Houston Dash Crown Themselves NWSL's Ultimate Comeback Queens in Matchday 17 Power Rankings
Look who's back! The Houston Dash have surged into playoff contention after appearing lost at sea. Meet the NWSL's latest comeback specialists.
Following a thrilling 2–1 rally victory against NJ/NY Gotham FC on Sunday, the Dash have now mounted comebacks to claim seven points across their previous three matches, including triumphs over the North Carolina Courage and Gotham. No squad has captured more points this campaign from deficit situations than Houston's impressive 11.
Gotham sits in eighth place in the table, which represents the final postseason berth. Therefore, the Dash victory narrowed the playoff deficit to just two points, with only three points now separating eighth-place Gotham from 11th-place Angel City.
Naturally, the other major storyline from this NWSL weekend involved all the stalemates. Five of seven contests concluded in draws, following four matches that ended level the previous weekend. The league's competitive balance is becoming increasingly evident, making it more challenging for clubs to shift positions in the Power Rankings.
While deadlocks aren't always thrilling, take time to appreciate the Chicago Stars' remarkable rally from a 3–0 deficit to level with the Seattle Reign 3–3, with keeper Alyssa Naeher netting the equalizer via one of the most spectacular tap-ins you'll witness.
Here are your NWSL power rankings following Matchday 16.
14. Utah Royals (1-12-4) [Previous: 14]
The gradual progress continues. Following the summer hiatus, the Utah Royals appear difficult to defeat and determined not to finish the campaign as the league's bottom dwellers. The scoreless draw with Angel City provided the Royals their first clean sheet since April and only their second this season. Utah might be without victory in 11 matches, but this represented another resilient display proving they're far from finished.
12. Chicago Stars (1-9-6) [Previous: 13]
Iconic goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher netted a 90th-minute leveler to register her maiden career goal on her 200th NWSL outing! Indeed, that's an actual statement. For this achievement alone, it was enticing to elevate the Chicago Stars further up the Power Rankings after a spectacular 3–3 stalemate with the Seattle Reign, where the Stars recovered from a 3–0 disadvantage. Interim boss Ella Masar, who will shortly be succeeded by new interim manager Anders Jacobsen before Martin Sjögren assumes control next season, has performed admirably in making the Stars another never-surrender squad. Truly embodies the NWSL ethos.
12. Bay FC (4-6-6) [Previous: 12]
Bay FC are treading water with injuries and formation changes taking their impact. Throughout the season, chance creation and goalscoring have remained major concerns for this squad. Without Abby Dahlkemper and Penelope Hocking, there's a significant opportunity for Karlie Lema and Kelli Hubly to assume starting positions. This felt like a standard 2–1 home loss to the San Diego Wave, which is disappointing.
11. North Carolina Courage (5-6-5) [Previous: 10]
The North Carolina Courage rallied from a 1–0 deficit to secure a 1–1 stalemate against the Portland Thorns, with former Thorn Tyler Lussi converting the rebound equalizer. The Courage delivered an excellent second half and applied pressure on their opponents, ultimately controlling the match. The Courage still appear somewhat directionless, but their capacity to create quality attacking opportunities received a lift this week.
10. Houston Dash (5-8-3) [Previous: 11]
Absolutely remarkable recent form for Houston. For now, I'm avoiding the urge to propel them higher up the Power Rankings beyond the two positions gained over the past fortnight. The Dash capitalized on one of the most bizarre own goals imaginable in their 2–1 triumph in New Jersey on Sunday. And Michelle Alozie's winner came from just the team's second attempt of the match. This represents a massive confidence boost, but it's unsustainable for the Dash to be converting six goals from five shots on target over their last three outings.
9. Angel City (4-6-6) [Previous: 9]
That marks six matches without victory since new manager Alexander Straus joined the club. In numerous respects, Angel City don't merit being positioned as highly as they are in the Power Rankings, yet you can observe this team possesses all the components to perform much better than their current level. An upcoming Thursday evening home fixture against the Orlando Pride must feature a top-tier performance or this squad will slide down the rankings.
8. NJ/NY Gotham FC (5-6-5) [Previous: 8]
On one side, Gotham were extremely unfortunate to fall 2–1 to the Houston Dash, given they only conceded two attempts and one on target. Conversely, Gotham didn't generate much inside the penalty area after Esther scored her 11th of the campaign to give the Bats a 1–0 advantage. Under manager Juan Carlos Amoros, Gotham had never dropped a match after leading 1–0 at the interval. Therefore, in many respects, this represented Gotham's typical game plan of protecting a 1–0 lead. Except, this occasion, it failed. Regardless of how unlucky Gotham were with the own goal, the team must find more goals and close out matches.
7. Seattle Reign (7-5-4) [Previous: 7]
A difficult period for the Seattle Reign, who transformed from being among the NWSL's strongest defensive units to facing serious concerns. Following Monday evening's 3–3 with the Stars, the Reign have now surrendered seven goals across two matches after permitting just 13 goals in the opening 14 games of the year. Sofia Huerta on the right flank of a defensive back-three appears to be an interesting decision. While there's reasoning behind benching teenager Jordyn Bugg after one of her poorest showings against the Portland Thorns, she has demonstrated her importance to the Reign's framework.
6. Racing Louisville (6-6-4) [Previous: 6]
Jordyn Bloomer's penalty-saving prowess may be unrivaled, but the promising new goalkeeper had difficulties with the Washington Spirit's long-distance strikes in the nation's capital this past weekend. A 2–2 away result against the Spirit isn't poor at all for Louisville, but it represents consecutive matches where Racing have surrendered two points in the closing moments. That must be painful.
5. Portland Thorns (7-4-5) [Previous: 5]
An away draw is never disappointing, but the Courage have shown vulnerability recently, and the Portland Thorns might have aimed for more than a 1–1 result. The manner in which the Thorns operate, they attack teams with a dynamic group of midfielders and forwards keen to manufacture chances and push forward. That philosophy has clearly succeeded for this team, with Olivia Moultrie enjoying a career-best campaign at 19 years old. Nevertheless, the Thorns also appear exposed defensively and there are uncertainties about who represents the optimal goalkeeper on this roster currently.
4. Washington Spirit (8-4-4) [Previous: 3]
Indeed, a 2–2 against Racing Louisville wasn't a perfect home outcome for the Washington Spirit. The caliber of strikes from Sofia Cantore and Rosemonde Kouassi was extraordinary, but the Spirit somehow managed to complicate matters for themselves beyond those moments of pure brilliance. The addition of new Italian forward Cantore is massive for this team, but with Trinity Rodman and Leicy Santos still integrating back into the squad, the Spirit's consistency still appears questionable.
3. San Diego Wave (8-4-4) [Previous: 4]
Climbing the Power Rankings to third position, the San Diego Wave remain among the NWSL's most reliable teams. Strong possession statistics, a diverse range of goalscorers and an undervalued defense regarding non-penalty major chances conceded. Just one loss in their previous 12 matches, and this team feels like it's officially entering the elite tier alongside the Spirit, Pride, and Current. Kenza Dali could very well earn a NWSL 2025 Best XI selection, as well.
2. Orlando Pride (9-5-2) [Previous: 2]
Another visiting side this week that traveled with the objective of defending with complete dedication. And we must acknowledge the Orlando Pride's defense, which, in this weekend's 0–0 draw, became the inaugural team to blank the Kansas City Current at their home venue of CPKC Stadium. The concerning news for the Pride was Barbra Banda exiting the match with an injury, but until we learn more details about that situation, it's difficult to evaluate this team too harshly.
1. Kansas City Current (13-2-1) [Previous: 1]
After 16 weeks, the Kansas City Current have finally recorded a draw. Still unbeaten at home, if Bia Zaneratto had improved her finishing in the box, then the Current probably would have defeated the Pride on Saturday. Despite a goalless 0–0, this remained a contest where players like Temwa Chawinga appeared sharp even without finding the net. She was perhaps even the finest defensive performer on the field. The probable NWSL Shield champions remain the standard to measure against.