Gotham FC Stays on Top in NWSL Power Rankings After Matchday 17
As the 2026 NWSL regular season progresses, Gotham FC maintains its position at the top of ESPN’s Power Rankings for a second consecutive week. The defending champions secured a comeback victory over Kansas City, winning 2-1 despite conceding a goal just 22 seconds into the match. Gotham is now unbeaten in eight games, with Sam Kerr returning to provide a vital offensive boost, scoring the match-winner following a wonderful assist from Jaedyn Shaw. The team has scored in each of their last eight home matches, just shy of a franchise record.
Utah Royals Set Club Record
Utah Royals climbed the rankings following a thrilling 3-2 victory against Bay FC, marking their 11th win of the season—a new club record. The match featured a hat trick from Utah’s Japan internationals, including a spectacular long-range effort from Narumi Miura that has been hailed as the goal of the week. Despite facing an early deficit, the Royals equalized and later took the lead, with Mina Tanaka sealing the win from the penalty spot after her first attempt was saved.
San Diego Wave Struggles in Draw
San Diego Wave, ranked third, settled for a 1-1 draw against Denver. Melanie Barcenas opened the scoring, becoming the top-scoring teenager in the league with her fourth goal of the season. However, San Diego relinquished their lead, allowing a late equalizer. Goalkeeper Sandra Paños had a challenging match, which could affect their upcoming game against the Denver Summit.
Emotional Win for Portland Thorns
The week was bittersweet for the Portland Thorns as they announced that promising player Olivia Moultrie would miss the remainder of the season due to an ACL injury. In a thrilling match against Orlando, Caiya Hanks returned to the pitch after her own ACL injury and scored the dramatic winner in stoppage time. The Thorns’ offense had struggled, but Hanks’ late intervention brought them a vital three points.
Mixed Results for Other Teams
The Washington Spirit and Angel City played to a 1-1 draw where Trinity Rodman scored her tenth goal of the season. Meanwhile, Seattle Reign earned a narrow 1-0 win against Chicago, with Maddie Mercado netting her sixth goal, extending her recent scoring form. Heartbreak followed for the North Carolina Courage as they fell to a last-minute goal against Houston Dash, which marked their first home defeat of the season.
Meanwhile, Louisville has found form, moving out of the bottom three for the first time since Matchday 2 after dominating Boston 4-1. Kayla Fischer scored twice, helping her team secure 14 points from their last six games. In contrast, Bay FC remains winless in five, suffering 3-2 at the hands of the Royals, while the Boston Legacy struggled defensively, conceding eight goals in just two matches.
Coaching Changes for Chicago
Chicago Stars faced a tumultuous week as head coach Martin Sjögren and assistant Anders Jacobson were dismissed amid a disappointing season, with the team managing only one goal in their past six matches. Their situation worsened with a 1-0 loss to Seattle, marking their league-leading 14th defeat.
Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn
