If the temperatures get colder, it will just be fall in the air and not the 2026 NWSL regular season. The final stretch of the season is heating up, with only one team eliminated from playoff contention and the NWSL Shield still up for grabs with just five games left in the season.
That means now is the perfect time to revisit the weekly NWSL Power Rankings. So if you want to keep track of your favorite team’s standings, here’s what you need to know My previous ranking. Power doesn’t just apply to teams competing for the NWSL Shield; This also applies to those pesky teams hanging around the playoff line.
Denver Summit may be outside the playoff picture in the standings; anyone who has watched Summit over the past month would have a hard time counting this team out. This is also the reason why their strength ranking has improved significantly this week. Even outsiders can make a statement to the rest of the league.
Colorado’s expansion team has turned Centennial Stadium into a tough playing field and is currently riding a five-game unbeaten streak in the final weeks of the season, proving that “first season” doesn’t necessarily mean just a constructive year. Now, they are very close to the playoff line, but where is the ranking? They belong to the upper half. A big reason why is defender Jeanne Sounis.
The Canada international was recently called up for the October transfer window and has enjoyed one of her best individual seasons with the club. Her 15 goal contributions, including 11 goals and four assists, put her in the spotlight of the team’s scouts and placed her in the top five in the race for the Golden Boot.
It’s hard to ignore an outside linebacker who can put up so many offensive numbers, and she’s making the most of her position in head coach Nick Cushing’s system. But just like the league standings, anything can happen in the power rankings, so the final game weeks will reveal whether the Denver Nuggets’ rise is destined for more, or whether it’s too little, too late.
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Denver isn’t the only club finding its footing at the right time, either. Angel City FC is doing well in both the power rankings and the league table. Thanks to a huge effort from Tyler Suarez in back-to-back substitute appearances throughout the week and a quick turnaround, things might be sorted out in the clutch.
Their current form is helping them push for a playoff spot and move up the standings, while also making it more difficult for everyone else around them. They’re the type of team right now that’s going to cause trouble for other people and unfortunately they’re going to have trouble themselves, so we have to be vigilant.
Now, let’s take a look at the latest rankings:
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angel city football club
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utah royals
Rick | team | Change | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | New Jersey/New York Gotham Football Club | It looks like Gotham is well on its way to NWSL Shield glory and shows no signs of slowing down. Tierna Davidson is voted Defender of the Year every week, and rookie Jordynn Dudley isn’t too far off in front of goal. | — | 15-4 |
2 |  Washington spirit | There’s nothing better than getting back into rhythm after a slump in form. Trinity Rodman is back in threat mode, scoring goals and giving the defense nightmares, just in time for a horrific season and playoff run. | 1 | 14-7 |
3 |  Portland Thorns | It’s a scary thought if the Thorns offense is quietly taking shape in the playoffs. From Morgan Weaver’s long-range slam to Sophia Wilson’s inevitability, the Thorns are finally looking like their contender pedigree. | 1 | 12-7 |
4 |  utah royals | To be honest, I love Utah’s inconsistency, but I’m a little nervous about them right now. They are building a historic run as a club heading into the postseason, but consistency will be key moving forward. | 2 | 13-9 |
5 |  San Diego Waves FC | Wave is still a good sneaky team for me and they are very dangerous to play against at the moment. Now I want to see them dominate and beat teams that are struggling heading into next season. | — | 14-8 |
6 |  North Carolina Courage | Ashley Sanchez continues to be an unreal shooter in front of goal, but North Carolina’s struggles on the field against leading teams are noteworthy. The road isn’t going to get any easier, so hopefully they can dig deeper to really close the gap in the rankings. | — | 12-10 days |
7 |  angel city football club | Nothing illustrates the fluctuations in the power rankings like a successful multi-game week. The City of Angels is doing business like it’s a no-brainer. Now, the real test begins for them, with only a handful of opportunities to make a statement against real contenders. | 2 | 11-8 |
8 |  denver summit football club | The Denver Nuggets’ good performance comes at a crucial time. That moves them up the power rankings, but they still have a lot of work to do if they want to make playoff history in their first season. | 2 | 9-8 |
9 |  Seattle Reign | This is the most exciting stretch of the season and I’d like to see Seattle have more urgency. We just don’t understand it and it’s happening on the pitch and now they’re down the pecking order. | 2 | 11-10 days |
10 |  kansas city trends | It seems like Kansas City needs to do a lot to be successful. A player here is injured, another player is injured there, and the coaching staff just doesn’t know the next best step. Good teams with deep rosters will find a way; that’s not the time for Kansas City yet. | 2 | 11-9 |
11 |  orlando pride | Orlando is struggling into the final stretch of the season, and the only reason they haven’t dropped down the rankings is because Barbara Banda is on the roster and other teams are in a worse situation than they are. | — | 9-13 |
12 |  houston dash | The Houston Dash finally have a head coaching change. They put together a 90-minute performance to boost themselves up the rankings again after parting ways with former boss Fabrice Gautrait. | 1 | 8-12 |
13 |  gulf football club | Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make a difference. Like being better than a team that’s worse than you on the right week, and Alex Pfeiffer making good runs around the pitch in front of goal. | 1 | 7-13 |
14 |  boston heritage football club | While Boston Legacy is closer to elimination than any other team, there’s still time to get into the villain era and spoil it for everyone else. | 2 | 7-13 |
15 |  chicago stars | With Vlatko Andonovski taking over as chief football officer, all eyes are on 2027 as the team moves forward. But let’s hope they don’t get too ahead of themselves. There are still competitions left this year, and there will always be times when the rankings decline. | — | 5-18 |
16 |  Louisville Athletics | In quite some time, this team has not had a single performance worthy of moving up the rankings. The club has endured a difficult time on and off the pitch due to a lack of overall results and rumors of a move. | — | 7-16 |