NWSL Power Rankings: 2025 The season is approaching as an pride, Washington Spirit Eye Title Game Return

1 and 1

Orlando Pride

Led by the manager Seb Hines, Orlando entered 2025 as the defending winners of the NWSL Shield and winners of the NWSL championship, and the general manager Haley Carter made sure that they were still stacked as last season. Marta and Ally Watt come back with Barbra Banda in attack, and even with a turnover of the offseason, pride has depth. Adriana will miss Adriana, but a Morgan Gautrat, Rafaelle and Grace Chanda in good health in the mixture could mean another strong season.

2

Washington Spirit

Freshly out of a championship of 2025 Challenge Cup, head coach Jonatan Giraldez has his first NWSL trophy after joining the touchline last summer. Managing Director Mark Kirkorian was just as busy building a list without a college project and brought promising first -year pros combined with experienced international players Rebeca Bernal and Kyssa Sylla.

3 and 3

Kansas City Current

Head coach and sports director Vlatko Andonovski and Director General Caitlin Carducci did a good job to keep most of the list together for 2025. MVP and Golden Boot Temwa Chawinga could open things even more for the current, but they continue to sort their position as goalkeeper of Bia Zaneratto.

4

Nj./ny Gotham FC

The team had an eventful offseason that saw the departures of several players and sent a little panic online for the state of the 2023 NWSL champions. But the truth is that the list always has the emissions of a competitor of the playoffs. USWNT players, Emily Sonnett and Tierna Davidson, will probably lead the team on the field as well as Rose Lavell. The franchise re-signed the perce of the one-year Purce and added the Brazilian international Gabi Portilho who can stimulate the attack alongside Ella Stevens and Esther Gonzalez.

5

Northern Caroline Courage

The courage made consecutive appearances in the playoffs but failed to break through beyond the quarter-finals. Their offseason movements could point out that 2025 will be different. They lost Brazil International Kerolin and Japanese international Nauri Miura, but made waves when they acquired the USWNT Jaedyn Shaw midfielder. They also extended Manaka Matsukubo and added his teammate U20 Shinomi Koyama. If Shaw can develop rapid chemistry with Ashley Sanchez, things will be brilliant for North Carolina.

6.

Seattle Reign FC

The 2024 season is in the rear view mirror after a sale. Head coach Laura Harvey and director general Leslie Galimore want to ensure that the reign returns to his league rolling days. After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018, management has been a big business with the Gotham FC for the USWNT striker Lynn Biyndolo (formerly Williams) and goalkeeper Cassie Miller. If team veterans can help first and second year development players, they will return to the playoffs.

7

Utah Royals FC

The Royals had an impressive half of the season in 2024 and jumped three places in the league table after fighting for the last place for most of the year. The recruit Ally Sendnor had a season of small groups, and the internationals Mina Tanaka and Ana Tejada were stable additions. Now, head coach Jimmy Coenraets has a full season with the team in front of him, with new signatures Aisha Solórzano, Nuria Rábano and Alex Loera in the mixture for 2025

8

Houston Dash

Houston is high on themselves and they should be. The club has made major movements in the signing of the USWNT striker Yazmeen Ryan, Delanie Sheehan, Messiah Bright and Danielle Colaprico. If the new head coach Fabrice Gautrat can help advance Diana Ordonez in the shape of a shoulder injury, the dashboard will be a problem this year.

9.

Racing Louisville FC

The head coach Bev YANEZ will have many attack options during the second year as a manager. The attackers Bethany Balcer and Janine Sonis will have a full season in front of them for having an impact after having joined mid-season in 2024 and Emma Sears will be a key player after several camp experiences with the USWNT. Will it be the year of races ultimately getting out of ninth place?

10

Bay FC

Freshly released from an inaugural season with an appearance in the playoffs, the team in the Bay region also sounds in the new year with titles involving a survey on coaches staff concerning a “toxic culture and communication problems”. Regarding the talent on the list, there is a lot of return to Racheal Kundananji and Asisat Oshoala, and the Bay FC signed the best university hopes Hannah Bebar and Taylor Huff. The addition of a veteran defender Kelli Hubly to the mixture could give the team more to work this season.

11

Portland Thorns FC

Difficult to count any team with Sophia Wilson (formerly Smith), but the USWNT striker recently announced his pregnancy and lacked the season when she enters maternity. You add important end -of -season injuries to several players and hopes and dreams come across second -year players and newly acquired first -year additions. Head coach Rob Gale will have to make the most of Olivia Moultrie from an injury and a year in small groups from other attackers to keep things competitive.

12

Angel City FC

I cannot be in rebuilding mode if you were not quite built to start, but Angel City seems to try at least to write plans. They hired a sports director and a title winning machine in the former NWSL head coach Mark Parsons – who takes his time to obtain the right coach rental. For the moment, Sam Lauty is temporary and he will be responsible for managing the minutes of veterans while helping young players in development. Many of the 2024 team returns and miss the playoffs last year (partly due to moored points) could motivate the team further this year.

13

Chicago Stars FC

Things seem pretty dark on the defensive side of things for Chicago with only three entirely healthy defenders. A lack of defenders Heathy gives the head coach Lorne Donaldson a difficult scenario because his tactics are based on the organized form and the fast meters. There is no update at the moment, but the potentially management of the 2025 season without difficulty will put the stars exactly where many expect that they were last year – near the bottom.

14

San Diego Wave FC

The wave did not move away from their first stages of reconstruction after negotiating the sale of the USWNT Naomi Girma defender and a business for Shaw during the offseason. The new head coach Jonas Eidevall will have several young pieces to build, although this can take time. Trinity Armstrong and Trinity Byars are new fascinating faces in NWSL, and the international veterans Adriana Leon and Kenza Dali could help all gap in experience.