National Women’s Soccer League is a professional women’s soccer league and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It was founded on November 21, 2012, and played for the first time in 2013.
The season runs from March to October. The regular season runs from March to October, while the playoffs take place in November.
The NWSL replaced the older Women’s Professional Soccer League (WPS), which stopped after its 2011 season. The WPS itself was a successor to the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA), which ran from 2001 to 2003.
As of 2026, NWSL comprises 16 clubs, and each team plays a total of 30 matches, 15 home and 15 away.
Let’s take a look at all the clubs:
Angel City FC
Bay FC
Boston Legacy FC
Chicago Stars
Denver Summit FC
Gotham FC
Houston Dash
Kansas City Current
North Carolina Courage
Orlando Pride
Portland Thorns FC
Racing Louisville FC
San Diego Wave FC
Seattle Reign FC
Utah Royal FC
Washington Spirit
The current champions of the NWSL are Gotham FC (2025), which is their second title.
The NWSL awards two trophies — the NWSL Shield for the club finishing at the top of the table. And the NWSL Championship in the postseason; whoever wins the final match of the playoffs wins the championship.
For the playoffs in the postseason, the top 8 teams in the table qualify for single-elimination. It consists of quarterfinals, semifinals, and the NWSL Championship final.
Which Teams have the Most Trophies?
Portland Thorns FC have the most NWSL Championship Titles
(2013, 2017, 2022)
North Carolina Courage and Seattle Reign FC have the most NWSL Shields with 3 each
Which are the Most Successful Clubs?
Portland Thorns FC –
2013, 2017, 2022 NWSL Championships
2016, 2021 NWSL Shield
2021 Challenge Cup
2021 Women’s International Champions Cup
North Carolina Courage –
2018, 2019 NWSL Championships
2017, 2018, 2019 NWSL Shield
2022, 2023 Challenge Cup
2018 Women’s International Champions Cup
Marquee Players in the NWSL:
USWNT Players:
Sophia Smith – Portland Thorns FC (Former NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner)
Trinity Rodman – Washington Spirit (Played a key role in the USWNT’s 2024 Olympic Gold run)
Rose Lavelle – Gotham FC (Earned NWSL Championship MVP honours after leading Gotham FC to a title)
Mallory Swanson – Chicago Stars FC (A lethal forward with elite pace and vision)
Naomi Girma – San Diego Wave FC (A multi-time NWSL Defender of the Year)
Alyssa Naeher – Chicago Stars (Two-time World Cup champion, Olympic Gold medalist, and long-time USWNT #1)
Sam Coffey – Portland Thorns (Premier defensive midfielder who controls game tempo and links defence to attack)
International Stars:
Temwa Chawinga – Kansas City Current (Record-breaking powerhouse who captured both the NWSL MVP and Golden Boot with a historic goal-scoring record)
Barbra Banda – Orlando Pride (Quickly established herself as one of the most feared strikers in the league)
Marta – Orlando Pride (A living legend of the sport and a six-time FIFA World Player of the Year)
Ann-Katrin Berger – Gotham FC (German international, NWSL leader in shutouts, and penalty-saving specialist)
Sam Kerr – Gotham FC (3-Time Golden Boot Winner and 2-Time NWSL MVP)
Asisat Oshoala – Bay FC (Multi-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year, known for speed, physicality, and clinical finishing)
Streaming Services:
The NWSL’s current American media coverage is held by CBS Sports, ESPN/ABC, Amazon Prime Video, Ion Television, Victory+ and the league-run NWSL+ streaming service.
In India, you can watch the NWSL for free using the NWSL + platform. You can directly go to the official NWSL+ website to watch matches online.
