The battle to be the best in NWSL is escalating. The 2026 NWSL regular season is inching towards the end, and teams are running out of time to make statements about how they're going to close out the year.
That means it's the perfect time to roll out my NWSL Power Rankings. So if you're trying to keep track of where your favorite team lands, here are my previous rankings.
It's probably my favorite time of the year with the remaining matches on the schedule. Each club has just eight or so games left on the schedule, and nearly every weekend from here on out there will be head-to-heads that give off postseason vibes.
Washington Spirit and Portland Thorns gave a potential playoff sample in their recent meeting and reminded everyone there's always room to debate what is and what isn't a handball. The Spirit's new player acquisitions are acclimating quickly, while Portland's reliance on individual brilliance from Sophia Wilson remains a familiar problem, even with Pietra Tordin as an added threat.
Now there's also what feels like a real NWSL Shield race for the first time in years. It's probably the most competitive race for the best team in the league's history, with multiple clubs in contention. Despite a poor showing on the road, Gotham FC remain the team to chase in both the league shield race and my power rankings. Sometimes good teams have bad weeks, and others have great weeks and stay in a respectable position on the rankings; sorry, Denver.
Following a coaching change, Orlando Pride had a bounce-back performance against Houston. Barbra Banda is looking like the attacking threat we all know her to be in front of goal, and interim head coach Yolanda Thomas became the first Black woman to earn an NWSL regular-season win on the sidelines.
Not every front-office shake-up leads to good results. Chicago Stars FC are still struggling, and now attention will turn to Kansas City Current after their short and to-the-point farewell to Sporting Director and longtime Kansas City soccer icon Vlatko Andonovski.
The club's release simply stated that Andonovski's requested shift from coach to executive "was not the right fit," and wished him well in his future endeavors. There were no mentions of his efforts to turn around the club from a bottom-table side to NWSL Shield winners and playoff contenders. Where the club lacked recognition, players both former and current have taken to social media to thank Andonovski for his efforts.
KC Current players had plenty to say about Vlatko Andonovski’s impact on the club ❤️
— W Golazo (@WGolazo) September 8, 2026
From setting the standard to building a winning culture, his players made sure his contributions wouldn’t go unnoticed following his departure from the club after mutually parting ways with KC. pic.twitter.com/73wPVG9gdf
Now, on to the most recent rankings:
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | So turns out that even with talent across the roster, losing Rose Lavelle for an unknown period of time with a head injury is significant. Head coach Juan Carlos Amoros is back on the sidelines, and his next step will be managing the team's turning tides. | -- | 13-4 |
| 2 |  | The Spirit are so back, and sometimes you need a weird performance against another playoff squad to show what you're made of. Withstood an onslaught on the road and made good adjustments down the stretch to earn the franchise's first-ever win in Portland. | 3 | 13-6 |
| 3 |  | The Thorns will hope that growing pains at this point in the season will pay off when it counts. With Reilyn Turner and Morgan Weaver back in the starting lineup, the potential for growing chemistry with Pietra Tordin could be massive. | 1 | 11-7 |
| 4 |  | Who says top teams can't be streaky? Certainly not Utah. One moment they're riding the highs of chaotic games against other contenders, and the next they're dropping games to cellar-dweller teams. Maybe newly acquired Jameese Joseph will shake things up. | 1 | 12-8 |
| 5 |  | Ashley Sanchez simply cannot be stopped, and even if other teams think they've figured out how, there's still Evelyn Ijeh to deal with. The dynamic duo will keep the club climbing the rankings. | 3 | 12-8 |
| 6 |  | Kenza Dali's return is an added boost, but the Wave's promising young attacking core continues to struggle against structured, experienced defensive shapes. | 2 | 12-8 |
| 7 |  | Getting more concerned that the Current can't quite make a statement against struggling clubs. Thankfully, they have Croix Bethune on the roster, who is so good this season that she can literally pick out a game-winning pass. | 1 | 11-8 |
| 8 |  | Hopefully goalkeeper Claudia Dickey's exit with a bloody head injury just looked worse than it was. She's one of the two most important players on the squad right now, next to the club's leading goal scorer Maddie Mercado. | 1 | 10-8 |
| 9 |  | A huge statement made against the top team in the league, and Denver seem like the most dangerous club to face right now. Ayo Oke's playmaking is deeply underrated, but not for long. | -- | 8-8 |
| 10 |  | Powerful teams handle business against those behind and in front of them in the playoff race. Angel City have figured out only half of that equation and still struggle with contenders ahead of them. | -- | 9-8 |
| 11 |  | Barbra Banda isn't out of the Golden Boot race yet, but the Pride still have plenty of work to do if they want to get back in the upper half of the rankings. | 1 | 9-12 |
| 12 |  | The Dash are steadily declining in the rankings and have shown few signs of life in working their way out of a rut. Might be at the point of playing the rookie class as much as possible to build cohesion. | 1 | 7-11 |
| 13 |  | Always a mixed compliment when your club goalkeeper is having a career-level season. Still, Jordan Silkowitz is the bright spot among a club that hasn't figured much else out. | -- | 6-12 |
| 14 |  | Huge response by the squad after a rough few weeks. Still, they've dug themselves too far deep this season to go much higher in the rankings. | 1 | 6-12 |
| 15 |  | Felt like Racing Louisville losing Taylor Flint to another injury (foot) meant there was a possibility of dropping in the rankings, and now here they are. | 1 | 7-14 |
| 16 |  | If you thought that Stars FC couldn't concede another six goals in a game, then you haven't been paying enough attention to them this season. Making a home for themselves here at the bottom of the rankings. | -- | 5-17 |
