The 2025 NWSL regular season has now progressed beyond the quarter mark, and the competition among clubs is heating up. This serves as an ideal point to reassess and update the power rankings. With only four points separating the leading teams in the league standings, continuous shifts are inevitable among the top contenders. San Diego Wave FC, for instance, has completely turned expectations on their head, emerging as a significant force challenging for titles, playoff spots, and influence. Despite facing considerable injury challenges, teams like the Washington Spirit and NJ/NY Gotham FC still represent a significant threat to opposing sides.
Eight weeks into the season, it`s evident that some teams have been more successful in executing their tactical plans and defining their team identities, while others are still focusing on managing the challenges game by game. As a reminder to readers, wins do not always guarantee an automatic climb in these rankings, but if you`re following the trends, here is the latest status in my NWSL power rankings for Week Nine.
2025 NWSL Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Change | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kansas City Current | +2 | Temwa Chawinga is back finding the net, and through eight weeks, few players in the league pose the threat that Debinha does. Add strong performances from Claire Hutton and Bia Zaneratto, and the Kansas City Current remain the most dominant team in the league. |
| 2. | Washington Spirit | +3 | Nothing is more exciting than supreme unpredictability, and the Spirit deliver it week after week. It seems a different player shines in each match; this week, Rosemonde Kouassi stood out with a goal, an assist, and a chaotic sequence leading to a forced own goal. |
| 3. | Orlando Pride | -2 | Maintaining success is challenging, but the reigning champions are keeping their title hopes alive by sustaining a suffocating, competitive intensity, even if they are slightly less clinical in front of goal compared to last season. This might reduce their perceived power slightly, but they are still an elite team. |
| 4. | San Diego Wave FC | -2 | Imagine a better version of The Three Musketeers – that`s San Diego this year, featuring their French internationals consistently impacting games. In Week Eight, it was fullback Perle Morroni who set the tone, covering extensive ground and providing an assist. |
| 5. | Gotham FC | -2 | They are holding on while trying to find the right balance in their squad given the injury situation. Managing a long season is half the battle, but without goals from Esther Gonzalez for two consecutive weeks, they lack clear solutions in the attacking third. |
| 6. | Angel City FC | +2 | Their performance following Savy King`s medical emergency spoke volumes about the team`s character. Veteran leadership from Christen Press combined with a young squad rallying through emotion led to a crucial win. Don`t be surprised if they gain significant momentum towards the season`s halfway point. |
| 7. | Portland Thorns FC | -1 | They required a penalty in stoppage time just to salvage something from a match where they had a player advantage away from home. This team seems content to accumulate draws as they approach the midpoint of the season. |
| 8. | Seattle Reign FC | -1 | The coaching staff took a tactical risk this week by shifting formations, which unfortunately did not pay off. The three-player backline offered some potential but ultimately failed to effectively execute the somewhat stagnant game plan. |
| 9. | North Carolina Courage | — | The Courage may finally be finding their rhythm now that the first quarter of the season is behind them. Ashley Sanchez`s return to form has been a major boost, and Denise O`Sullivan`s midfield efforts, regardless of formation, have been consistently outstanding. |
| 10. | Racing Louisville FC | — | Head coach Bev Yanez`s team is finally starting to hit its stride; now the focus is on maintaining consistency. The challenge will be whether they can continue to defeat the playoff-contending teams ahead of them, but they are taking it one step at a time. |
| 11. | Houston Dash | +1 | Rookie Maggie Graham continues to score and leads the team with three goals this season, while goalkeeper Abby Smith`s performance kept Houston`s hopes alive. Their recent results felt more like opportunistic wins than dominant performances, but the Dash need all the help they can get right now. |
| 12. | Bay FC | -1 | Week after week, this team appears less threatening across the league, which is difficult to acknowledge given the exciting talents like Rachael Kundenanji and Kiki Pickett on their roster. |
| 13. | Chicago Stars FC | — | The club has entered a new phase following the firing of coach Lorne Donaldson. Their current mode involves being a chaotic presence rather than securing wins. |
| 14. | Utah Royals FC | — | Utah is slowly getting players back up to full fitness, and for now, that simply means there`s still an opportunity to avoid finishing in the last position. |
