The 2025 NWSL regular season is rapidly drawing to a close, with Week 17 underscoring the tight competition as the playoff race intensifies. It`s becoming a common sight for leading teams to concede points against lower-seeded opponents. This trend will place significant focus on the second-place Washington Spirit, who face the 13th-place Chicago Stars FC on Saturday. Both clubs are currently enjoying an impressive four-game unbeaten streak, but where do they stand in this week`s updated rankings?
Despite the dwindling schedule, teams still have ample opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities in these rankings. Kansas City remains at the top of both the league standings and these power assessments, yet any club could easily ascend or descend.
Chicago`s position near the bottom of the league table doesn`t necessarily mean they`re ranked poorly here. Conversely, San Diego`s top-three league standing might not fully reflect their recent form, a factor acknowledged in this list. As Week 18 approaches, the question remains: which teams will climb, and which will fall?
2025 NWSL Power Rankings
Here’s how the league teams line up as Week 18 approaches:
1. Kansas City Current (–)
The Kansas City Current continue to impress, leaving observers searching for new superlatives. Their combination of a robust defense, anchored by centerback Kayla Sharples, and a deadly attack, spearheaded by forward Temwa Chawinga, makes their dominance unsurprising.
2. Washington Spirit (–)
The Spirit played the spoiler role with a visiting victory in front of a record crowd of 40,091, solidifying their status as Kansas City`s closest challenger for any league title. To become the NWSL`s most formidable team, they`ll need to strengthen their defensive game. With the return of Nigerian international midfielder Deborah Abiodun from her loan with Dallas Trinity, they possess the talent to achieve this.
3. Orlando Pride (–)
With Barbra Banda sidelined for the remainder of the season, this might be Orlando`s last appearance in the top three of these power rankings. Banda was instrumental, leading the team and the league with 71 total shots and topping the roster with eight goals. While Lizbeth Jacqueline Ovalle is an exciting new signing, she wasn`t intended to fill the void left by Banda`s absence.
4. Portland Thorns (–)
Last weekend, the Thorns faced the league`s top team and performed about as well as any other club against them: they lost. Perhaps a moral victory lies in their respectable play and their consistent threat in the final third—a performance that suggests they could soon move higher in the rankings.
5. Seattle Reign (–)
This squad is doing just enough to avoid a slump, though that`s not exactly high praise. Sofia Huerta recently broke a long-standing NWSL assists record, which could signal better things to come. They are stronger than most teams in the league but currently lack the power of the teams ahead of them.
6. San Diego Wave (-2)
After being the season`s biggest surprise before the mid-season break, the Wave have struggled to build momentum in the second half. With only one win in their last five matches and no easy games left, San Diego must rediscover their consistency to be considered a powerful contender.
7. Racing Louisville FC (–)
Racing has quickly become a team opponents dread facing, and they`ve just gotten stronger. At the trade deadline, the club acquired Makenna Morris to bolster their attacking options. Morris is a young player in her second year, yet she already brings postseason and championship experience from her runner-up finish with the Spirit in 2024.
8. Angel City FC (+1)
Angel City is almost within touching distance of a playoff spot, reflecting their position in these rankings. A crucial goal from rising star Alyssa Thompson against a contender could shake things up, but the team is also losing players during the transfer window. It`s challenging to gauge the club`s direction for the rest of the season.
9. Gotham FC (-1)
Gotham somehow managed to stay in the upper half of these rankings for a while, but a lack of creativity and goal scoring has finally caused them to drop. Esther Gonzalez is still a contender for the NWSL Golden Boot, and opportunities have been plentiful, but the finishing has been lacking.
10. Houston Dash (+1)
For the Houston Dash, rankings are just numbers. They are quietly ascending the list with steady performances since the mid-season break. Strong defensive displays from Natalie Jacobs, Avery Patterson, and Paige Nielsen have transformed the Dash, and if Yazmeen Ryan continues to score, they will remain a threat.
11. Chicago Stars FC (+2)
Perhaps the lower end of the rankings offers more excitement than the top during this part of the season, or maybe that`s just a thought for those who appreciate weekly chaos. Chicago has consistently delivered outrageous late-game finishes, and their thrilling comebacks have propelled them up the power rankings.
12. Utah Royals FC (+2)
It seems the Royals have finally realized how to leverage their home field advantage. While visiting teams notoriously struggle to score at altitude, the Royals` defense has also made scoring exceptionally difficult. If they can convert more draws into wins, they will remain a formidable side down the stretch.
13. Bay FC (-2)
This group has been puzzling all season. One week, they appear to have found their stride; the next, they can`t manage a game. It`s disappointing to see Nigerian international goal scorer Oshola Asisat reduced to a bench player, making the club seem less powerful and more unpredictable.
14. North Carolina Courage (-2)
You simply cannot concede three goals in 10 minutes and expect to climb the rankings. Nor can you allow a single player, who came on as a substitute, to score a hat-trick. Yet, North Carolina did precisely that, resulting in their drop in power.
