KAnsas City Current Secures NWSL Playoff Spot
Volume 02 | Issue 06 | August 2025
NWSL News
Kansas City Current Secures NWSL Playoff Spot
With 46 points at the end of Week 18 of NWSL play, the Kansas City Current secured its spot in the NWSL playoffs as the team maintained its place at the top of the rankings throughout August.
The top eight NWSL teams will advance to the playoffs at the end of regular season play on November 2. The single-elimination playoffs begin on November 7.
NWSL Shield Standings
The Current’s lead in the standings continued to grow in August, with the second-place team, the Washington Spirit, 14 points behind on the leaderboard.
While the Current already earned its place in the playoffs, the remaining teams continued to battle it out on the field in hard-fought attempts to move up the rankings.
Utah Royals FC tied the Orlando Pride in a surprising draw in Orlando during the first weekend back after the international break. The game marked the first match for the Royals after forward Ally Sentnor was traded away to the Current.
In Week 15, the last-place Royals held the first-place Current to a draw for the majority of the match, until Temwa Chawinga scored a goal for Kansas City in the 82nd minute.
The Royals continued to apply pressure throughout the month with ties against both Angel City FC and NJ/NY Gotham FC, followed by a win against the Portland Thorns.
The Thorns took Seattle Reign’s fifth-place ranking with a 4-2 win in the Cascadia Rivalry match on August 10 at Providence Park, moving the Thorns up one spot and dropping the Reign down to sixth place. However, the Reign regained their spot in fifth by Week 18 of NWSL play, and the Thorns retook sixth.
Sitting at second from the bottom, the Chicago Stars gave the league a run for its money this month with ties against Gotham, Bay FC, the Reign, the North Carolina Courage, and the Spirit.
In a highly anticipated match in Week 16, the Current tied the Pride 0-0 at CPKC Stadium. The draw allowed San Diego Wave FC to move into second place in the rankings and dropped the Pride down to third.
The Pride continued to slip down the chart, landing in fourth place by the end of Week 18 after leaving the pitch with three draws and two losses in August.
The Wave ended Week 18 in third place.
González and Chawinga Jockey for NWSL Golden Boot
Esther González and Temwa Chawinga continued to jockey for the lead in the race for the NWSL Golden Boot throughout August.
By the end of Week 18, Esther held the lead with 12 goals and no assists compared to Temwa’s 11 goals and two assists.
Chawinga earned herself another spot in the NWSL history books in Week 15 by becoming the fastest NWSL player to reach 30 goals in just 40 matches.
Ludmila jumped towards the top of the chart when she scored the fastest hat trick in NWSL history in just 10 minutes and nine seconds in Chicago’s match against the Courage during Week 17. Ludmila ended August with nine goals and zero assists.
Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher scored her first NWSL goal in Week 16 in the Stars’ match against the Reign, earning the tie for her team in the 90th plus 9th minute.
Sofia Cantore became the first Italian player to score in the NWSL with her debut goal in Week 16. Cantore signed a three-year deal with the Spirit in June, transferring from Juventus FC in Italy.
NWSL Player Updates
Trinity Rodman returned to the pitch after recovering from a recurring back injury in the Washington Spirit’s game against the Portland Thorns FC on Sunday, August 3. Rodman was substituted into the match in the 76th minute and scored her first goal back in the 90th plus 2nd minute, clinching the 2-1 win for the Spirit.
Rodman also debuted the Adidas F50 Sparkfusion cleat in her return. The F50 Sparkfusion is the first cleat specifically designed for female players. Adidas partnered with Rodman and Mia Fishel for design input. One lucky fan received a signed boot worn by Rodman in the debut game in exchange for Rodman signing her forehead.
Angel City FC removed Ali Riley from the season-ending injury (SEI) list in late July after Riley recovered from a chronic leg injury. Riley appeared in her first game back from injury on August 21.
The Chicago Stars moved Alyssa Naeher back to the active roster after being on the 45-day injury list. Naeher suffered an upper extremity injury in late May.
Claire Emslie and husband, private chef Johnny Marsh, are expecting a baby boy in December. Emslie and her Angel City teammates used the club’s ultrasound equipment to sneak a peek at her baby.
Esther González and partner, Estefanía Cruz, announced they are expecting a baby next
January.
Olivia Moultrie tied Jaedyn Shaw with the most NWSL regular-season goals scored by a teenager with 13 points to her name on August 16. Moultrie also became the youngest player in NWSL history to reach 5,000 regular-season minutes.
Barbra Banda exited the pitch in the 14th minute due to an injury during the Pride’s match against the Current in Week 16. The club announced the following week that Banda was placed on the SEI list with a hip injury.
NWSL Contracts and Transfers
Mia Fishel made her NWSL debut with Seattle Reign FC in Week 14 of NWSL play after her recent transfer from Chelsea. Fishel contracted with the Reign through the end of the 2029 season.
Ally Sentnor was spotted wearing her new teal jersey in content posted by the Kansas City Current on August 6. The Current announced Sentnor’s transfer from Utah Royals FC on August 1. Sentnor made her debut with the Current on August 8, playing against her former teammates.
Lizbeth Ovalle signed with the Orlando Pride through 2027 with a world-record transfer fee of $1.5 million from Tigres de la UANL in Mexico. Ovalle’s contract with the Pride includes a mutual option for 2028.
Two Angel City players, Alanna Kennedy and Katie Zelem, were transferred to the London City Lionesses in the Women’s Super League (WSL) for undisclosed fees.
Laila Harbert is on loan with the Portland Thorns from Arsenal WFC in the WSL through the remainder of the 2025 season.
The Thorns also acquired French international Julie Dufour through the 2027 NWSL season from Angel City and Colombian international Valerin Loboa on a transfer from Deportivo Cali in Colombia. Loboa signed with the Thorns through the 2028 season with a club option for 2029.
Payton Linnehan traded from the Thorns to the North Carolina Courage at the end of August and was seen booting up with her new team a few days later.
NWSL League Updates
The NWSL achieved a new record-breaking attendance milestone with 40,091 fans attending the Bay FC versus Washington Spirit match at Oracle Park in San Francisco on August 23. The event was dubbed The Show at Oracle Park and featured pre-match and half-time entertainment, gate giveaways, and limited edition merchandise.
The previous NWSL attendance record occurred on June 8, 2024, when 35,038 fans showed up for Chicago’s Red Stars Take Over Wrigley Field game against Bay FC.
2026 NWSL Expansion Teams
Denver Summit FC made more announcements this month as the franchise continues to build. The club named Nick Cushing as head coach on August 6. Cushing previously coached for Manchester City Women in the WSL and New York City FC in the MLS.
The Summit signed its first player, Colorado native Ally Watt, to its roster in early August. Watt currently plays for the Orlando Pride and will be joining the Summit for its inaugural season in 2026. Her contract with the Summit extends through 2028.
Lourdes Bosch will also be joining the Summit for an undisclosed transfer fee from Melbourne City FC in Australia. Bosch is contracted with the Summit through the 2027 NWSL season.
Denver Summit FC’s official supporters’ group announced its name this month - the 14ers.
Boston Legacy announced the foundation of its Athlete Advisory Board, which includes Sam Mewis, Kristine Lilly, Allison Feaster, and Aliyah Boston. The board is structured to help guide the club on player initiatives and to enhance the player experience.
The Legacy signed two more players in August. Aleigh Gambone signed with the club through the 2027 season and currently plays for FC Nürnberg Frauen in Germany. Barbara Olivieri signed with the Legacy through the 2029 season in an acquisition from the Houston Dash. Olivieri will play on loan to Club Tigres UANL in Mexico and join the Legacy for its inaugural season next year.
Kansas City Current announced its second team, Kansas City Current II, on August 4. The franchise’s second team is the first of the eight inaugural NWSL Division II teams slated to launch for the 2026 season, with the goal of all NWSL teams having a second team within four years.
The NWSL submitted a bid to the US Soccer Federation in April to form a Division II of the league. The first eight clubs targeted include Bay FC, Kansas City Current, North Carolina Courage, NJ/NY Gotham FC, Orlando Pride, Racing Louisville FC, Seattle Reign FC, and Washington Spirit.
USWNT NEws
40th Anniversary of USWNT’s First Match
On August 18, 1985, the USWNT played its first match in Italy and launched a competitive institution that would change the lives of players and fans for generations to come.
The team found its footing in a time when women’s teams were not compensated for their play (other than a per diem) and wore hand-me-down kits from the men’s leagues. At the time, the Olympics did not host a women’s soccer tournament, and there was no women’s World Cup competition.
Fast forward to its 40th anniversary, and the USWNT proudly wears four stars on its crest representing its four World Cup gold medals. In addition, the team won five Olympic gold medals as well as multiple silver and bronze medals in both the World Cup and Olympic competitions.
Off the pitch, the USWNT’s players successfully advocate for equal pay and human rights, proving themselves to be role models to young fans both on and off the field.
The USWNT plays again in October with three friendlies scheduled in the US:
October 23 vs Portugal at Subaru Park in Chester, PA
October 26 vs Portugal at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, CT
October 29 vs New Zealand at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, MO
Visit www.ussoccer.com for the full USWNT schedule.
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