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As the first international break of the season arrives, the NWSL is heating up. With every team having dropped points at some stage, the race is wide open. Here are the power rankings following Matchweek 4.
NWSL Matchweek 4 Results
Orlando Pride 2–1 Angel City FC
Seattle Reign 0–0 Denver Summit
Utah Royals 1–0 Chicago Stars
Houston Dash 4–3 Racing Louisville
Kansas City Current 2–1 NJ/NY Gotham FC
Boston Legacy 0–1 San Diego Wave
NC Courage 2–2 Portland Thorns
Bay FC 0–2 Washington Spirit
NWSL Power Rankings: Clubs 11–16
16. Boston Legacy (Previous: 16)
15. Chicago Stars (Previous: 15)
14. Utah Royals (Previous: 14)
13. Racing Louisville (Previous: 13)
12. NC Courage (Previous: 12)
11. Bay FC (Previous: 10)
10. Denver Summit (Previous: 9)
Back-to-back scoreless draws have Denver Summit navigating their debut season as a resilient but unremarkable side. Given how difficult expansion teams typically find it upon entering the NWSL, this is far from a bad position. Goalkeeper Abby Smith has been a real bright spot, topping the league in goals prevented through five matches with five saves of note.
9. NJ/NY Gotham FC (Previous: 6)
Just a single goal in their last four outings, and questions about Gotham's attacking struggles are resurfacing once again. On the bright side, Jaedyn Shaw needed only 27 minutes to find the net upon returning from a hamstring problem. The downside is that she remains only the second Gotham player to score this season. Gotham has a history of slow starts followed by strong comebacks, so it's too soon to write them off.
8. KC Current (Previous: 11)
Payback came five months in the making. The Kansas City Current settled the score with Gotham FC for last season's playoff loss back in November, defeating them 2–1 in the same venue this past weekend. More significant than the result itself was the return of reigning NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga after a 168-day absence. A well-deserved rise up the rankings this week.
While Chawinga didn't find the net, she contributed a clever assist for the Current's equalizer. Michelle Cooper, who missed nearly all of preseason due to a foot injury, is another key player who has recently rejoined the squad and helped the Current unlock their potential. Her match-winning strike suggested she is close to peak form once again.
COOOOOOP THERE IT IS 🗣️@michelle1cooper with the meg & the goal after service from @allysentnor 🙂↕️@nwsl | #KCBABY pic.twitter.com/QrYTSCjEjF
7. Seattle Reign (Previous: 7)
The Seattle Reign wrapped up their stint in Spokane, Wash., without a defeat, collecting two wins and a draw across three matches. Last weekend's tight goalless stalemate with Denver is very much in keeping with what fans have come to expect from Laura Harvey's side. Without Mia Fishel, Maddie Mercado has stepped up as the focal point of the attack, though there is still room for growth. Sam Meza, however, continues to shine in the midfield.
6. Houston Dash (Previous: 6)
The Houston Dash have been among the standout sides in the NWSL to open 2026. There's no debating it. Kiki Van Zanten has scored two braces in three appearances and tops the league's scoring charts with four goals. Head coach Fabrice Gautrat has his squad well-organized defensively and sharp in front of goal. It may be premature to set a ceiling on the Dash, but they are making a strong case for being considered more than just a playoff contender.
5. Washington Spirit (Previous: 5)
It took five games, but the Washington Spirit have finally claimed their first victory of the season. A major relief for a side that has shown promise in patches but struggled to close out results due to defensive lapses and a tendency to squander chances in front of goal. This could mark the turning point for the Spirit.
4. Portland Thorns (Previous: 3)
Much like the past couple of seasons, we're witnessing two very different versions of the Portland Thorns. At home, they're dominant: two wins from two, four goals scored and none conceded. Away from home, the Thorns sit at 1-1-1 with inconsistent displays. Consecutive weeks seeing both Olivia Moultrie and Reilyn Turner on the scoresheet is a significant boost to their attacking depth — and that's with Sophia Wilson only just completing her first full 90 minutes since returning from maternity leave.
every point is crucial in this league 🌹
we'll take our 10 points into the international break. pic.twitter.com/HJCThT3ZvO
3. Angel City FC (Previous: 1)
Their first loss of the season brought some familiar Angel City tendencies to the surface — conceding late and failing to hold their nerve in key moments. That said, traveling across the country to Florida and falling to a strong Pride side is hardly a catastrophe. There's still plenty to learn about this team in the weeks ahead. No club has found the net more often this season than Angel City's tally of 10 goals.
2. San Diego Wave (Previous: 2)
Four straight victories make the San Diego Wave the hottest team in the NWSL right now. That said, their recent run included wins against the Utah Royals, Chicago Stars, and Boston Legacy, along with a fatigued Portland Thorns side traveling midweek and missing two suspended players.
There's little question that this squad is the league's premier possession-based team, with a clear ability to dictate the tempo of a match. Dudinha is performing at MVP level, contributing three assists and two goals.
1. Orlando Pride (Previous: 4)
Toppling last week's No. 1 side, no team has gained more ground this week than the Orlando Pride. Haley McCutcheon delivered a stunning brace and came agonizingly close to a hat trick, denied only by a tight offside decision. Unbeaten since their opening-day defeat, the Pride are moving in the right direction and look well-structured on both ends of the pitch.
wins feel better at home 💜 pic.twitter.com/DgPjtnsFky
And Marta is seeing more playing time as well. The Brazilian icon logged a season-best 24 minutes over the weekend and delivered the corner kick that led to the Pride's decisive goal.
More NWSL from Sports Illustrated
Theo Lloyd-Hughes is a writer for Sports Illustrated Soccer based in the Southern United States. Originally from England, he can often be found in a press box across the NWSL or at international matches featuring the USWNT and other Concacaf nations.