Guide to the NWSL playoffs: Who to watch, what to pay attention to, and who might win in D.C.

The 2022 NWSL regular season featured the best finish we’ve ever seen in the ten years of the league, with the Shield and final play-off spot decided in the final weekend of action. Despite the chaos and uncertainty that lies ahead this weekend in single-elimination semifinal games, excitement for this postseason was overshadowed earlier this month by the Yates Report; the fallout continued to consume the international break.

Still, there are games to be played — and players to support, however you choose — and the storylines heading into the playoffs remain just as compelling as they were a few weeks before. OL Reign won the NWSL Shield by a single point over the Portland Thorns, and both of those squads will sit this week out and wait to see who they’ll host in the semifinals.

We’ll start the postseason in two markets that have never hosted before. Houston already knows they’ll be setting a new attendance record when the Dash host the Kansas City Current, with over 14,000 tickets sold so far and a few more days to go. San Diego Wave FC, an expansion team, has been granted the right to host the West coast match. They must beat the Chicago Red Stars.

In short, the landscape for this year’s NWSL playoffs is unlike anything we’ve ever seen. 

Here it is The Athletic’s2021 guide to the first round and semifinals as well as the championship. Here you’ll find ways to follow our playoff coverage, as well as schedules for broadcast and streaming and team previews — plus some thoughts on playing these games through the much larger discussion (and still ongoing investigation) of abuse in the NWSL. 

Keeping track

On The Athletic

You can Follow the NWSL as an league so you won’t miss any stories, and you can also add your preferred team(s) directly, or you can always just follow Please send me StephFor our stories. Both of us are heading to D.C. for the Championship, so we’ll have plenty of onsite coverage for the final game of the year.

There’s also the podcast! Full Time with Meg Linehan is a weekly show covering women’s soccer. Listen & subscribe on Apple Podcasts, SpotifyOn The AthleticOr wherever you want to listen.

Twitter

Hashtags you can follow: #NWSLPlayoffs and #NWSLChampionship — though neither seem to have been set up with the nice little hashflags yet. If in doubt, #NWSL works every time.

Here’s a prebuilt list for your playoff experience that should make sure you don’t miss anything from any of the teams, or a single highlight.

Follow our coverage and watch live games: 

@TheAthleticSCCR

Meg: @itsmeglinehan

Steph: @thrace

On TV & streaming

Here’s where there’s bound to be some annoyance — three of the four playoff games are only on CBS Sports Network (without being mirrored on Paramount+) here in the U.S. 

The good news: the championship match is on over-the-air CBS, streaming on Paramount+ and it’s in primetime this year thanks to Ally, league sponsor, steps inTo make it happen.

Here’s the schedule of matches:

All games outside of the U.S. will be streamed on Twitch.

The Yates Report: Impact

We don’t really know what these upcoming game days will look like. Fans will be bringing posters and chanting to support the players at the first round. But, Portland is now the focus of all eyes as they host the semifinal match on October 23. It’s the only match that will be played at Providence Park this fall by either the Thorns or the Timbers, which missed out on the MLS playoffs entirely this year.

Thorns goalkeeper Bella Bixby wroteShe knew that not everyone could attend the Yates report’s playoff games. 

“This is what I offer to you, from a player’s perspective — whether you support the Thorns alone, any other team in the league, or women’s soccer across the globe, we need you now more than ever,” she wrote. “Seeing our supporters packing the stadium lets us know that you are bearing this heavy burden WITH us. We ultimately have no choice but to carry the realities with us on the field, but you may have some choice on if you want to be there to bear it with us.”

We’re going to have to have complicated conversations about the NWSL as a whole, even as Houston sets their attendance record and the Wave host a playoff match in their first season. Each fan will decide for themselves whether they are comfortable supporting their team by buying tickets. The NWSL and its members may not be under greater pressure than when they are playing in big, shining playoff games on national TV.

THE BRACKET IS SET 🏆#NWSLChampionship

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 3, 2022

Team Previews

OL Reign

How did they get there? Big expectations coming into this season, but for a while the conversation around the Reign mostly dealt with why they weren’t quite clicking — especially when it came to scoring goals. Megan Rapinoe is a great player and has been able to bag some goals in the final months of the season.

Pay attention to this player:This list could grow long for this team and Steph as well as I struggled with narrowing down the Reign’s MVP candidate. My money is still on Sofia Huerta though; she’s clutch in wide areas and providing dimes to the top line.

They could win it all.Take a look at the roster. There are still three vets at the heart of this team: Rapinoe, Lu Barnes and Jess Fishlock, who have lived through Shield runs and Championship heartbreak before, but they’ve all said this year feels different.

And why they won’t:They must achieve their goals. If they’re not clinical, their defense is good — but good enough to hold off two other playoff-caliber teams?

Portland Thorns FC

How did they get there?Portland, despite being consistently at the top of this table, has been somehow underrated. This season, the goal-scoring was exceptional across all divisions.

Pay attention to this player: Sophia Smith, no question. She’s played as the No. She is the No. 9 player for the Thorns and has demonstrated how many ways she can score a goal. 

They could win it all.Did I mention their ability score goals? They finished the league with 49 goals, which was the highest in the league. Their league-best goal differential of plus-25 was also impressive (12 more than the teams that tied for second). Whew! Don’t be surprised if they just suddenly drop three on whichever unsuspecting team they face in their semifinal. Portland is capable of shifting gears.

And why they won’t: It is time to start worrying about the mental state of Thorns’ players. It was a context that couldn’t be ignored for the USWNT matches during the international break, and Portland is one of the teams that could be the most affected this month given the organizations’ turmoil in the wake of the Yates report and now over a year of scandal.

San Diego Wave

How did they get there? The storybook expansion team run to the postseason, the Wave maybe haven’t been as consistent as the other West Coast teams, but they’ve been impressive year one under Casey Stoney.

Pay attention to this player:Although you may have thought that I meant Alex Morgan, the truth is Kailen Sheridan, goalkeeper. She’s one of — if not the — best goalkeeper in the league. She’s more than capable of coming up with a stop that changes the course of a game.

They could win it all. Stoney has been methodological in her approach and adjustment to the NWSL’s style of play, and between Morgan and Taylor Kornieck, they have the ability to strike quickly.

And why they won’t:The Wave are facing a lot of injuries heading into the postseason. Morgan and Kornieck missed out on the international break, and center back Abby Dahlkemper hasn’t been able to catch a break this season. Will these key players be at 100 per cent? TBD.

Houston Dash

How they got there:Houston had 10 wins in this season’s postseason, but they are vulnerable to being overthrown, just like any other team in the playoffs. However, they still managed to win some major victories, including the victory at Providence Park over the Thorns.

Pay attention to this player: María Sánchez is just pure delight on the ball. Houston’s brightest spot is her return to NWSL.

They could win it all.Ebony Salmon was a revelation for team. The front office was also aggressive in strengthening the roster to make it possible for a playoff run. Smart move was also the addition of Caprice Dydasco (defender) from Gotham.

And why they won’t:The team won 2-0 in Portland and then lost 0-4 at home to the Thorns. They might lose their advantage and momentum if they feel the pressure to win their first home playoff game.

Kansas City Current

How they got there: The Current had a huge turnaround from last season’s last-place finish, even despite some major injuries to the squad. Lo’eau LaBonta has been leading this squadThey are important in every aspect of life, including on the field and in celebrations and joy. These intangibles played an important role in the development of the Current.

Pay attention to this player: This was Claire Lavogez’s first NWSL goal. We appreciate more of these in the postseason.

They could win it all.KC excels in making adjustments during games. Head coach Matt Potter dances around the tactics talk endlessly, but he’s equipped the players with a system they know well enough to change on the fly.

And why they won’t:Desiree Scott, defensive midfielder, was given a red card during the final match in the regular season. This is a huge and unnecessary wrinkle that will hinder the Current’s ability to progress. 

Chicago Red Stars

How did they get there?Although it took until the last day of season, the Red Stars had booked their annual trip into the postseason by beating Angel City at home. This season was a great success. pulverize, though.

Pay attention to this player:Mal Pugh, evidently. It’s more than just the goal-scoring, she’s been playing provider too with six assists this season.

They could win it all. Red Stars still have the ability of making other teams work for their goals. They can set the pace and unleash Mal Pugh to make it a grind for a trophy lift in D.C.

And why they won’t:This backline is hanging onto a single thread and, similar to Portland, Chicago is currently facing one of the more difficult situations after the Yates report. 

(Photo: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports)