The National Women’s Soccer League enters its 12th regular season this weekend, starting with an afternoon game in the midwest between Kansas City Current and the Portland Thorns. That marks the first match at CPKC Stadium, the NWSL’s first women’s soccer-specific venue, and the first purpose-built women’s sports stadium in the world. And that’s just one of a few exciting evolutions in the stateside game.
What’s new? This season starts with two new teams. The introduction of Bay FC and return of Utah Royals (back for the first time since 2020) brings the league total to 14.
With more teams comes more matches. Teams face the longest season in league history as they traverse the country playing 26 games. With the regular season lasting from 16 March to 3 November (and playoffs scheduled through to 23 November), the Olympics cuts right into the middle of the year. In light of that, there will be a mid-season break from 8 June to 18 August. NWSL’s clubs will organise a tournament with the remaining players in that period.
The Challenge Cup shifts into a new formatthis year. The fifth edition ushers in a new era as each campaign will begin with the reigning champions and Supporters Shield winners playing a one-off trophy match. On Friday, Gotham FC host the San Diego Wave to kick things off.
Finally, after years of growth and interest, 2024 ushers in a landmark broadcast partnership. In a massive scale-up from previous deals, NWSL signed a four-year $240m broadcast partnership that will show the league on CBS Sports, ESPN, Scripps ION and Prime Video.
Storylines to follow The success of expansion teams will be interesting to observe, especially given their differing approaches. Bay FC have made a massive splash, signing a number of international talents such as Nigeria’s player of the year Asisat Oshoala, Deyna Castellanos, Jen Beattie and Racheal Kundananji, whose $785,000 transfer fee from Madrid CFF set a world record. The Utah Royals, on the other hand, have opted to rely on young drafted talents, players local to Utah returning home and a mix of pre-existing NWSL players brought under the fold of a humility and hard-work ethos. The juxtaposition is stark, though neither approach guarantees success or failure in their debut season.
Is Gotham the powerhouse that is predicted? In a league built on parity and competitiveness it’s hard to break through as a “super team”. But last year’s NWSL champions sure have tried. They spent the off-season making use of the league’s new free-agency rules (adding increased autonomy to player decisions) to add Crystal Dunn, Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett and Tierna Davidson to Juan Carlos Amorós’s squad. That quartet of USWNT players joins an already stacked side with big expectations. Whether they meet those will be fascinating to see.
Staying competitive with the world’s pre-eminent leagues and clubs is certainly foremost in the league’s mind. Already, differentiators to attract and retain the world’s top talent are under way, evidenced in part by the cascading flow of record deals ensuring top talent stays or comes stateside. That includes the Mexico international Maria Sánchez’s then-record deal to stay with Houston Dash and Mallory Swanson’s contract to remain with Chicago Red Stars, as well as the big-name signings and records set by bringing Jessie Fleming to Portland, Oshoala and Kundananji to Bay FC and, most recently, Barbra Banda to Orlando Pride (the second-highest transfer in women’s football).
Other factors, such as Kansas City’s new stadium, as well as changing regulations to attract more international talent, will be key to staying competitive worldwide. In a similar vein, the NWSL faces new competition on home soil, as the USL Super League launches this year as a second top-flight women’s league in the United States.
On the tactics and coaching front, the effect of eight head coaching changes (including the return of Becki Tweed as Angel City’s permanent manager) will have big ramifications. Many of them, including Bay FC’s Albertin Montoya, have hinted at changes in the league’s playing style, wanting to play with a more possession-based, “beautiful-game” approach. Barcelona’s esteemed Jonatan Giráldez, who will take over the Washington Spirit, will be among the more interesting coaching changes to watch, not least because he arrives halfway through the season.
In an Olympic year, the impassioned energy of a vast number of international players, alongside a deep US player pool, all vying for a few places through their club performances adds an element of intrigue to the season. The US, Canada, Brazil and Japan all have large numbers of players in the NWSL. Australia and New Zealand also have a couple. Should Zambia and Nigeria qualify next month, they’ll find key players newly signed stateside as well.
Predictions Any in a league this chaotic are a fool’s errand, but here are a couple. Sophia Smith will be named MVP. Rookie of the year will be Croix Bethune. Coach of the year? Montoya. Gotham will take the Supporters Shield – but the champions will be Portland.
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