The 2025 NWSL regular season has officially passed the quarter mark, and the competition between clubs is intense. This is the perfect moment to refresh the power rankings. While only four points separate the top teams in the league standings, this leads to constant movement among contenders. San Diego Wave has completely changed expectations, emerging as a challenger for titles, playoff spots, and power. Despite significant injury issues, the Washington Spirit and NJ/NY Gotham FC remain formidable opponents.
Eight weeks into the season, some teams are clearly executing their tactics and establishing their team identities, while others are simply trying to navigate each game. As a quick reminder, wins don`t always guarantee an automatic jump in these rankings, but here are the latest NWSL power rankings based on performances so far.
2025 NWSL Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Change | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kansas City Current | +2 | Temwa Chawinga is finding the net again, and after eight weeks, no other player in the league is as threatening as Debinha. Add strong performances from Claire Hutton and Bia Zaneratto, and the Kansas City Current remains the league`s most powerful team. |
| 2. | Washington Spirit | +3 | Supreme chaos is captivating, and the Spirit deliver it week after week. It feels like a different star emerges in each match; this time, it was Rosemonde Kouassi with a goal, an assist, and a chaotic sequence leading to a forced own goal. |
| 3. | Orlando Pride | -2 | Repeating success is difficult, and the reigning champions are maintaining their strong position by employing suffocating, competitive chaos, even if they`ve been less clinical in front of goal than last season. While this might give an aura of slightly less dominance, they are still an elite squad. |
| 4. | San Diego Wave FC | -2 | Imagine the Three Musketeers, but better? That`s San Diego this year with their French international contingent shining in each match. In week eight, fullback Perle Morroni set the tone, covering vast amounts of ground and contributing an assist. |
| 5. | Gotham FC | -2 | They are holding on while trying to find the right roster balance amidst injuries. Managing a long season is part of the challenge, but finding goals is difficult without Esther Gonzalez scoring in consecutive weeks. |
| 6. | Angel City FC | +2 | The team`s performance following Savy King`s medical emergency speaks volumes. Veteran leadership from Christen Press, combined with a young squad rallying emotionally for a win. Don`t be surprised if they gain momentum approaching the halfway point. |
| 7. | Portland Thorns FC | -1 | They needed a stoppage-time penalty just to salvage something from a match where they had a player advantage on the road. This team might just reach the season`s halfway point by drawing their way there. |
| 8. | Seattle Reign FC | -1 | The coaching staff took a risk and made tactical shifts this week, which unfortunately didn`t pay off. The three-player backline showed some potential ideas but struggled to execute the somewhat predictable plan effectively. |
| 9. | North Carolina Courage | — | The Courage might finally be turning a corner now that a quarter of the season is behind them. Ashley Sanchez regaining her form has been a significant boost, and Denise O`Sullivan`s efforts in the midfield, regardless of formation, have been outstanding. |
| 10. | Racing Louisville FC | — | Head coach Bev Yanez finally has the team hitting their stride; now the focus shifts to consistency. The question is whether they can continue defeating the playoff-contending teams ahead of them, but that`s a step-by-step process. |
| 11. | Houston Dash | +1 | Rookie Maggie Graham continues to score and leads the team with three goals this season, and goalkeeper Abby Smith kept Houston`s hopes alive with her performance in net. Overall, it felt more like snatching points than complete dominance, but the Dash need all the help they can get right now. |
| 12. | Bay FC | -1 | Week after week, this team seems to demonstrate how they are less of a threat across the league. This is difficult to note considering the exciting talents like Rachael Kundenanji and Kiki Pickett on the roster. |
| 13. | Chicago Stars FC | — | The club has fired coach Lorne Donaldson and entered a new phase. The current mode still isn`t yielding wins but embodies chaotic play instead. |
| 14. | Utah Royals FC | — | Utah is slowly getting players back into form, and for now, that simply means there`s still time to avoid finishing last. |
Dominic Ashworth