The margins for energy simply get slimmer between groups through the 2025 NWSL common season. With simply 5 weeks remaining, time is working out for golf equipment to clinch a playoff spot and to vie for place in our energy rankings. Week 21 topped Kansas Metropolis Present as 2025 NWSL Protect winners, so there may not be a shock for who’s on the high of the record, however there’s loads of parity all through.
Because the postseason puzzle begins to assemble, golf equipment are showcasing why the league is probably the most aggressive throughout the globe. Washington Spirit may clinch a 2025 playoff spot after they host Houston Sprint at Audi Subject on Sunday (12 p.m. ET on Paramount+). High seed Kansas Metropolis Present will face last-place Chicago Stars FC in a Midwest conflict and should win for Chicago to remain in playoff competition. Regardless of the stakes, each crew can rise and fall within the energy rankings, and should you’re preserving monitor of the ability traits, take a look at my earlier rankings.
Week 22 shall be right here quickly, so do not miss any motion. Followers can watch choose NWSL regular-season matches throughout CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, and CBS Sports activities Golazo Community.
2025 NWSL Energy Rankings
This is how the league stacks up as week 22 approaches:
1. Kansas Metropolis Present (–)
The Kansas Metropolis Present have been one of the best crew the whole 2025 NWSL common season, they usually confirmed all of the clout after they etched their names into the 2025 NWSL Protect. The quickest crew to ever safe the protect, they usually’ve obtained 5 weeks in entrance of them to retool if they should or need to.
2. Washington Spirit (–)
The Spirit shall be motivated to clinch their playoff spot at dwelling after being runners-up within the protect race. The common season may be winding down, however ahead Trinity Rodman and midfielder Croix Bethune are heating up on the proper time, and the Spirit keep a pressure to be reckoned with.
3. Gotham FC (+2)
As Rose Lavelle rises, so does Gotham FC. Generally determining how to not lose a recreation is simply as essential as securing a win through the postseason race, and the teaching employees can also be competing to flex how deep the roster is.
4. Portland Thorns FC (-1)
There isn’t any streakier crew than the Thorns among the many high 4 of my rankings and the league desk. One stretch of the match, they appear like they’ve the solutions, and the following, they are not executing. The one factor preserving them this excessive is the truth that so many different groups are going through related questions.
5. Seattle Reign FC (-1)
Actually, any person not named Jess Fishlock, please rating for the Seattle Reign. One aim in 4 video games is not only a development; it is turn into constant stagnation at this level, and it is not the sort of kind you need when staying within the playoff combine.
6. Orlando Satisfaction (–)
The previous NWSL Protect winners are stumbling within the playoff race, and in my energy rankings. There’s sufficient there on the finish of recreation stats to indicate the Satisfaction are clinging to the postseason race, however they may must shake up the lineups to get issues going once more.
7. San Diego Wave (–)
There’s simply not the identical artistic spark from San Diego that we noticed through the first half of the season. If ahead Delphine Cascarino stays on the damage report, there may not be sufficient to maintain them climbing the ability rankings.
8. Utah Royals (+3)
There’s the Utah Royals all of us thought would come to life in 2025. In virtually a mirror picture of final season, Utah is stringing collectively performances and taking part in higher than its league desk rating. However similar to final 12 months, they’re working out of time to make some membership historical past.
9. Houston Sprint (+1)
Sprint confirmed they will not keep down for lengthy. Regardless of their unbeaten streak being snapped, they bounced proper again into kind. Yazmeen Ryan is again to scoring objectives, they usually’re nonetheless a part of a postseason convo that was beforehand slipping away from them.
10. North Carolina Braveness (+2)
The Braveness are bringing loads of nothing-to-lose power into their matches, and it is paying off in outcomes and the playoff image. Defenders Maycee Bell and Kaleigh Kurtz are making issues troublesome for the attacking opposition, and the play is build up on the pitch.
11. Racing Louisville FC (-3)
You hate to see it. Racing are struggling to distinguish itself not solely from different groups within the playoff push, however from their repeatedly underachieving seasons of the previous. They’re displaying indicators of life however may use a definitive, full efficiency asap.
12. Chicago Stars FC (-3)
It was an unimaginable run till actuality began to settle in. The group is on a brand new streak of no wins that do not really feel as nice as their earlier run out of the summer season break. They’re within the nook with the common season timeline closing in on them.
13. Angel Metropolis FC (+1)
Nothing like going toe-to-toe with high groups to get some confidence again. But it surely’s somewhat bit telling that a few of the vibes are misplaced regardless of the efforts.
14. Bay FC (-1)
There’s nothing unsuitable with making an attempt some stuff when it appears to be like and feels just like the season has all however slipped away from you. Defender Brooklyn Courtnal obtained her first begin since being traded to Bay, and ahead Racheal Kundenanji, off the bench, scored an equalizer.
