The Kansas City Current closed out a record-breaking regular season with a 2-1 win over the San Diego Wave on Sunday, the NWSL’s Decision Day when all 14 teams were in action and results set the seeding for the eight-team playoffs.
San Diego took an early lead in the eighth minute with a goal from forward Dudinha. However, Kansas City responded in the second half with Debinha scoring from a free kick in the 54th minute, followed by Nichelle Prince’s game-winning goal in the 75th minute.
The victory gave the Current a final regular-season record of 21-3-2. The team set several single-season records, including total points (65), wins (21), goals conceded (13), and shutouts (16). As the top seed, Kansas City will host eighth-seed Gotham FC in the quarterfinals next weekend.
### A Wild Day Sets Up the Rest of the Playoff Field
Elsewhere, Racing Louisville made history by clinching a playoff berth for the first time in team history with a 1-0 win over Bay FC. Rookie Ella Hase scored her first goal in the 48th minute, securing the victory. Racing Louisville, with a 10-9-7 record and the No. 7 seed, will travel to Audi Field to face the No. 2 Washington Spirit (12-6-8) in the quarterfinals.
The Spirit had already secured the No. 2 seed prior to Decision Day but suffered a 1-0 loss to the Utah Royals. Trinity Rodman remained sidelined due to a knee injury, and her availability for the playoffs remains uncertain.
Despite a 3-2 victory over Gotham FC on Sunday, the North Carolina Courage (9-9-8) narrowly missed the playoffs by a single point. Meanwhile, Gotham (9-8-9) had already secured a playoff spot.
The Portland Thorns claimed the third seed after a 2-0 win over the Houston Dash. Deyna Castellanos opened the scoring early in the third minute from the edge of the box, followed by Jessie Fleming’s goal in the 35th minute. The Thorns (11-8-7) will host the No. 6 San Diego Wave in the playoffs. This marks the ninth consecutive season the Thorns have qualified for the postseason.
The Orlando Pride and Seattle Reign played to a 1-1 draw at Orlando’s home stadium. Both teams had already clinched playoff spots but were jockeying for seeding. The tie sets up a rematch in the quarterfinals between the No. 4 Pride (11-8-7) and the No. 5 Reign (10-7-9).
In other matches, the Chicago Red Stars mounted a comeback to defeat Angel City FC 2-1. Both teams were already eliminated from playoff contention.
The quarterfinals are scheduled for this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
### The Best of the Season
Although she missed Decision Day due to a hip injury, reigning NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga finished the regular season as the league’s top scorer with 15 goals. The Kansas City forward joins an elite group as the second player to win consecutive NWSL Golden Boot honors, following Sam Kerr, who achieved the feat in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Chawinga was also a strong favorite to secure a second consecutive MVP trophy.
Her Current teammate, goalkeeper Lorena, is favored to win Goalkeeper of the Year after setting a league record with 14 shutouts in her first season.
Angel City FC forward Riley Tiernan had an impressive rookie campaign, finishing with eight goals—the most of any first-year player. She appeared in all 26 matches this season and will face competition for Rookie of the Year honors from Gotham defender Lilly Reale.
### Heading into the Offseason and Looking Toward 2026
The Chicago Red Stars paid tribute to former player Christen Press before their game against Angel City. The two-time World Cup winner, who is retiring from soccer at the conclusion of this season, came on as a substitute in the 58th minute to a standing ovation. The Stars also honored fellow retiring Angel City player Ali Riley.
The last-place Red Stars have been led in recent weeks by interim coach Anders Jacobson, who will serve as an assistant next season when Martin Sjogren takes over as head coach. The team will also move from Bridgeview to Northwestern’s Martin Stadium next season.
The Houston Dash, under first-year coach Fabrice Gautrat, improved to 10th place after last season’s last-place finish but missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
The Utah Royals, a 2024 expansion team, missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season but finished strong, winning four of their last seven games.
Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya announced he will step down after the season. The 2024 expansion team finished seventh and made the playoffs in their inaugural year but experienced a step back in 2025. Bay FC ended the season on a 15-match winless streak and in 13th place.
Looking ahead, two new teams—the Denver Summit and the Boston Legacy—will join the NWSL next season, expanding the league to 16 teams.
