Below is a selection of moments to watch for and notes to know entering Week 18 of NWSL regular season action. Week 18 match coverage begins Friday, September 1 as the Kansas City Current host Angel City FC at Children’s Mercy Park. Kickoff is slated for 8 p.m. ET.
NOTES TO KNOW
NOTES TO KNOW
CLOSELY CONTESTED
The NWSL’s playoff picture is very tight through 17 games, with just five points separating first place Portland Thorns FC from sixth place OL Reign, and 12 points separating Portland from the 12th place Chicago Red Stars. This season’s playoff race is much closer than recent years, as the difference between first and 12th place at the end of the season was 27 points in 2022 and 28 points in 2021.
KEY MATCHUPS
The second place North Carolina Courage play fourth place NJ/NY Gotham FC on Saturday night. With only two points separating the clubs, this match could have a significant impact on playoff seeding as the end of the season draws closer. Sunday’s slate of games includes a matchup between sixth place OL Reign and the seventh place Orlando Pride. Trailing by just two points, Orlando looks to take a win from the Reign and move into a playoff spot.
IRONWOMEN
Ten players have played every minute of regular season action for their teams, including Houston Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell, North Carolina Courage defender Kaleigh Kurtz, Orlando Pride defender Emily Madril, San Diego Wave FC defender Kaleigh Riehl and Washington Spirit defender Sam Staab. Only two teams have multiple ironwomen, as Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden and keeper DiDi Haracic have played every minute this season, as well as Racing Louisville FC defender Abby Erceg, keeper Katie Lund and midfielder Lauren Milliet. Kurtz, Staab and Lund are the only potential ironwomen who accomplished the feat in 2022, and Madril is the only rookie to play every minute.
MILESTONES AND RECORDS
GOALS TO WATCH FOR
OL Reign legend Megan Rapinoe nailed a penalty kick last week to bring her career goals total to 49. With her next goal, Rapinoe will become just the sixth player in NWSL history with 50, joining Portland Thorns forward Christine Sinclair as the only other player with 50 for one club. Spirit forward Ashley Hatch has already scored nine times this season, bringing her career total up to 46. Orlando Pride forward Marta needs one more goal to become the 23rd player in league history with 30, while OL Reign forward Bethany Balcer is three away from the milestone. Both players have scored all their goals with one club. Angel City midfielder Savannah McCaskill’s next goal will make her the first player in club history with 10 in the regular season, while Gotham FC forward Midge Purce’s next will tie her with teammate Kelley O’Hara for third most in club history with 15.
PLAYMAKING PROWESS
Only six players in NWSL history have recorded 25 career assists in the regular season. Kansas City Current midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo, Portland Thorns midfielder Crystal Dunn and OL Reign midfielder Jess Fishlock each have 24. Fishlock, who recently returned from injury would be just the second player in league history to record 25 with the same club. Chicago Red Stars forward Yuki Nagasato has 23 assists, including 21 for Chicago. Her next assist will tie DiBernardo’s club record of 22 for the Red Stars. Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman’s next assist will tie her with Crystal Dunn and Diana Matheson for the club record with 11. Sophia Smith is one assist away from becoming the seventh player to record 10 for the Portland Thorns.
KEEPER WATCH
Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury needs just one more shutout to become the fifth keeper in NWSL history with 30 for her career. Next in line is Dash keeper Jane Campbell, who has 28 and is also seven saves away from reaching 400, a feat only accomplished by six players, including Kingsbury and Kansas City Current keeper AD Franch, who both reached the milestone this season. Franch is also approaching history, as her next clean sheet will make her the third keeper to earn 10 for two clubs. The next shutout for Courage keeper Casey Murphy will make her the first with 25 for a single club.
PLAY ON
Spirit defender Tara McKeown and Red Stars defender Tatumn Milazzo will each reach 50 games played with the same club in their next appearances. With sixty more minutes played, Lauren Milliet will be Racing Louisville’s first player to play 5,000 regular season minutes for the club. Courage midfielder Denise O’Sullivan’s next start ties Abby Erceg’s club record of 105. OL Reign veteran Jess Fishlock needs 74 more minutes to become the second player in league history with 15,000 regular season minutes with the same team, joining teammate Lauren Barnes.
WEEK 18 MATCH SCHEDULE
September 1, 2023
Kansas City Current vs. Angel City FC | Children’s Mercy Park | 8 p.m. ET | Paramount+
September 2, 2023
North Carolina Courage vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC | WakeMed Soccer Park | 7:30 p.m. ET | Paramount+ Racing Louisville FC vs. Portland Thorns FC | Lynn Family Stadium | 7:30 p.m. ET | Paramount+
September 3, 2023
Washington Spirit vs. Chicago Red Stars | Audi Field | 5 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network OL Reign vs. Orlando Pride | Lumen Field | 6 p.m. ET | Paramount+ San Diego Wave FC vs. Houston Dash | Snapdragon Stadium | 8 p.m. ET | Paramount+