Portland goes No. 1 in 2026's first week

NWSL Power Rankings: Portland goes No
1 in 2026's first week8hMegan SwanickNWSL needs its stars to shine, as Rodman and Wilson return to action3dJeff KassoufTransfer rumors, news: Man United outline preferred midfield targets9hESPNUSMNT 2026 World Cup kit, revealed!1dESPNRanked: Every USMNT World Cup kit from 1990 to 20261dRyan RosenblattMLS Power Rankings: LAFC off to a record-breaking start1dJoseph LoweryReferee involving himself in Chelsea team huddle was ridiculous2dAndy Davies, Special to ESPNVAR review: Why Arsenal should have had a penalty vs
Everton3dAndy Davies, Special to ESPNNWSL Power Rankings: Portland goes No
1 in 2026's first weekplayWashington Spirit vs
Portland Thorns FC - Game Highlights (1:18)Watch the Game Highlights from Washington Spirit vs
Portland Thorns FC (1:18)Megan SwanickMar 17, 2026, 05:26 AM ETMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintIt's Tuesday, the 2026 NWSL regular season is now underway, which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings.Who's set for a climb up the table
Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 1 to come up with this week's order of all 16 teams in the league
Portland ThornsNext match: Friday vs
ETPortland went to Washington, D.C., and came away with multiple wins to start the season
For one, Sophia Wilson is officially back from maternity leave
The former league MVP subbed into a 1-0 win in the 77th minute, marking her first appearance since November 2024
In the 52nd minute, 20-year-old Olivia Moultrie scored the deciding goal with a confident first touch and left-footed finish
And with multiple goalkeepers unavailable (Bella Bixby with an injury, Mackenzie Arnold on international duty), Morgan Messner kept a clean sheet with the help of some fierce defending in front of her
Seattle Reign FCNext match: Friday at Portland Thorns, 10 p.m
ETNot to be outdone by any of NWSL's teenage goal scorers, 39-year-old Wales veteran Jess Fishlock scored the first goal for Seattle in a 2-1 victory in Orlando
After a lengthy weather delay, the Reign conceded a goal from former league MVP Barbra Banda, but Brittany Ratcliffe collected a debut marker off the bench to secure the win
Goal scorers tend to get the credit, but U.S
NJ/NY Gotham FCNext match: Saturday vs
North Carolina Courage, 6:30 p.m
ETThe reigning champions have the tools to dominate again this season
Sure, they needed a 55th-minute goal from Spain striker Esther González (who came off the bench in the second half) to secure a 1-0 win against expansion side Boston Legacy
But with Tierna Davidson back on the game-day roster and Norway's six-time Women's Super League winner, Guro Reiten, on her way from Chelsea, it looks like the two-time champs will only get more dangerous as the season goes on
Kansas City CurrentNext match: Sunday at Chicago Stars, 2 p.m
ET, ESPN2 (stream live on ESPN)With two-time NWSL MVP With Temwa Chawinga (who sustained a hip injury late last year) unavailable to start the season, a Kansas City squad adapting to new manager Chris Armas looked off-kilter in the first half and conceded first in a 2-1 victory against Utah
After struggling to notch three shots in the first 45, the Current fired off 15 in the second and sealed victory with goals from newly signed midfielder Croix Bethune (on her birthday) and former Royal Ally Sentnor.play1:15Kansas City Current vs
Utah Royals - Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Kansas City Current vs
Angel City FCNext match: Saturday at Bay FC, 8:45 p.m
ETTwenty-one-year-old defender Savy King (who collapsed on the pitch with a heart condition in 2025) made an impactful return to the field in a runaway 4-0 victory for Angel City, who handed Chicago a blistering defeat with four goals from four players, including three in the second half
That includes a goal and an assist for 19-year-old Kennedy Fuller, as well as a debut goal and assist for Brazilian midfielder Ary Borges
Bay had the advantage for most of this match, as the Summit went down to 10 players in the 27th minute, but they'll take the positive start to the season (which is also their first win since last June) as they seek a return to the playoffs in their third year in the league
North Carolina CourageNext match: Saturday at Gotham FC, 6:30 p.m
ETNorth Carolina's new era under Lebanese Swedish manager Mak Lind is off to a solid start
And while there's no perfect replacement for Denise O'Sullivan (who played nine seasons for the Courage), Carly Wickenheiser made her NWSL debut alongside Riley Jackson at the base of a sturdy midfield that limited Racing's progression through the middle of the pitch
Washington SpiritNext match: Friday at Racing Louisville, 8 p.m
While taking 13 shots with 62% of possession, Washington managed just one shot on target
That 51st-minute attempt wasn't enough to get a result in front of a sellout crowd at Audi Field
After a massive offseason pursuit (resulting in NWSL's High Impact Player rule and a record-setting contract), Trinity Rodman started on the wing for the Spirit, but had a slow start to the year as Portland's defense limited her threat
Orlando PrideNext match: Friday vs
A few minutes after Banda subbed out, though, an off-the-bench goal from Brittany Ratcliffe set Seattle on course for a 2-1 win
The Pride fired off 23 shots in total, but only managed eight on target, with Reign keeper Claudia Dickey coming up big to keep them at bay.10
Houston DashNext match: Saturday vs
ETIn her Houston debut, Makenzy Robbe (née Doniak) scored the winning goal against her former club, San Diego
Robbe's goal made some NWSL history: She's the first player to score in her regular-season debut against her last club
But Houston legend Jane Campbell deserves flowers for this 1-0 win
Boston Legacy FCNext match: Saturday at Houston Dash, 4 p.m
They went on to lose the game, but that's a victory worth celebrating
Utah RoyalsNext match: Sunday vs
ETThe Royals signed Tatumn Milazzo to help them defend, but she ended up scoring their first goal of the season in a surprisingly dominant first half against Kansas City
Racing Louisville FCNext match: Friday vs
ETLouisville proved its press is still working just fine, as USWNT winger Emma Sears helped pressure and then assist Sarah Weber for Louisville's lone goal in a 2-1 defeat at North Carolina
In a fairly even game (both teams had five shots on target while trading phases of momentum), the Courage were more dangerous with their opportunities
Denver Summit FC - Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Bay FC vs
Denver Summit FC, 03/15/2026 14
Denver Summit FCNext match: Friday at Orlando Pride, 8 p.m
ETColorado-born Janine Sonis (née Beckie) made a number of notable firsts for the Denver debutantes
In the 20th minute against Bay FC, Sonis notched the first assist in Summit history (assisting Germany striker Melissa Kössler for the goal)
In the 27th minute, she collected their first red card
While playing with 10 players, a 1-1 draw turned into a 2-1 defeat for NWSL's 16th team, but there are positive signs for the season ahead
San Diego Wave FCNext match: Sunday at Utah Royals, 7 p.m
Players such as Brazilian forward Ludmila (who clocked three of its nine shots on target) and her fellow Brazilian, recent NWSL champion Gabi Portilho, signed for the Wave in the offseason and could add dynamism in attack
But with lots of movement in and out of the club, it could take time to find their chemistry
Chicago Stars FCNext match: Sunday vs
ET, ESPN2 (stream live on ESPN)Not even Alyssa Naeher could stop the second-half demolition that Angel City handed Chicago on Sunday
Chicago was outplayed in the first half but held the hosts to one goal
Three second-half goals later, the Stars were lucky to walk out of this only down 4-0.