NWSL Mid-Season Power Rankings
With week 12 starting, the halfway point of the 2023 season has passed. Some teams are preforming exactly as expected, while others are struggling to live up to expectations.
Trinity Rodman during a May 6th match vs San Diego Wave. (Getty Images)
1. Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit are here to play this season. Their only loss came against Orlando in late May, but they’ve otherwise been unstoppable. Trinity Rodman, Ashley Hatch, and Ashley Sanchez have an incredible chemistry that makes them hard to defend.
2. San Diego Wave
San Diego has definitely lived up to expectations this season. The team continues to dominate and sits at the top of the standings. They seem to have found the perfect balance of young talent and seasoned veterans. From Naomi Girma and Jaedyn Shaw to Alex Morgan and Kailen Sheridan, the Wave have depth at every position.
3. NY/NJ Gotham FC
Gotham has come to play this year. After finishing at the bottom of the table last season, many people were counting them out from the beginning. But under new head coach Juan Carlos Amoros with off-season acquisitions like Lynn Williams and Abby Smith, as well as rookie Jenna Nighswonger, Gotham is proving itself as a force to be reckoned with. Their attacking presence is not to be ignored.
4. OL Reign
OL Reign has been consistently good, and this year is no different. Despite dealing with injuries to players like Rose Lavelle and Megan Rapinoe, the Reign are making an argument for yet another playoff run. Once their injured players are back, they’ll be virtually unstoppable. The reigning NWSL Shield winners also boast depth at every level from goalkeeper to striker.
Portland forward Sophia Smith (left) celebrates a goal with teammate Meghan Klingenberg (right) while Megan Rapinoe (center) looks down during June 3rd match vs OL Reign. (Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times)
5. Portland Thorns
Despite their status as reigning champs and boasting the reigning MVP with Sophia Smith, the Thorns aren’t looking as unstoppable this year. They’re not bad, by any means, already having scored 26 goals this season. They just aren’t as impressive as they have been. New head coach Mike Norris is doing well, but the team looks a little off. Teams are pressuring them unlike ever before, and the Thorns have just had enough attacking talent to counterbalance it.
6. Houston Dash
The Houston Dash are the wild card of this season. They made their first playoffs last year, and hired a new head coach, Sam Laity. However, they seem to be consistently underestimated. Their frontline hasn’t gelled as well as many expected, but they’re not losing many games. They’re right on the edge of the playoff line now, so don’t count them out yet.
7. North Carolina Courage
Despite losing some of their top talent this off season, the Courage are playing well. As of right now, they’re in the playoffs, and it seems like they are on an upward trajectory. Kerolin scored a hat-trick last week and now leads this year’s Golden Boot race. If they can keep scoring, they’ve got a strong chance to stay in the playoffs.
8. Racing Louisville
The true underdog this year is Racing. The team is meshing perfectly. Katie Lund is a brick wall in goal, leading the league in saves for the second year in a row. Uchenna Kanu and Savannah DeMelo are causing problems for every defense they face. They may be sitting ninth in the standings, but don’t count them out to make the club’s first playoffs.
Cason Pickett (26) and Jaelin Howell celebrate Savannah DeMelo’s (7) goal during May 27th match vs Kansas City. (EM Dash - USA Today Sports)
9. Orlando Pride
The Pride started this season a mess, losing 4-0 to Portland in their opening match. However, things have started turning around and they beat Portland 3-1 last week. They’re sitting eighth in the standings right now, but if Adrianna and Messiah Bright keep showing up and showing off, they could make the playoffs easily.
10. Angel City FC
Things could be starting to change for Angel City. They sit eleventh in the table now with only two wins, but former head coach Freya Coombe was let go this week, and their injured stars are starting to return to play. Sydney Leroux scored in her first game back on June 5th and Christen Press seems to be close as well. If interim head coach Becki Tweed makes the right moves and they stay healthy, Angel City can work their way back up the standings. However, the playoffs are still a long shot for them, at least this year.
11. Kansas City Current
The Current are not living up to expectations at all this year. They signed a lot of free agents in the off season, but can’t seem to collect wins. They’ve only won three games, and have lost the other eight. They are almost unstoppable during Challenge Cup matches, but during the regular season, they can’t seem to find wins. Things were looking up after former head coach Matt Potter was fired, but recently, they’ve been sliding down further, currently sitting at the bottom of the table. Still, don’t count them all the way out, because if Debhina gets hot, there’s no telling what will happen next.
12. Chicago Red Stars
The Red Stars are unfortunately becoming hard to watch. They lost some of their longest-tenured veterans during free agency, then Mallory Swanson went down with an injury in April. Their goalkeeper, Alyssa Naeher, is their strongest player right now, but the defense is a mess, so she’s being asked to do a lot. Rookie Penelope Hocking seemed to be their saving grace, but now she’s out with an injury as well. It’s tough to imagine they find a way to have a chance at the playoffs.
