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Welcome back to your weekly column from Sports Illustrated that breaks down the women's soccer weekend through a U.S. women's national team lens.
The 2026 National Women's Soccer League has just one fixture left, and everything is still up for grabs. Gotham FC and the San Diego Wave are locked in a battle for the NWSL Shield, the award given to the team that finishes atop the standings at the close of the regular season. Meanwhile, the Seattle Reign, NC Courage and Denver Summit are all fighting for the last remaining playoff berth. The Washington Spirit, KC Current, Angel City, Utah Royals and Portland Thorns have already secured their places, alongside Gotham and the Wave.
It is almost exactly one month before qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup kicks off for the Americans. USWNT head coach Emma Hayes will be keeping a particularly close eye on players who won't be involved in the NWSL playoffs, as well as those who still have more games to play.
Let's take a look at how players' stock moved up and down during league action this past weekend.
Stock Up
Croix Bethune
Signature @haleyyhopkins pressure.
Poise from @CroixBethune.
Blast by @vdibernardo10.
2-1 #KCBABY!!!! pic.twitter.com/xeOpsgNE8p
Thanks to Croix Bethune, there is a new record for the most assists in a single NWSL season. The KC Current midfielder notched her 11th of the campaign when she set up Vanesse DiBernardo after the Washington Spirit gave the ball away in their own penalty area. That goal completed the comeback as KC cruised to a 2-1 home victory. The loss eliminated the Spirit from the race for first place.
The assist was quintessential Bethune. Composed in the final third, with an exceptional awareness of where her teammates are positioned. She then delivered the pass with ideal weight, making it as straightforward as possible to strike and finish. The record has been a long time coming for Bethune, who racked up 10 assists in her rookie campaign in 2024 before a knee injury cut that year short. She surpasses USWNT icon Tobin Heath (2016 with the Portland Thorns) and the Utah Royals' Cloe LaCasse (2026) as players who had previously reached 10.
After so much NWSL dominance, the next step is for Bethune to truly establish herself as a reliable creative option for Hayes at the international level. It has been over two years since she earned her USWNT debut. Yet in that time, she has managed just seven appearances, one goal, and one assist for her country. Of course, the 25-year-old's limited minutes have largely been the result of injuries. Hopefully this outstanding 2026 season prompts Hayes to hand Bethune more chances to serve as the playmaker for the Stars and Stripes.
Annie Karich
Annie Karich sticks with it through traffic to score her first NWSL goal! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/1GpKDgaw1S
A quietly impressive presence in midfield for Boston Legacy this season, Annie Karich scored her first-ever NWSL goal in the 2-2 draw against the San Diego Wave on Sunday. Beyond her composed close-range finish at the back post, she was a tidy and effective force in the center of the pitch. In 74 minutes, the 23-year-old completed 93% of her 43 passes, created two chances and registered two interceptions.
Karich appears to be some distance from breaking into the USWNT depth chart at this stage, but the two-way central midfield role is not necessarily a position of strength for the USA right now, particularly following the Spain friendlies. Behind Claire Hutton and Sam Coffey, there is room for Karich, especially given her disciplined approach on the ball, to challenge the likes of Jaelin Howell for opportunities. One to watch heading into 2027.
Gisele Thompson
Gisele Thompson gets it DONE 😤
Her fifth of the season puts Angel City in front! pic.twitter.com/UO6ADFUL6m
Building on her impressive two-assist showing from the previous week, Gisele Thompson netted her fifth goal of the season in a 2-0 victory for Angel City over Bay FC. Just after the interval, the 20-year-old found space between Bay's defensive line and burst forward after receiving the ball. There appeared to be little on when Thompson collected possession, but she had a clear plan the moment she turned. The result was a stunning finish that flew past Jordon Silkowitz at the near post—the kind of goal even the world's best players would have been proud of.
Since the return of defender Savy King, interim head coach Leif Smerud has pushed Thompson further up the pitch into more of a wide role rather than her customary fullback position. The adjustment has paid dividends, as Thompson is such a danger in the attacking third and possesses tremendous recovery pace to deal with opposition counterattacks. While we haven't seen much of an advanced Thompson at the international level, it feels like only a matter of time before her versatility translates to the world stage. Thompson is yet to score for the USWNT in 13 appearances, but with finishes like this, she won't remain on zero for long.
Stock Down
Pietra Tordin
It has been a remarkable second season in the NWSL for Portland Thorns forward Pietra Tordin. With eight goals and nine assists, she has emerged as a breakout star who also earned a well-deserved first call-up to the USWNT. However, in last weekend's 1-0 win for Portland over the NC Courage, Tordin had a difficult time leading the attack. She managed just one speculative shot in the closing moments across the full 90 minutes, with an individual expected goals and assists figure of just 0.03.
Thorns star Sophia Wilson has been absent for the last two matches, and it is perhaps unsurprising that Tordin has found it harder to influence games. Chemistry matters in soccer. Tordin is also a highly selfless player who put in a great deal of hard work against the Courage. She knew she had to press and engaged in 12 ground duels, winning only three.
At 22, Tordin remains one of the most exciting prospects for the USWNT. But her inconsistent patches serve as a reminder that she is brimming with potential and still developing into a reliable attacking threat.
Emma Sears
The 2026 season is nearly done for a struggling Racing Louisville and Emma Sears. Unfortunately, on the second-to-last weekend of the campaign, the Kentucky side was hammered 6–1 away at the Denver Summit. Sears cut a frustrated figure as she was substituted off after 63 minutes, having failed to register a shot or create a single chance. The scoreline already read 3–0 when she was withdrawn. Louisville would go on to concede twice in the five minutes immediately following her exit.
There are plenty of questions hanging over Racing's future in the NWSL. Relocation rumors continue to circulate as concerns over ownership investment grow louder. Sears is undeniably one of the greatest players in the club's history—there is no argument there. But her time in Louisville could very well come to an end this winter, and it would be a shame for it to conclude under such grim circumstances. Outside of August, when Sears contributed five goals and two assists across five matches, she has been below par for much of the season. To retain her place in the USWNT setup, she will likely need to move on in the next transfer window.
Kennedy Fuller
Another young talent who had an off week at the tail end of a long season, Kennedy Fuller failed to make her mark on Bay's fortunes in their all-California 2-0 defeat to Angel City. The 19-year-old was facing her former club for the first time since a midseason transfer and couldn't quite demonstrate what they had let go.
Fuller has been deployed in a more advanced central midfield role recently, but was subdued in Los Angeles. She didn't attempt a single shot and created just one chance in 89 minutes. With only 13 passes played, 11 of which reached a teammate, it was an afternoon of limited quality and output for Bay. The Northern Californians were dominated off the ball, managing just 35% possession and generating only five chances (0.28 expected goals). Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson was not called upon to make a single save.
One to forget for Fuller and her teammates. Bay are limping toward the finish line and will hope the offseason can reinvigorate their NWSL ambitions, along with Fuller's national team prospects. After all, she served as co-captain of the U.S. side that competed at the U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland this past September. Hayes will undoubtedly be monitoring her development closely.