NWSL Power Rankings: KC Current Strides Ahead on Matchday 9 | OneFootball

The Kansas City Current got their revenge against the Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League on Matchday 9.

Six months after losing to the Pride in the 2024 playoff semifinals at Inter & Co Stadium, the Current returned to the venue and came away with a momentous 1–0 victory. The winning goal was scored by none other than 2024 NWSL Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga.

Kansas City has been sitting at the top of Sports Illustrated’s power rankings since Matchday 6, and this was validation of that faith.

It’s a statement win for the Current, now the frontrunners for the NWSL Shield. (Although, of course, there is still a long way to go, and anything could happen.)

As stated in last week’s power rankings, the top eight or nine teams are starting to cement their places, with an elite three or four clubs sitting at the very top.

Excluding Bay FC, none of the bottom five teams picked up a win this weekend and that cluster of clubs feels like they could soon be playing in their own mini league outside the playoff places.

Here are this week’s rankings.

NWSL Power Rankings After Matchday 9

14. Chicago Stars (1-7-1) [Previous: 13]

Back to the bottom for Chicago. If Ludmila puts away her big chance at 1–0, then maybe the Stars could have found a way back into this one. But that moment aside, you still have a team that wants to absorb pressure but isn’t sound enough to outlast the attacks that good possession teams will conjure up. Another issue is that Ludmila is the only player generating meaningful attacks. The Brazilian is breathtaking, but can't do it all. Chicago feels like it’s going to be in the basement for a while longer.

13. Utah Royals (1-5-3) [Previous: 14]

The Royals spent one week at the bottom of the power ranking and then burst into life on the road in Washington D.C. Utah's 3–3 draw with the Spirit was bonkers, especially because the Royals managed to throw away two separate leads at 1–0 and 3–2. An exceptional penalty save from Mandy McGlynn in the 90th minute looked like it was almost certainly going to seal the first away win of the season, but a lapse in defending in the 102nd-minute cost this team. If Utah can continue to pull out this type of performance, then maybe there’s hope for this team yet. Claudia Zornoza being returning to the midfield is a game-changer for the Royals. There's still a lot of work to be done, but this was a better showing.

12. Houston Dash (3-5-1) [Previous: 11]

For the first time this season, this felt like the old Dash. Houston was completely played off the pitch in the first half of its 4–1 defeat to Portland. Second best in every element, from intensity to structure, to skill and execution. Losing Yazmeen Ryan to a facial injury before the match didn’t help. Houston needs reinforcements up front, with Messiah Bright struggling without much help. After a clean sheet on her Dash debut, this was a come back down to earth moment for goalkeeper Abby Smith, who finished with -1.3 post-shot xG minus goals conceded. However, the overall flatness from the Dash on a hot Texas night was a collective fault.

11. Bay FC (3-4-2) [Previous: 12]

A huge 2–0 win for Bay over Angel City has reset their expectations after several weeks of slipping. Turns out, the remedy was playing Penelope Hocking, who has now scored and started in back-to-back weeks after getting just 121 minutes across the first seven weeks of the season. Like a few teams in this league, Bay are at their best making the game direct and craggy. Shout out to the tenacious defender Maddie Moreau, who helped secure a clean sheet on her first start of the year, and registered one tackle, won two of five duels, and had two interceptions and five clearances.

10. Racing Louisville (3-4-2) [Previous: 10]

In terms of buy-in, Louisville is one of the most tireless teams in the NWSL. This group is working hard for their coach, throwing everything they can at the wall to try and make something happen. But the poise, quality and calm in the final third are lacking. Individual moments from Emma Sears and Taylor Flint weren’t enough against Seattle’s deep block. This team wants to make the most of off-ball moments, and that’s tricky when the opponent gives you the ball. Racing has one of the lower ceilings in the NWSL, but they’re incredibly difficult to play against.

9. Seattle Reign (4-3-2) [Previous: 9]

Winning soccer matches isn’t always about playing attractive soccer. The Reign are building their season around the notion of being incredibly structured and hard to beat. A third shutout of the season and a third 1–0 victory. Seattle didn’t attempt a single shot after going up 1–0 via Maddie Dahlien in the 39th minute. Head coach Laura Harvey is embracing parking the bus, and it’s working. Despite 20 shots and 12 corners, Louisville managed just one shot on target. The Reign were a brick wall.

8. Angel City (4-2-3) [Previous: 6]

It’s hard to judge Angel City in their 2–0 defeat to Bay FC after an emotional week following the medical emergency Savy King suffered during ACFC’s May 9 game against the Royals. King had to have surgery for a heart abnormality on Tuesday but has made a recovery and is now back home from the hospital. The early goals hurt Angel City, who found themselves down 2–0 after less than 30 minutes. This meant that Bay didn’t have to gamble on space and could sit deep, cutting off the room for Angel City’s forwards to run into. Angel City is one of the more explosive teams in this league but will vary from week to week.

7. North Carolina Courage (3-3-3) [Previous: 7]

This weekend’s result was music to North Carolina fans’ ears. Head coach Sean Nahas was able to get Jaedyn Shaw back into the starting XI and produce a ball-dominant, confident, 2–0 shutout win. Japanese forward Manaka Matsukubo scored the first brace of her NWSL career with two brilliantly taken goals. After a rocky start, the Courage are growing into a playoff team.

6. Portland Thorns (4-2-4) [Previous: 8]

The Thorns produced their best performance of the season in a 4–1 dismantling of the Dash. (It was one of the more one-sided NWSL matches you will see all year.) The Thorns scored two goals and had 10 shots before Houston even registered its first attempt in the 41st minute. Even more impressive was the fact that Portland head coach Rob Gale made six changes to his starting XI with an eye on the upcoming W Concacaf Champions Cup. Maybe the Thorns have been underrated? Suddenly, there’s youth, depth and quality across the team. The high pressure up top helped out a defense that has been struggling. Is this just some good form and impressive shooting, or is a plan coming together? Time will tell.

5. NJ/NY Gotham FC (4-3-3) [Previous: 4]

The belief in Gotham to figure things out continues to give them the benefit of the doubt in these power rankings. But drawing a blank at home against the Wave helped propel San Diego ahead of the East Coast club on this week’s list. Gotham generated just one chance over 0.09 xG on Friday night, with Esther González held to zero shots, 20 touches and nine completed passes in 90 minutes. Head coach Juan Carlos Amorós will be delighted to have more of his forwards fit and healthy, but their chemistry is still developing.

4. San Diego Wave (5-2-2) [Previous: 5]

The Wave moved up to fourth in the power rankings, the highest they have been all season. Jonas Eidevall’s team getting a crunchy 1–0 away win against Gotham is a big feather in the cap, even if there are still reasons to pump the brakes on just how good this team is right now. Keeping a clean sheet with Kennedy Wesley suspended and giving up just 0.6 xG despite defending a lead for over an hour is really impressive. A special mention to teenager Kimmi Ascanio, who now has three goals in four games. Can the Wave keep climbing the charts?

3. Washington Spirit (5-3-1) [Previous: 3]

Well, the Spirit are never boring. That's for sure. Washington’s latest 3–3 draw follows a 3–2 win in Chicago and a 4–3 home loss to Angel City. There are some serious concerns about this defensive group, which can play to a higher standard. The Spirit conceded just three goals across the opening five matches and has now conceded 12 in their past four. The key seems to be the fitness of players like Casey Krueger and Hal Hershfelt, who are trending in the right direction. This feels more like a blip than a systemic issue.

2. Orlando Pride (5-3-1) [Previous: 2]

Despite a bitter 1–0 loss at home to the Current, there’s still a lot to like about the Pride. The losing goal came off an error from Kylie Nadaner. The Pride feels ahead of the chasing pack despite having three losses on their record, which is more defeats than they had during the entire 2024 season. Ally Watt and Summer Yates coming off the bench is a positive for head coach Seb Hines, with more options to toss into the fray. However, the wing-back setup with Carson Pickett and Oihane Hernandez on the flanks doesn't feel quite settled yet.

1. Kansas City Current (7-2-0) [Previous: 1]

It doesn’t get much bigger for Kansas City than going on the road to defeat the reigning champions, the Orlando Pride, in their stadium. Chawinga scored her fifth goal of the season and her 25th career regular-season goal in her 34th match. She is the fastest player ever to achieve that feat. A looming injury for Alana Cook is the only bad news for the Current. Otherwise, this club is asserting themselves as the team to beat.