The NWSL had a record-breaking year last season. Can it be topped in 2025?
The National Women’s Soccer League returns Friday after it earned record ratings last year, culminating in the most-watched championship game in the league’s 12-year history.
In a Cinderella story ending, the Orlando Pride defeated the Washington Spirit 1-0 to earn its first title. The team also won the NWSL Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record.
It was a particularly special moment for fans of Brazilian forward Marta, who stayed with the team despite a lack of team success in recent years. She won a silver medal for Brazil’s national team in the Olympics just months before in what was most likely her last international competition.
The Pride kick off the season at 8 p.m. Friday at home against the Chicago Red Stars in a match streamed on Amazon Prime. The Washington Spirit will play the Houston Dash in Texas at the same time on NWSL+.
Here are the biggest storylines to watch as the season gets underway.
Washington returns with a vengeance despite injuries
It was Washington who fell short against the Pride for the NWSL championship last year, and the Spirit made it clear last week that the loss wasn’t taken lightly.
The teams faced off in a rematch for the NWSL Challenge Cup, a preseason game for the top teams of the previous year. The Spirit tied the game in the 72nd minute with an incredible goal from Leicy Santos, then squeaked out a victory in penalty kicks.
It was an important win for the Spirit after a wave of injuries that have waylaid vital players. Forward Trinity Rodman was cleared for play after having struggled with a back injury for months, but she stayed on the bench the entire match.
Another notable absence was rising star Croix Bethune, who tore a meniscus while she was throwing an opening pitch for the Washington Nationals last year. Bethune, the 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year, will be a crucial part of the Spirit’s season once she has recovered enough to return.
Defender Casey Krueger admitted in a post-match interview that it wasn’t the Spirit’s “prettiest” game but said there were positive takeaways.
“I think just being down and being able to climb back into it and also being down several players shows the resilience of the group and how deep of a team we are,” Krueger told reporters after the game.
The Spirit signed two forwards and a midfielder who played on the collegiate level on short-term deals to help cover the losses from injury this season.
Aubrey Kingsbury, a goalkeeper and the team captain, called the Challenge Cup win a good start to the season. It was especially good to beat the Pride, whom the team failed to beat all last year.
“It wasn’t necessarily a revenge match, because it’s not like anything can change what happened in the final last year, but we’re focused on this year,” Kingsbury said. “We have a new team and a lot of exciting additions.”
Rampant offseason turnover amid new CBA terms
This season is the first since the new collective bargaining agreement between the NWSL and the players union abolished the draft and gave athletes unrestricted free agency.
Under the new terms, every player becomes a free agent when her contract expires, and no player can be traded without her consent. The deal naturally sparked a wave of movement that brought amazing opportunities for some players, as well as major restructuring for some teams.
Gotham FC was probably the most affected as the New York/New Jersey super team fell apart. In a bid for a second championship, Gotham brought on some of the biggest names in U.S. soccer.
But between seasons the team lost talents such as Lynn Biyendolo (formerly Williams), Crystal Dunn, Jenna Nighswonger, Delanie Sheehan and Yazmeen Ryan. Gotham’s exodus was so concerning to fans that general manager Yael Averbuch West sent an email trying to reassure supporters.
“I know this offseason has been a time of uncertainty for our fans, and I want you to know we’ve worked tirelessly to build a team you’ll be excited to stand behind in 2025 and every season after,” West wrote. “And we aren’t done yet.”
The Houston Dash, a team in solid last place last season, acquired Ryan and Sheehan in what can only be good signs for the club. The two women were part of Gotham’s championship season in 2023 and still have years of playing left.
The Dash also acquired Christen Westphal and Danny Colaprico from the San Diego Wave, another team facing a massive roster upheaval.
The loss of Naomi Girma, the country’s best defender, is a big hit for the Wave after the she moved to the U.K. to play for Chelsea. In the offseason the Wave lost valuable names such as Girma, Jaedyn Shaw and Emily van Egmond, in addition to Alex Morgan’s retirement last year.
Young players who have been developing the last few years are coming into their own after this wave of veterans’ retiring or moving for opportunities overseas.
Young players to watch
A new batch of young players made their names known in February when the U.S. women’s national team played in the annual SheBelieves Cup.
Coach Emma Hayes called up a handful of young players who had been part of a training camp in January, a decision she said would help develop the depth of her roster options in the future. It also highlighted some of the talent within the NWSL who aren’t necessarily household names.
Michelle Cooper, a 22-year-old forward for the Kansas City Current, had an impressive goal against Australia in the 68th minute. Cooper scored off a pass from her Current teammate Claire Hutton, a 19-year-old midfielder who made her national team debut in the game. Hutton was a finalist last year for both the NWSL Rookie of the Year and the U.S. Soccer Young Player of the Year.
Another duo to keep on the radar are Alyssa and Gisele Thompson, sisters who play for Angel City in Los Angeles. Gisele Thompson, a right back, joined her older sister at the club last year and played aggressively at the SheBelieves Cup.
Alyssa Thompson, 20, has already made herself an asset to Angel City by scoring nine goals in her first two seasons. The No. 1 draft selection in 2023, she was the youngest draft pick in NWSL history.
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