The 2026 NWSL season will be remembered for…
How High Impact Player (HIP) rules are developing the NWSL’s position in the global transfer market. The league has regained some control over the narrative of whether the NWSL is still the best league in the world, with this new mechanism allowing Trinity Rodman to seal the deal. The next transfer window or two will be an interesting test of the league’s willingness to loosen restrictions and get teams to the level they want. JR
Several disputes are about to be resolved, or at least progressed. Currently, the NWSLPA has two grievances against the league regarding how players are paid — an issue that is at the heart of the league as a sports competition and as a workplace. Additionally, six former employees sued the NWSL and the San Diego Wave over jury trials, alleging discriminatory and abusive work conditions. as
How the league continues to hold its own in the American sports landscape. Over the next two seasons, international events such as the 2027 World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will further increase interest. How does the NWSL use this year to build momentum? ESPN’s new Sunday night doubleheader of NWSL and WNBA games should help. EB
Related: Attendance records and star power, but who will win? Get ready for the new NWSL season
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What I’m most excited about is…
A breakout player out of college. Who will be this year’s Riley Tiernan or Lilly Reale, launching a career at the club of their choice? Names to watch include Chicago’s Elise Evans, Stanford’s best defender since Naomi Girma, and Houston’s Kat Rader, a dynamic scorer with considerable chance-creating ability. JR
More than 50,000 people watched At the opening ceremony of the Denver SummitWell. The expansion team’s home debut against the Washington Spirit on March 28 will be an epic game. The speed at which these newcomers have built a fan base is impressive, and their league opener has the potential to be a landmark event for the NWSL. TG
There are a lot of new international players in the league. The league’s general managers welcomed an influx of great athletes representing national teams around the world. Expansion teams had to build their roster without any drafts, and they led the way. Highlights include Boston’s Amanda Gutierrez and Jorelynn Caraballi, Denver’s Emma Regan, Utah’s Kiana Palacios, Bay Area FC’s Christiana Girelli and Washington State’s Claudia Martinez. as
The return of “triple espresso”. Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson all suit up for NWSL game weekend? That is November 8-10, 2024. Swanson and Wilson missed all of last season due to maternity leave, while Rodman missed a lot of time with a back injury. Once all three are back, I’d like to see their names back at the top of the league’s goals and assists charts. EB
The most impactful move of the offseason will be…
Claire Hutton currently moves to Sounders FC from Kansas City. Bey’s first three years in the NWSL have been a roller coaster: abysmal years in 2023 and 2025, followed by steady success in 2024. Hutton should provide the stability needed week in and week out and Bey, just 20, is arguably the best center forward in the league following Sam Coffey’s move to Manchester City. JR
Kansas City convinces Kroy Bethune to trade Spirit for Electric It feels like a huge twist, and it’s a move that a lot of people are understandably very excited about. In the long run, Hutton joins Bayside Football Club Looks very smart as they add one of the top young talents in the sport. TG
Hutton leaves Kansas City. The midfielder is key to the current team’s historic run in 2025, providing defensive courage and excellent passing in attack. Without her, Trend’s midfield strength has been significantly weakened, and the team has been knocked back to the realm of mortals. Unfortunately for Hutton herself, I’m not convinced that even her strong skillset will be enough to propel her new club, Bayside FC, into a strong season. as
Hutton’s $1.1 million transfer is the biggest surprise of the NWSL offseason; her departure will be felt in Kansas City, and her arrival could put the Sounders into playoff contention. Also worth noting: Angel City signs Emily Sams Strengthen a defense that conceded the third most goals in the league last year, and Washington retains Rodman Offseason transfers. EB
A low-key player worth keeping an eye on…
A year after leaving UCLA for Pachuca, Okoayo He now has the highest fee paid by an NWSL club for an American player (ESPN reports $450,000). She made her debut with the U.S. Women’s National Team in January and should be a regular at right back or right wing for the Denver Summit. JR
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pay attention to Sarah Shupansky. The Gotham midfielder had a fantastic rookie season but went under the radar. Her abilities are especially evident when she’s not on the floor, as Gotham seems to be in trouble without her stellar distribution and high-post defense. During her sophomore outing, I expect her net worth to skyrocket. as
I’m intrigued by the rookie talent the Houston Dash added this offseason. North Carolina Kate Fass Won MAC Hermann Trophy as college football’s best player two years ago; linebacker Leah Kroenke and forward Kate Read Named first-team All-American last year. Will one of them follow Avery Patterson and become the next young star to leave Houston? EB
These teams will make the playoffs…
Washington, Gotham, Kansas City, Orlando, Louisville, Bay Area, Houston, Seattle. JR
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Kansas City, Gotham, Washington, Orlando, and San Diego all feel like pretty safe bankers, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Denver sneak in despite being the new kid on the block, but the last few spots are anyone’s guess — there’s not a lot of separation between some of these mid-tier teams. I would bet on it and say both the Sounders and Angeles City will improve this year and both advance. TG
Washington, Gotham, Kansas City, San Diego, Portland, Orlando, Denver, Seattle. as
Washington, Gotham, Kansas City, Portland, Orlando, San Diego, Denver, the Bay. EB
The MVP will be…
I use this space to reflect at least 25 starts (remember, this is a 30 game season) Bethuneshe was one of the most entertaining players in this or any league at the time. If she can avoid injuries, she’ll be unstoppable in Kansas City alongside Temwa Chawinga, Ally Sentnor and Michelle Cooper. JR
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Matsukubo Masakaif Courage can prove himself worthy of her. The 21-year-old Japan international can play in both midfield and forward positions with excellent agility and precision. Last year, she ranked ninth with 11 goals and four assists for North Carolina and was named the NWSL Midfielder of the Year. If North Carolina can succeed as a team, Manaka’s contribution may be too great to deny her the biggest honor. as
Temwa Chawinga No stranger to making league history – she set the single-season scoring record in her first season, and she’s already working her way up the all-time scorer list (35 goals in just two years). If she stays healthy — and the rest of Kansas City’s offensive talent can do the same — she’ll make more history as the NWSL’s first three-time MVP. EB
The Golden Boot winner will be…
She has won this award twice in a row, and while I thought Bethune won by a slim margin in terms of MVP, it was chawingareward until someone else gets it. Sentnor should be more consistent after joining last summer and the defense shouldn’t be so focused on Chawinga when KC gets into the final third. Goalkeepers, get ready! JR
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Lyudmila. The Brazil international proved in Chicago that she can steal gold out of nowhere, scoring 10 goals for a team that finished bottom of the table in 2025. Now she’s in San Diego, where Jonas Eidevall has turned it into a high-level, high-scoring team. With Pearl Morrone, Kenza Daly, Gia Colley and Dudinha as teammates, it’s hard to imagine the tenacious striker not scoring a goal. as
It’s hard to see anyone challenging chawingaespecially considering that the schedule has expanded to 30 games and she has four more opportunities to increase her goal tally. I’d also like to applaud Santiago’s Ludmila and Gotham’s Esther Gonzalez, who definitely has a chance to win the Golden Boot for headers (it’s a real award that needs a better name.) EB
The NWSL Shield Champion will be…
Entering 2026, no one can compare Washington spiritthey were still some time away from winning last year’s title and were hesitant to coach. Even after parting ways with Bethune, the Holy Spirit still had a very strong roster and proved they could produce well even without Rodman. If the form at Audi Field keeps up, they should be as rowdy as ever. JR
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kansas city trends They may seem like obvious, lazy, or unimaginative choices, but they’re also very smart choices. The lineup looks top-notch. The only question is whether new head coach Chris Armas can take over immediately, but he inherits a very talented team that was 21 points clear of the chasing pack last round. TG
washingtonas long as they can put the injury issues behind them. They will feel the loss of Croix Bethune (transferred to KC) and Aubrey Kingsbury (maternity leave), but the Spirits have proven they have enough depth to be successful. Additionally, they will finally have managerial continuity with Adrián González taking over as head coach at the start of the new year. The Spirit have finished runners-up two years in a row, so they will be hungrier than ever to secure the elusive Shield. as
In the past two seasons, washington They find themselves just behind two history-making teams – Orlando in 2024 and Kansas City in 2025. They have enough depth to withstand the wear and tear and produce results in a tough season. The third time is the charm. EB
The NWSL title winner will be…
each year, Gotham Seeing key contributors exit because they’ve made better deals. So far, they’ve proven to be very capable of identifying those rising talents (see: replacing Jenna Nighswonger with Lilly Reale), while other core holdovers have thrived in promotion roles. They deserve to be the team to beat in 2026 and will deservedly achieve dynasty status if they win their third NWSL title in four seasons. JR
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As a Brit sometimes it can take me a while to wrap my head around the concept of Team USA finishing 8th and still being champions, and once the playoffs come around it might open up again, but maybe kansas city They’ll be able to take the experience of last year’s playoff loss and use it as fuel to focus on this all-important late-season game. TG
Gothamagain. With the addition of rookie Jordyn Dudley and the return of captain Tierna Davidson from injury, the team that took the playoffs by storm last year has further strengthened. Plus, this will be Jaedyn Shaw’s first full season with the team, so Juan Carlos Amoros can quickly build a team around her. This team is passionate about knockout football and have proven more than any other team in recent history that they know how to stand out. as
Will Washington’s third trip to the finals also be a charm? I’ve watched enough NWSL playoff games to know that we have to expect the unexpected. If everyone stays healthy – the Chris Armas experiment wouldn’t totally backfire – I can see that kansas city Avenge last year’s quarterfinal exit and lift the city’s first championship trophy since Kansas City in 2015. (These predictions will look silly if/when Gotham reverses course.) EB
