Football

NWSL Power Rankings: NJ/NY Gotham FC look like contenders as Portland Thorns and Utah Royals jump

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Oct 16, 2024 / 9528 Views

Evan Walker

There are just two Games remaining in the 2024 NWSL regular season and only two playoff spots up for grabs. That means there's still time for plenty of upsets and big moments, especially after Portland handed Orlando their first loss of the season and Temwa Chawinga set a new single-season scoring record.

Chicago Red Stars have clinched their spot in the postseason, and time is running out for the final two playoff seeds, but they can be claimed by almost any team now. So who is in the best position to launch into the playoffs? That's where our power rankings come in.

Make sure you don't miss any of the action as fans can watch select NWSL regular season matches across CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

How did clubs do in our NWSL Power Rankings? Let's take a look at where teams stand after week 23:

2024 NWSL Power Rankings

Rank	Team	Change	Analysis
1.	Orlando Pride	--	The Pride suffered their first loss of the season on the road against Portland. After winning the 2024 NWSL Shield and clinching the No. 1 seed, head coach Seb Hines began some player rotation with the playoffs just weeks ahead. Unfortunately, the moves didn't pan out in terms of an extended unbeaten streak, but maybe they have their eye on another prize down the line.
2.	NJ/NY Gotham FC	--	Gotham remain a problem for every team in the league with just a few weeks remaining. Head coach Juan Carlos Amoros and his staff have done an impressive job managing player minutes and it's paying off down the stretch. They've not only clinched their playoff spot but are in the hunt for the No. 2 seed, and with Lynn Williams a constant threat in front of goal, they'll have a target on their back as reigning champions looking to repeat.
3.	Kansas City Current	--	The single-season scoring record belongs to Temwa Chawinga, and with two more Games to go, she has a chance to build on her 19 goals. At this point, it's no longer a secret that Chawinga can score, she's become inevitable. What's equally impressive is their complete second-half defensive turnaround. They've earned five clean sheets in their last six Games.
4.	Washington Spirit	--	The injury list seemed to just pile up for the Spirit and it now includes midfielder Andi Sullivan out for the season with an ACL injury. However, the squad welcomed the return of Trinity Rodman and Casey Krueger and responded with a massive scoreline thanks to a brace by rookie Makenna Morris.
5.	North Carolina Courage	--	The Courage might be fifth on our rankings (and in the standings) but they're a sneaky good team that can wreck contenders and pretenders. With a whole roster of talent, they should be feared as the season winds down and things settle into the postseason where anything can happen. Denise O'Sullivan and Narumi Miura are the moon and tide of North Carolina's vast midfield coverage and will be crucial down the stretch.
6.	Portland Thorns FC	+2	The Thorns have been managing player injuries of their own late in the season, but despite losing key starters, their depth came through with a big upset over Orlando's equally rotated lineup. They had the type of performance that can kickstart a season out of the gutter. The Thorns have found themselves, especially with midfielder Sam Coffey pulling the strings.
7.	Chicago Red Stars	-1	Chicago wrtr able to clinch a spot in the playoffs thanks to a win by the Spirit, but they'll have to figure things out against other top contenders if they really want to shake up the league. Putting up valiant efforts for 80 minutes will only take a club so far till opposing top-four teams find a way to breakthrough.
8.	Racing Louisville FC	--	Not sure another team has dropped more chances to claim a playoff spot than Louisville this season. Haven't been able to defeat other teams in the playoff push and struggled against legitimate contenders. Not a lot of answers in sight with time running out for them.
9.	Bay FC	--	The Northern California side aren't quite playing like a team ready for the postseason, but they remain in contention and are getting a bit of help along the way from others who aren't knocking them out.
10.	Utah Royals FC	+2	The Royals are the hottest team in the league right now and playing spoiler to others while somehow staying in the playoff hunt. They're the only team with a three-game win streak at the moment and you have to wonder where the team would be if some changes happened earlier in the season.
11.	Angel City FC	-1	Christen Press remains a silver lining for the club this season as she scored her first regular season goal after nearly a two-year recovery from an ACL injury. But general form and playoff hopes are other things entirely. Is this team still in the hunt? Mathematically, yes. Spiritually? It feels weary.
12.	San Diego Wave FC	-1	Another week and another performance by the Wave that hardly made a ripple. It's not for lack of effort as the group managed to outperform Houston in attacking stats, but none of that matters if the ball can't get in the back of the net and there's no stability for players. Someone get this franchise a lifeline stat.
13.	Houston Dash	+1	With the playoffs out of question, the Dash put up a stingy performance this week against San Diego. Even if some results have ended in losses, interim head coach Ricky Clarke has the team playing more relaxed, and they just might remain a problem for playoff hopefuls and try not to finish in last place.
14.	Seattle Reign FC	-1	The Reign made it official this week and are eliminated from playoff contention with a flat and lackluster performance on the road in Utah. Time for the franchise to start looking ahead, and within, for changes in 2025.

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