That is a wrap on the 2025 NWSL common season after a wild Choice Day. The playoff bracket is lastly set, and the postseason brings out a brand new power for groups within the combine. Gamers battled for closing spots and to generate as a lot momentum as doable for the brand new journey forward, which suggests it is time for Attacking Third’s staff of the week.
After weekly fixtures throughout the 2025 NWSL marketing campaign, Attacking Third analysts choose a staff of the week, head coach, and honorary captain based mostly on performances throughout the weekend. In case you’re protecting observe of who has been on our previous lineups, be sure to look again at our staff alternatives from week 25.
NWSL playoff weekend gears up Friday with Orlando Pleasure and Seattle Reign. The quarterfinal will conclude on Sunday as first-place Kansas Metropolis hosts eighth-place Gotham FC, and No. 3 Portland Thorns FC faces No. 6 San Diego Wave FC.
Racing Louisville clinched its first-ever postseason beginning with a nail-biting, 1-0, win over Bay FC on Sunday. The ultimate outcome lifted them up into seventh place, they usually’ll face No. 2-seeded Washington Spirit on Saturday (Nov. 8, 12:30 p.m. ET on CBS).
CBS is the house of the NWSL Championship, and groups will compete for a spot within the closing on Nov. 22. Followers can watch choose NWSL playoff matches throughout CBS platforms, together with CBS, CBS Sports activities Community, Paramount+, and CBS Sports activities Golazo Community.
Check out our greatest XI:
Goalkeeper: Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals)
In a season of highs and lows for the Utah Royals, Mandy McGlynn has been a little bit of calm and consistency for the membership this yr. Whereas it took the group a while to get going, they have been almost unstoppable within the second half of the season, and a clear sheet in opposition to the No. 2 seed will simply be extra momentum for this squad to construct off subsequent yr.
Defender: Carson Pickett (Orlando Pleasure)
Because the Orlando Pleasure start their title protection, the 2024 NWSL Champions will want all fingers on deck to make a deep playoff run. Veteran fullback Carson Pickett has turn into a go-to x-factor for the squad off the bench, and he or she scored a giant objective on determination day for the staff to maintain them at house for the quarterfinals.
Defender: Arin Wright (Racing Louisville)
Defender Arin Wright has stepped up for the group with management and expertise, and aided the staff as soon as once more by serving to preserve a clear sheet in entrance of goalkeeper Jordan Bloomer. She led the staff in clearances (5) and photographs (4).
“The start of the season, we got here out, we discovered our identification. We knew who we have been. And we have been purchased into it. And each staff has their hunch all through the season. We had that hunch. We stored getting scored on, within the ninetieth minute of video games, and it was simply so defeating, sport after sport,” Wright advised Attacking Third after Louisville’s playoff clinch.
“However I believe it simply actually is a testomony to this group and the people right here and the resilience that they’ve as gamers to undergo that spell of video games after which on the again finish of the season, pull by means of and have the video games that we’ve and end the way in which that we did nonetheless inside that identification that we had on the entrance finish of the season.”
Defender: Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC)
The 19-year-old heart again has taken an enormous step in improvement this yr as a vital piece of Seattle’s iconic five-back. She’s discovered herself on the top of huge targets from distance this season, and determination day was no completely different, along with her equalizer off a recycled set piece.
Defender: Janine Sonis (Racing Louisville FC)
When Racing Louisville wanted a giant adjustment on the backline, a former ahead stepped up. Janine Sonis’ capacity to direct assault from a decrease place has paid off, and video games for Racing have typically flowed by means of her. She led the staff in possibilities created (eight) and touches (69) on determination day.
Midfielder: Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Braveness)
North Carolina Braveness got here up simply wanting the 2025 NWSL postseason, however they went out with a bang and loads of positives to finish on. Japan worldwide Manaka Matsukubo went on a whole tear within the second half of the season, scoring seven of her 11 regular-season targets, together with this long-distance goalkeeper chip.
Midfielder: Jessie Fleming (Portland Thorns FC)
An enormous efficiency by Canadian worldwide Jessie Fleming for Portland Thorns on Choice Day, with a objective and an help. They will want her playmaking abilities as they start the playoffs, particularly if she’s scoring daggers from distance like this one:
Midfielder: Claudia Zornoza (Utah Royals)
The top of the common season introduced loads of pleasure but additionally a slew of farewells. Midfielder Claudia Zornoza is retiring after a 17-year profession and led the staff in recoveries (5) and possibilities created (three).
Ahead: Debinha (Kansas Metropolis Present)
The 2025 NWSL Defend winners have been with out Temwa Chawinga on determination day and misplaced Bia Zaneratto early within the closing regular-season sport. It did not matter as a result of the Present have Debinha on the roster. The Brazilian worldwide scored a scientific free kick that froze everybody within the field.
Ahead: Jordan Huitema (Seattle Reign FC)
It is no secret that the Wave have been in a drought in entrance of objective, however that is lastly altering now that Delphine Cascarino is again within the combine. She’s again on the lively roster after nursing a knee harm and organising teammates for essential targets.
“Jordan Huitema for me, and when she got here on and what she did for Seattle, she simply modified the image,” Attacking Third analyst McCall Zerboni stated.
“Her aerial presence, her maintain up play, and by the way in which, she had this one second the place she sprinted off the ball, and I used to be like, ‘woman, when did you get quick?’ Like she is definitely fairly fast, she will be able to transfer, and so I want she would stretch the road a little bit bit extra. She’s all the time checking again to provide her a hold-up play, however she reveals that she will be able to additionally run in behind, and I really feel like if they’d executed that extra tonight, they might have had extra possibilities in opposition to Orlando, however anyway, she was a standout, did nice.”
Ahead: Ella Hase (Racing Louisville)
First-year gamers stepping up in big-time moments and making even larger performs are simply a part of Racing Louisville’s story this season. Rookie Ella Hase helped the membership obtain playoff historical past along with her sport successful objective on determination day.
Coach: Bev Yanez (Racing Louisville FC)
It is no secret that Racing Louisville is moving into the playoff highlight as everybody’s underdog favourite, and a giant a part of their journey is head coach Bev Yanez. Whether or not it is making positional changes by changing Janine Sonis or giving the group time to kind their identification, Yanez can also be making historical past of her personal as the primary former NWSL participant to show head coach and seem in NWSL playoffs.
Honorary captain: Choice Day
You do not know what you have received until it is gone. After a one-year absence from the schedule, determination day made its return in 2025 and delivered loads of large moments. Regardless of just one playoff spot up for grabs, desk seeding was nonetheless on the road, and gamers took the chance to showcase their abilities. Here is to extra wild moments collectively sooner or later.
