EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsHello, old friend: it's time again for the chaos of the NWSL Playoffs.Gotham FC won its first NWSL Shield as the best team in the 2026 regular season, but they know better than any team that everyone enters the postseason with a clean slate. Gotham are the defending NWSL champions after winning last year's title as the No. 8 seed -- the second time in three years that they won the NWSL Championship as the lowest seed.This year, they are hosting No. 8 seed Seattle Reign FC (Sunday, 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC) in the quarterfinals and hoping to avoid an upset of their own.Meanwhile, No. 3 seed Washington Spirit hopes to win a trophy on home soil at Audi Field later this month after losing each of the past two finals. They will host No. 6 Portland Thorns FC (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET on ABC) in the quarterfinals.Playoff action begins on Friday with No. 2 seed San Diego Wave FC hosting No. 7 Utah Royals (10 p.m. ET, Prime) followed by the most enticing quarterfinal on Saturday between No. 4 Kansas City Current and No. 5 Angel City FC (12 p.m. ET, CBS).The NWSL Championship will be played on Saturday, Nov. 21, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.Anything can happen in the NWSL Playoffs. Here is why each of the eight teams left standing will win the title -- and why each team won't.Gotham FC (18W-7D-5L, 61 pts.)Why Gotham will win: They are the league's deepest teamGotham used 31 different players in 30 games this season, more than any other team in the NWSL. Head coach Juan Carlos Amoros (who even needed a substitution of his own this summer while on parental leave) has established the NWSL's most cohesive system whereby any player can slide into practically any role and thrive. Midge Purce, the forward-turned-defender-and-back-again (depending on the day ... or in the middle of the game) embodies this ethos. Gotham also has one of the world's best goalkeepers in Ann-Katrin Berger, who led the NWSL in save percentage and goals against per 90 while the team conceded just 23 goals in 30 games (27 played by Berger).Why Gotham won't win: Injuries finally take their tollDefender Emily Sonnett (knee) went down for the season in July before the recent losses of forward Jordynn Dudley (perhaps the NWSL Rookie of the Year) and defender Bruninha. Midfielder Jaelin Howell went straight to the locker room on Sunday after sustaining an early ankle injury. Playmakers Rose Lavelle and Jaedyn Shaw just came back from recent issues to play in the final minutes of Sunday's regular-season finale. They are particularly needed for a team that only scored 39 goals this year, better than only Seattle among playoff teams. Gotham knows as well as anyone that winning in the playoffs is about peaking at the right time. Their depth is a strength, but with so many important players managing injuries, timing could work against Gotham in the playoffs.San Diego Wave FC (18W-4D-8L, 58 pts.)Why the Wave will win: Elite game model and team balanceSan Diego quietly worked its way into Shield contention through a consistent brand of possession soccer. Last year, that possession lacked purpose; this year, there is an end product. Individually, quasi-rookie forward Trinity Byars and teenager Melanie Barcenas combined for 18 goals to lead that charge, while rookie fullback Mimi Van Zanten has been a revelation. Combine that young talent with superior play of 35-year-old midfielder Kenza Dali and rising-star center-back Kennedy Wesley, and this team has the right mix of talent in different stages of their career. They also keep proving that they will stick with their game model and thrive. Their 2-0 win over the Kansas City Current in September, when the Wave consistently played out of the Current's high press, exemplified this.Why the Wave won't win: Failure to break down disciplined blocksByars is a major threat in behind and gives the possession-hungry Wave an outlet and threat in transition, but they have struggled at times this season against some of the gritty teams that make life difficult for opponents. Even if one were to dismiss the Wave's season-opening loss to the Dash as a fluke thanks to Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell, there are more recent examples. San Diego lost twice to a defensively disciplined Seattle Reign team (once while playing most of the match down a player), and their Shield hopes were almost gone on the penultimate weekend when they had to rally for a draw against the Boston Legacy. San Diego pushed for an equalizer but settled for a point that felt like a loss. Utah and San Diego recently played a wide-open game, but the Royals could choose to sit back and make life difficult in the quarterfinal.Washington Spirit (17W-4-D-9L, 55 pts.)Why the Spirit will win: Sound defending, explosive attackWashington's 28 goals conceded were the second fewest in the NWSL this year. Goalkeeper Sandy MacIver filled big shoes in the absence of Aubrey Kingsbury (maternity leave). The usual Spirit center-back pairing of Tara Rudd and Esme Morgan has endured a few rough moments this year (which defense hasn't in a scoring-happy league?), but they remain among the most reliable duos in the NWSL. Up top, the Spirit are spoiled for choice between Trinity Rodman, Sofia Cantore, Rosemonde Kouassi, and newcomers Clara Luvanga and Melissa Bethi. A recent 1-0 win over Gotham was a shining example of how Washington can win without the ball (37% possession in that game).Why the Spirit won't win: Defensive midfield depthMidfielder Hal Hershfelt's torn ACL in late October came at the worst time and in one of the worst positions for the Spirit's hope at a championship run. Washington's midfield already tipped toward attacking-heavy with Deborah Abiodun out for the season, Monique Ngock still assimilating, and Rebeca Bernal departed via summer transfer. There is suddenly a lot of pressure on Andi Sullivan to carry the load as a single pivot, which could work in the quarterfinals but is a lot to ask of her for a three-game run at a title.Kansas City Current (16W-5D-9L, 53 pts.)Why the Current will win: Unmatched talent across the fieldRemember the team that won the league by 21 points, clinched the NWSL Shield earlier than any team, and won almost twice as many games (21) as the next best team? That was the 2025 Kansas City Current, and the players on the field aren't that different this year. Midfielder Claire Hutton and forward Bia Zaneratto were major offseason losses, but midfielder Croix Bethune arrived at the same time as Hutton's exit. Bethune has been MVP level, breaking her own joint league record for assists in a season (11). Temwa Chawinga is grooving again, and forward Haley Hopkins matched Chawinga's 12 goals in a breakout year. The Current co-led the league in goals, they are hot at the right time (five straight wins), and they are practically unbeatable at home (yes, we all remember last year's quarterfinal loss -- without Chawinga).Why the Current won't win: Defensive set piecesOld habits die hard. A very good 2024 Kansas City team had very serious problems on defensive set pieces early that year. Former head coach Vlatko Andonovski overhauled his entire back five, goalkeeper included, and those fears were erased in 2025. But the issue crept back in waves in 2026 under head coach Chris Armas: the Current have conceded 12 goals on set pieces this season, two more than in 2024. Kansas City has improved on the offensive side of dead balls thanks to the midseason return of midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo from maternity leave. She assisted both goals on Sunday off corner kicks. Still, set pieces change games at this time of year, and Angel City has scored 10 goals on set pieces this season.Angel City FC (15W-7D-8L, 52 pts.)Why Angel City will win: They are the league's hottest teamAngel City enters the playoffs on a 10-game unbeaten streak, the longest in club history and the longest active streak in the NWSL. This team finally has the defensive stability it lacked in previous years, in part thanks to the addition of Emily Sams and return of Savy King alongside Sarah Gorden. Angel City recorded 10 shutouts this season; they never had more than four in any previous season. They have gotten elite production up top from Sveinds Jnsdttir and Maiara, and Ally Sentnor (who might be motivated in her return to Kansas City) was a game-changing addition in the summer break. Nobody wants to play this team right now.Why Angel City won't win: Stress on their midfieldersAngel City has a threatening attack and a defiant defense. Its midfield is solid, especially with Gisele Thompson playing as a wide midfielder lately, but it will face a stiff test against Kansas City's well-oiled machine. Angel City's 2-1 win over the Current in May came during Kansas City's slow start. Angel City also played a five-back. Both these teams are different now. A 1-1 draw on Aug.1 was a better litmus test, but Kansas City was also shorthanded in that game. Ary Borges has been the do-it-all central midfielder for Angel City. Can Angel City close space in midfield and cut off through ball attempts? Or will their own propensity to push forward leave them exposed to the counterattack?Portland Thorns FC (14W-8D-8L, 50 pts.)Why the Thorns will win: Sophia Wilson is on another levelWilson scored a career-high 15 goals this year after returning from maternity leave in March. She is arguably the best player in the league and easily Portland's game-changer. Her recent two-game suspension, followed by Wilson scoring a brace in her return on Sunday, highlighted that dichotomy. Portland ranked tied with the Chicago Stars and only ahead of Racing Louisville (the league's two worst teams this year) in possession this season. Yes, the Thorns have other talented players, but the outlet ball to Wilson to make magic happen 1-v-1 could be the moment that changes a game.Why the Thorns won't win: Defensive instabilityPortland's 41 goals conceded in the regular season ranks worst among the eight playoff teams. Head coach Robert Vilahamn has tinkered with his back four at various points this season, including recently settling on a group that excluded co-captain Sam Hiatt. Right off the bat in the quarterfinals, Washington has one of the most dangerous attacking units in the league. Spirit forwards Rodman, Luvanga and Cantore, among others, would all be favored in any one-on-one matchup against the Thorns.Utah Royals (14W-5D-11L, 47 pts.)Why the Royals will win: Collective high pressureAt their best, the Royals have pressed teams into making mistakes and capitalized. They have also done that as a collective unit. Winger Clo Lacasse set the bar with eight goals and 10 assists (second most assists in the league), but Utah has been a success story by getting the best out of every player, even those not considered stars. It starts in the back with goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn and center-back Kate Del Fava. It continues into the midfield and attack with Mina Tanaka, Kiana Palacios and Cece Delzer (surprisingly tied for 11th in the NWSL in chances created, per ESPN Research).Why the Royals won't win: Missing a healthy TanakaUtah has now lost six times and drawn once in seven matches without Tanaka, their leading goalscorer with nine goals. That lone point coming in a scoreless draw with the Seattle Reign on Oct. 23. Tanaka missed the past three games with a hamstring injury sustained during international duty in October, and the Royals haven't won a game since Sept. 27. It's the wrong time of year to go cold.Seattle Reign FC (14W-5D-11L, 47 pts.)Why the Reign will win: They are gritty and tough to beat defensivelySeattle won't win any style points for how they play, and that is just fine with them if it means extending their season. The Reign are 10-3-6 since the NWSL returned from the summer break, and they have gotten the job done by being defensively sound and griding out results like Sunday's 1-0 win over the Orlando Pride to clinch a playoff spot. Seattle conceded only 33 goals in 30 games -- and only scored 37. That model is not too dissimilar from their quarterfinal opponent, No. 1 seed Gotham. Is that a scoreless 120 minutes and a penalty shootout we smell cooking in New Jersey?Why the Reign won't win: An anemic attackSeattle's 37 goals scored is the lowest among eight playoff teams and third worst in the entire league. It isn't as if the Reign created that much more, either: Per ESPN Research, the Reign's 43.59 expected goals ranked 12th this season. Forward Maddie Mercado shouldered the burden and scored an impressive 10 goals (the most for a Reign player since Megan Rapinoe in 2017), but nobody else scored more than four goals. The soon-to-retire Jess Fishlock was one of the players with four. Maybe the Reign will make a miraculous run to finally deliver an NWSL Championship to Fishlock, who has been with the team since Day 1 in 2013. They need to find their finishing boots if so.
