NWSL Power Rankings: Angel City on the rise, yet falls short against Thorns
It’s Tuesday, and the 2026 NWSL regular season is in full swing, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.
Which teams are poised to rise in the standings? Which ones might be facing a decline? Our writers analyzed the events from Matchday 2 to establish this week’s rankings for all 16 teams in the league. Let’s take a closer look.
1. Portland Thorns
Previous ranking: 1
Next match: Wednesday at San Diego Wave, 10 p.m. ET
If managing with 10 players is challenging, why not attempt it with nine? This appears to be the Thorns’ approach, and it proved effective in a 2-0 victory over Seattle. Cassandra Bogere received a red card in the ninth minute after two yellow cards, yet Portland still managed to lead at halftime with goals from Pietra Tordin and Reilyn Turner. When Reyna Reyes was sent off in the 57th minute, the team faced half an hour of defense in front of a crowd of 21,321. What can this team achieve when fully staffed?
2. Angel City FC
Previous ranking: 5
Next match: Friday vs. Houston Dash, 10 p.m. ET
Sveindís Jónsdóttir secured a one-on-one opportunity in the fourth minute and later scored in the second half, contributing to Angel City’s convincing 3-1 win over Bay FC. Gisele Thompson also found the net, assisted by Jónsdóttir, allowing the Southern California team to top the standings early in the season. This marks the first time in the club’s history that ACFC has started the season with two consecutive victories.
3. NJ/NY Gotham FC
Previous ranking: 3
Next match: Wednesday vs. Denver Summit, 7 p.m. ET
Prominent players were present both on and off the field in Harrison, New Jersey, as the 2025 champions made their home debut, but Gotham was unable to provide the crowd with a goal in a 0-0 stalemate against North Carolina. Rose Lavelle’s header shortly after the second-half kickoff was the only shot Gotham managed on target, as the Courage restricted the hosts’ ability to create significant opportunities. The return of Tierna Davidson, who played her first minutes since recovering from an ACL injury last March, will be a valuable addition moving forward.
4. Houston Dash
Previous ranking: 10
Next match: Friday at Angel City, 10 p.m. ET
Jamaican international Kiki Van Zanten scored twice, with Kat Rader adding another, as the Dash triumphed over Boston 3-0 at Shell Energy Stadium. This offensive display followed an early penalty save by Legacy goalkeeper Casey Murphy, but Houston maintained composure to continue their perfect start to the season. Next up is a top-of-the-table clash with Angel City.
5. North Carolina Courage
Previous ranking: 7
Next match: Saturday at Gotham FC, 6:30 p.m. ET
In her second match representing North Carolina, goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan surpassed 15,000 NWSL minutes and achieved a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw with Gotham on Saturday. Sheridan will justifiably credit her teammates, as she only needed to make one save while the Courage limited the reigning champions’ chances. The focus now shifts to enhancing their attacking performance this season, which should improve with the return of Manaka Matsukubo from the Women’s Asian Cup.
6. Kansas City Current
Previous ranking: 4
Next match: Wednesday at Seattle Reign, 9 p.m. ET
Can they perform well on a chilly, windy afternoon in Evanston, Illinois? The Current’s answer was no, as they lost 2-1 to Chicago on Sunday. Haley Hopkins, who entered as a halftime substitute, reduced the deficit in the 57th minute with a precise pass from Izzy Rodriguez, but the team struggled to regain the cohesion they displayed throughout 2025 and could not recover from a lackluster first half.
7. Seattle Reign FC
Previous ranking: 2
Next match: Wednesday vs. Kansas City Current, 9 p.m. ET
While the journey for Seattle to Portland was significantly shorter than their Week 1 trip to Orlando, the Reign still encountered numerous challenges. The situation appeared favorable when Portland was reduced to ten players in the first ten minutes and then to nine in the second half. However, despite having a two-player advantage, Seattle managed only three shots on target and lost 2-0 to their rivals, the Thorns. Portland goalkeeper Morgan Messner made four saves to thwart the Reign, who will look forward to their home opener against Kansas City.
8. Bay FC
Previous ranking: 6
Next match: Saturday at North Carolina Courage, 7 p.m. ET
Bay FC fell behind early to Angel City, conceded two more goals, and could not mount a comeback, losing 3-1 on Saturday at PayPal Park. Taylor Huff scored for Bay but will be unavailable against North Carolina after receiving two yellow cards in the second half for strong tackles. That match will be crucial for morale, especially after last season’s lengthy scoring drought.
9. Washington Spirit
Previous ranking: 8
Next match: Friday at Racing Louisville, 8 p.m. ET
After trailing 2-0, the Spirit fought back to secure a 2-2 draw with Louisville, earning their first point of the season following an opening weekend loss to Portland. Sofia Cantore netted a long-range goal to halve the deficit, and Leicy Santos scored the equalizer in the 74th minute. Trinity Rodman exited the match due to a head injury but is expected to return on Wednesday. The Spirit’s second-half effort to rally is encouraging for fans in the capital, although their transition defense issues in the first half remain a concern.
10. Racing Louisville FC
Previous ranking: 13
Next match: Saturday at Seattle Reign, 6:30 p.m. ET
Emma Sears assisted Kayla Fischer for a goal from outside the box, and then Fischer set up Sears for a beautiful goal on a solo breakaway as Racing jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first half against Washington. However, the Spirit dominated the remainder of the match, and Racing had to settle for a 2-2 draw in their home opener at Lynn Family Stadium instead of avenging last year’s playoff loss.
11. Denver Summit FC
Previous ranking: 14
Next match: Wednesday at Gotham FC, 7 p.m. ET
Is Melissa Kössler the first standout scorer for Denver? The Hoffenheim veteran opened the scoring for the Summit with a right-footed shot in the 24th minute of a 1-1 draw with Orlando. That goal, along with 10 saves from goalkeeper Abby Smith, secured the expansion team’s first-ever point. The foundation appears to be in place, with a strong opening 25 minutes, for the team to evolve beyond merely being an expansion squad marking milestones.
12. San Diego Wave FC
Previous ranking: 15
Next match: Wednesday vs. Portland Thorns, 10 p.m. ET
The Wave traveled to Utah and secured a 2-1 victory over the Royals on Sunday night. Dudinha’s opening goal will be recorded as unassisted, although it originated from a Royals defender’s pass, which she capitalized on with her first touch. San Diego conceded a goal but later found a winner from rookie Lia Godfrey, shortly after Royals defender Tatumn Milazzo received her second yellow card, contributing to one of the many red cards issued in the NWSL this weekend.
13. Chicago Stars FC
Previous ranking: 16
Next match: Wednesday vs. Orlando Pride, 8 p.m. ET
After a tough opener that saw the Stars lose 4-0, Martin Sjögren’s squad rebounded with a 2-1 win over Kansas City in their home opener on the Northwestern campus. Tessa Dellarose gave the Stars a well-deserved lead just before halftime following a corner kick, and Jordyn Huitema extended the lead with a near-post header five minutes into the second half.
14. Orlando Pride
Previous ranking: 9
Next match: Wednesday at Chicago Stars, 8 p.m. ET
Another week, another goal for Barbra Banda, but it came in a 1-1 draw with Denver after the match began with a flurry of chances for the visiting side. Orlando managed to halt the onslaught, and Banda’s goal from a cross by Lizbeth Ovalle will please manager Seb Hines, but the damage had already been done, leaving them with just one point from their first two matches of the season.
15. Utah Royals
Previous ranking: 12
Next match: Wednesday at Washington Spirit, 7 p.m. ET
Lara Prasnikar scored her first goal for the Royals, but it was insufficient in a 2-1 loss to San Diego. Tatumn Milazzo, who scored last week, was sent off late in the match, allowing the Wave to capitalize on the Royals being down to 10 players with a late goal from Lia Godfrey. Utah now faces a quick turnaround with a long journey to Washington in D.C. on Wednesday.
16. Boston Legacy FC
Previous ranking: 11
Next match: Saturday at Houston Dash, 4 p.m. ET
Legacy goalkeeper Casey Murphy saved a penalty in the first half but could not maintain that momentum, conceding three goals in a 3-0 defeat to Houston. The club’s inaugural road trip proved to be challenging, with Boston managing only two shots on Jane Campbell’s goal and finishing the match with an xG of 0.52.
