playoff spot but finished the weekend in fifth place. With two final tests against Utah and then Orlando, the Reign are competing in a closely-packed table. But they can still secure a top-four finish and home field advantage in the playoffs, pending results in their final games.

Prior Ranking: 7

Result: Lost to Orlando 1-0

Ramifications: Portland put in a solid performance while playing on the road in Orlando, but walked away with no points after a stoppage-time own goal forced by Marta. They’ll finish their year against two teams below the playoff line competing to break in - Angel City, then Houston. They’ve got the tools to secure their spot, but can’t take any remaining points for granted. 

Prior Ranking: 3

Result: Lost to Kansas City Current 2-0

Ramifications: Ann-Katrin Berger was injured for one of their biggest tests of the season. Shelby Hogan was solid in a three-save performance, but Gotham wasn’t clinical enough in attack to counteract Kansas City’s dynamism. With the defeat, Gotham finished the weekend still searching for their playoff berth, and will need to battle to secure home-field advantage with a top-four finish.

Prior Ranking: 5

Result: Beat Portland Thorns 1-0

Ramifications: After many weeks without a win, Orlando is building steam ahead of the playoffs. Marta returned from injury to provide a massive stoppage-time goal - officially ruled an own goal - that secured three points against Portland, marking two wins and a draw from their last three games. With that, the reigning champions are the third team to clinch a spot in the playoffs.  

Prior Ranking: 2

Result: Drew North Carolina Courage 1-1

Ramifications: Playing in Cary, North Carolina, the Spirit called it even with ninth-place North Carolina after Trinity Rodman’s fifth goal of the season gave them an early lead. That’s enough for the Spirit - who secured their playoff spot in a previous weekend - to earn home-field advantage through to the playoff semifinals, if they advance that far. 

Prior Ranking: 1

Result: Beat Gotham 2-0

Ramifications: Gotham were missing their star keeper, but Kansas City made relatively easy work of one of the better teams in NWSL over the weekend. And the records keep breaking: Kansas City stretched their single season wins tally to 20 games, with a record 62 points. Bia Zaneratto clocked a goal and an assist in the victory, and Temwa Chawinga scored the second to mark her 15th goal of the season, giving her a two-goal lead at the top of the NWSL Golden Boot race.