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.
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