2025 NWSL Preview: Meet the clubs
Whether you're a diehard NWSL 'stan' or a newcomer to the U.S. league, here's a quick breakdown of all 14 clubs.
The 2025 National Women’s Soccer League season is nearly upon us. Action will get underway on 14 March, with the first of 182 regular season games kicking off.
Of course, there is the small matter of the Challenge Cup (think Community Shield) that will take place on the 7 March. That curtain raiser will be between last year’s Championship and Shield double winners, the Orlando Pride, and the runners-up for both trophies, the Washington Spirit.
Whether you're a diehard NWSL ‘stan’ or a newcomer to the U.S. league, here's The Cutback’s quick breakdown of all 14 clubs so you know what you’re getting yourself into should you choose to follow along with the chaos this year.
Let us know if you have a favourite in the comments.
Angel City FC
Founded: 2021
Trophies: None
2024 finish: 12th
Memorable moment: On the final day of the 2023 regular season, ACFC needed a win at home to clinch a playoff spot. Not only did they get that win, but they smashed the then-reigning champions, the Portland Thorns, 5-1. Sydney Leroux scored an outrageous overhead kick along the way, and it remains the club’s only trip to the playoffs.
You should support them if…you like style, strong brand identity, and a good culture off the pitch. Over the past three seasons, LA has proved itself to have some of the best fan atmosphere in the country, and the club makes intentional efforts with the community.
Bay FC
Founded: 2023
Trophies: None
2024 finish: 7th
Memorable moment: Okay, so technically they lost the match…but I still get chills thinking about Rachael Kundananji coming off the bench and scoring on her Bay debut. After ripping a screamer into the back of the net, the Zambian rushed to bench to grab aloft her country’s flag.
You should support them if…20th century U.S. sport aesthetics are your thing. Bay FC’s crest is giving baseball, and they’ve leant heavily into the vintage Americana with their varsity jackets for players when they sign. This ownership isn’t afraid to spend money, and there’s a sense Bay — even for a recent expansion team — means business.
Chicago Stars FC
Founded: 2006
Trophies: 2011 WPS Regular season, 2012 Open Cup
2024 finish: 8th
Memorable moment: In 2019, Sam Kerr broke her own record for most goals in a NWSL season, with 18, and then scored the winning goal in a 1-0 playoff win over the Thorns to make the club’s first-ever NWSL Championship final.
You should support them if…once unfashionable gritty teams with a problematic past and newly large wallets are your cup of tea. Three-time runners up in NWSL cup finals, but yet to win an NWSL trophy. With new local owners arriving in 2024, there is a sense that Chicago can finally turn a corner. The recent rebrand, with a new crest and switch to Stars instead of Red Stars, has been received with moderate positivity.
NJ/NY Gotham FC
Founded: 2006
Trophies: 2009 WPS Champions, 2023 NWSL Champions
2024 finish: 3rd
Memorable moment: Winning the 2023 NWSL Championship 2-1 over Seattle Reign. After Midge Purce had dazzled with two assists, all-action defensive midfielder Nealy Martin had to go in goal after Mandy McGlynn was sent off for handling the ball outside the box in the dying moments. Glorious chaos.
You should support them if…you relish a lovable loser having their day. Having been historically bad for nearly a decade, Gotham are a contender after a very impressive 2024. There’s big personalities on this team, like Purce, and a sense that every season the entire squad could change. The 2024-25 offseason has seen a huge shift in vibes, though.
Houston Dash
Founded: 2014
Trophies: 2020 Challenge Cup
2024 finish: 14th
Memorable moment: In the deep dark days of COVID-19, the high-pressing bullish Houston Dash were the standout champions of the inaugural Challenge Cup held behind-closed-doors in the ‘bubble’ on the outskirts of Salt Lake City, Utah.
You should support them if…you enjoy soap operas and new managers. The only thing that has been consistent in Houston has been change. A head coach is yet to last more than nine months with the Dash since 2022. Maybe, just maybe, Houston is ready to put the drama behind them now. Last year was truly rock bottom.
KC Current
Founded: 2021
Trophies: 2024 Summer Cup
2024 finish: 4th
Memorable moment: Where were you when Temwa Chawinga scored her 19th regular season goal and surpassed Sam Kerr for the most goals ever in a NWSL season? And what a banger it was. Shrugging off Kiki Pickett, and thrashing the ball past Katelyn Rowland from 25 yards.
You should support them if…developing players is important to you. Whether it is young players, like Claire Hutton, veterans, like Vanessa DiBernardo, or incoming stars with reputations, like Chawinga, everyone seems to improve their individual game in Kansas City right now. A great training ground, and uniquely purpose-built women’s stadium. A club that feels ready to win now.
North Carolina Courage
Founded: 2017
Trophies: 2018, 2019 NWSL Championships, 2017, 2018, 2019 NWSL Shield, 2022, 2023 Challenge Cups
2024 finish: 5th
Memorable moment: Having lost the 2017 NWSL Championship final bitterly to the Thorns, the Courage got their revenge the next year by winning their first final 3-0, with goals from club legends Debinha and Jess McDonald.
You should support them if…commitment to style of play, history and developing young players are important to you. Known for their passing football, the Courage do feel like an outlier when it comes to possession-centric footballing systems in the NWSL. They also often help young players on their journeys to becoming more recognised stars. A footballing legacy with an unknown future.
Orlando Pride
Founded: 2016
Trophies: 2024 NWSL Championship and Shield
2024 finish: 1st
Memorable moment: Marta dropping to her knees and pointing to her mother in the crowd after defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 in the 2024 NWSL Championship final.
You should support them if…you’re all about the vibes. From top to bottom it’s hard to find a more connected group of players, coaches and club staff than in Orlando right now. The club culture is outstanding, and the Pride are in the greatest moment in their club history. While what happened may be unrepeatable. If you like a bandwagon, jump on.
Portland Thorns
Founded: 2012
Trophies: 2013, 2017, 2022 NWSL Championships, 2016, 2021 NWSL Shield, 2021 Challenge Cup
2024 finish: 6th
Memorable moment: Sophia Wilson’s Michael Jordan inspired goal “shrug” celebration, and joy with the away fans, after opening the scoring in the 2022 NWSL Championship final capped off a sensational player of the year season.
You should support them if…you like tradition and history. With a stadium that is over 100 years old, and a fanbase that has established itself as one of the most raucous in the world, being in the Thorns community can feel like more than some other clubs. Portland’s big trophy cabinet, historic standard of excellence on the pitch, is impressive but perhaps the current squad is starting to lower the bar.
Racing Louisville FC
Founded: 2020
Trophies: None
2024 finish: 9th (again)
Memorable moment: Free-kick specialist Savannah DeMelo is the club’s all-time leading scorer with 14, but it was her first-ever goal for Louisville, at home against the San Diego Wave in 2022, that stands out. The exceptionally well-hit thunderbolt was also the match-winning strike in a 1-0.
You should support them if…you think smaller cities and mid-table finishes are cool. Racing have finished 9th in every season they have played. There’s hope the new regime can finally see the club progress despite their seemingly diminutive operation. Their new poker table green away kit is at least delightful.
San Diego Wave
Founded: 2021
Trophies: 2023 NWSL Shield, 2024 Challenge Cup
2024 finish: 10th
Memorable moment: In 2022, the Wave christened Snapdragon Stadium with a first-ever league victory over local Southern California rivals ACFC, a 1-0 win in front of 32,000 fans. It was teenage superstar Jaedyn Shaw who scored the winning goal on that historic evening.
You should support them if…a club in reboot mode is what you’re after. It feels like a completely new club in San Diego right now with new owners, controversial former president Jill Ellis out the door, and many big names, like Naomi Girma and Jaedyn Shaw, departing too. They now begin the post-Casey Stoney era with a new manager in former Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall. It’s hard to know if San Diego will sink or swim, but maybe that’s what you’re into?
Seattle Reign FC
Founded: 2012
Trophies: 2014, 2015, 2022 NWSL Shield
2024 finish: 13th
Memorable moment: In July 2014, the Reign clinched their first-ever trophy by topping the regular season table with an emphatic 4-1 win over the Houston Dash. That team set a record, which has now been broken by Orlando, for the most consecutive games (16) without a loss.
You should support them if…you like oldies, consistency and potential. No one in the league does it quite like Seattle when it comes to embracing your veterans. Originals Lu Barnes and Jess Fishlock have played every single NWSL season with the Reign and remain icons in the Pacific Northwest. It’s easy to reminisce about legends who have pulled on a Reign kit, like Kim Little and Megan Rapinoe. That being said, with new ownership (connected to MLS powerhouse the Seattle Sounders), and coming off a terrible 2024 season, there’s a feeling Seattle is ready to reinvent itself too.
Utah Royals FC
Founded: 2018, re-established 2023
Trophies: None
2024 finish: 11th
Memorable moment: Cloe Lacasse’s hat-trick, the first in club history, in the 3-0 win over the Reign in October 2024 was a moment to savour in a terse first season back in the NWSL after leaving the league in 2021. Unfortunately, Lacasse tore her ACL a few weeks after that, and will miss the majority of the 2025 season.
You should support them if…you like a good comeback story and second chances. Utah is on its second go-around as an NWSL club after ownership issues dissolved the club in 2021. Then, midway through their return to the NWSL, the new ownership cleaned house with the club president, head coach, and assistant coaches all departing.
A year on, general manager Kelly Cousins has built an incredibly exciting squad, filled with talent from all over the world. But with accusations still hanging over a past toxic culture, it’s hard to know if this club has learnt lessons. Oh, and they have a credit union called ‘America First’ as sponsor, which isn’t great vibes. So, maybe wait until there’s a change to get a kit.
Washington Spirit
Founded: 2012
Trophies: 2021 NWSL Championship
2024 finish: 2nd
Memorable moment: Aubrey Kingsbury saving all three penalties in the 2024 playoff semifinal shootout against Gotham FC. The noise that erupted from Audi Field that day was something else.
You should support them if…you admire ambition. The Spirit simply want to be the best team in the world and set the standard. You probably don’t need an introduction to owner Michele Kang, who has continued to reset the framework of what investment looks like in the NWSL. Some may view the Spirit as the “baddies” because of Kang’s high-profile multi-club ownership empire. But there is something alluring about Washington sticking their neck out as trying to be a world-leading club, headlined by the appointment of former Barcelona head coach Jonatan Giraldez. We’re still waiting on the promise of a rebrand, with the club recently leaning into yellow as its key accent colour rather than the Spirit’s historic red.
Useful recap.
I'm excited for the NWSL season, it's such an interesting league. I've found UK watching and coverage is a bit ropey at times.
Lots of interesting narratives to follow!