2025 nwsl season preview: girl who is going to be ok

Finally, the 2025 NWSL season is nigh upon us. To make sure we’re all ready for another season of the most chaotic league in woso, I’m previewing every team. I’ve broken them into three groups, the teams that didn’t make the playoffs in 2024 (the playoff hopefuls), the bottom four playoff teams (y’all made it, now what), and top 4 (girl who is going to be ok). In each I’ll recap key losses and additions, a first-year player to watch, and project a breakout star from each squad.

Here we are, at the top of the table. The 2024 NWSL season had a rarity in the league’s history: a very clearly defined top-4. It wasn’t by accident or coincidence, these teams put in work to build incredibly flexible and dangerous squads. They’ve gone about it in different ways, and some might be more sustainable than others.

I’ll never get over Vlatko’s USWNT trying very hard not to score goals and his Kansas City Current being a rampant goal hungry machine. Whatever, it worked out well for Kansas City, making them one of the most exciting teams to watch. That excitement didn’t survive a couple key scraps with eventual league Shield and Championship winners, Orlando Pride.

For the majority of the season it felt like the Pride and Current were on a collision course toward the NWSL Championship. But a midseason run of three consecutive losses (Pride, Spirit, Courage) caused them to lose ground they couldn’t recover. If I was them, I’d enter this season pissed off. I think they are, and will. Help.

First Year Player to Watch: Flora Marta
I’ve heard rumblings of yet another Marta joining the league and now it’s official. Not a ton of data except some hard facts about her absolutely cuttin up in the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League. Given the attacking talent the Current can throw at defenses, it’s a good spot for a winger to come in and find some space to cook. I will be watching.

2025 Breakout Star: Bia Zaneratto
So, I agree, listing Bia as a potential breakout star is cheating quite a bit. But here’s the thing: I was gonna go off about this somewhere in this preview and here feels most appropriate. Bia’s injury-plagues 2024 meant we had limited minutes of her and NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga sharing the pitch. But when they did? Sweet Mother Mary Josephine Baker.

And that’s what I am hoping for from this season. It’s not off to a great start, as Zaneratto is still on the SEI list. But the season is long, and if Kansas City can consistently get both on the pitch this revenge tour will be epic. And terrifying. Potentially tectonic plate-shifting. They have such complementary and diabolical skillsets, and both demand extra attention when they’re on the pitch. That turns defending them into an unsolvable math problem. It’s a big reason why….

Prediction: 1st
After one season in the NWSL no one has demonstrated that they have any idea how to defend Temwa Chawinga, and I do not expect that to change. As noted above, if Bia can be fit for the majority of the season then it won’t matter anyway, because no one will be able to defend both at the same time for an entire game.

My primary concern for Kansas City is losing goalkeeper Almuth Schult. As good as Kansas City were, they also had bouts of unseriousness in defense, and Schult did a lot to minimize the impact on the scoreboard.

Like, a lot. They should have a sturdier defense this time around, but it’s much too big an ask for any starting goalkeeper (potentially first year NWSL player, Lorena) to replicate this.

The response to Gotham’s true exodus (read: EXODUS) has been interesting to watch. Comments from Lynn Biyendolo also raised issues regarding team culture, and with GM Yael Averbuch West out for most of the year with a serious medical issue, it’d be unsurprising if a leadership vacuum, and subsequent tug-of-war, led to internal team strife.

A lot was made of Gotham pursuing the super team approach and whether that was good or bad, and with several players leaving in one offseason, many declared it bad. I’m not one of those. Gotham had just shocked the league to win an NWSL Championship and capitalized on that energy in the offseason. In my opinion you should never apologize for trying. Trying is good, it’s cool, and we know what it looks like in this league when teams don’t do that.

Also, erm, Gotham were a bonkers penalty shootout away from going to their second consecutive NWSL Championship. That is success in my opinion. But now that they’ve done that, it’s time to reset and find a path to sustain the standard that’s been set the past two seasons. That’s certainly a vibe shift, but a necessary one.

First Year Player to Watch: Lilly Reale
Reale was a standout defender at UCLA and I’m eager to see how she can develop, particularly with some leadership and guidance from one of the best in the game, Tierna Davidson. Reale has USWNT prospects, and a solid season at Gotham could get her into the mix early in the cycle.

2025 Breakout Star: Jaelin Howell
I am so fascinated by this combination of chaos and fury. Anytime Amorós’ team is on you’ll hear commentators talk about ‘organized chaos.’ The key is for players to be able to rotate a bunch on the pitch so that no matter where the ball is, or where it’s going, pressure is there as well. When it works, it’s suffocating.

Howell was known at Florida State as, essentially, the next Julie Ertz. She was a tough defensive midfielder who covered every blade of grass, but it hasn’t quite worked out for her in the NWSL. Amoróros’ system could be the thing that lets her focus on doing what she does best: mf’n wrecking stuff.

Prediction: 7th
I know I just said it was all fine and good and I am ok with what Gotham did and is doing. All of that was true, I literally just wrote it, I promise I’m not that fickle. But these transitions take a bit of time and there are a few teams that might be further ahead with that approach, and that will likely show. This is also not a bad spot for Gotham, would it really surprise anyone if they peaked late, slid into the playoffs, and found themselves close to another NWSL Championship game? No, no it would not. Patience, it’ll be fine, Gotham fans.

The more I think about the more I believe that we saw something truly special in the playoffs at Audi Field. I don’t just mean the dramatic wins, but how all of it was a connection between the supporters and an injury-riddled team that was ultra determined not to lose. At a neutral venue, I’m not sure that deeply injured iteration of the Spirit makes it past Bay FC, or fights back against Gotham.

That’s not to diminish what happened, it happened, it was glorious, and the margin of loss to Orlando in the championship game was narrow. Problem is, that type of gutting it out isn’t sustainable throughout an entire season, so the Spirit’s 2025 season will largely hinge on how healthy they can get, and how healthy they can remain.

If key players like Croix Bethune, Ouleye Sarr and Trinity Rodman can get back to full health and stay that way for the majority of the season, they’ll scrap for the NWSL Shield. If not, well.

First Year Player to Watch: Rebeca Bernal
The Spirit didn’t go bonkers bringing in a bunch of college players this offseason, which is fine because you can’t and shouldn’t do that every year. They built a young core and merely needed to enhance certain positions and complement the talent they already have. They addressed a major defensive need with the shocking signing of Rebeca Bernal from Monterrey in Liga MX Femenil. And…

2025 Breakout Star: Rebeca Bernal
Lol, yeah. I love this move. On a podcast, Bernal shared that Giráldez watched her anchor Mexico’s defense in their 2-0 win over the USWNT and said ‘I need her in my team.’ Bernal is a gem that’s been under the NWSL’s nose for years, and her arrival could solve multiple defensive issues for the Spirit.

Last year the center back spot beside Tara McKeown was often the side targeted by top teams. Also, losing Andi Sullivan is not just a loss of a quality defensive midfielder, but also an on-pitch leader. Bernal might not be able to step into the leadership role right away, but she’s talented enough to earn respect through her performances in trainings and games. Also, she’s a Liga MX Femenil player at heart, and will absolutely rip a shot at goal from 25 yards if given the space. Her first (yes, first) NWSL banger is going to save lives (mine, probs).

Prediction: 2nd
This prediction is sponsored entirely by: Health™. I feel like a goober every time someone asks me about the Spirit’s 2025 season because this is all I say. When healthy, the Spirit are one of the most talented teams in the league and can throw a series of problems at any defense. ‘Let’s focus on limiting Rodman. Ok but now Croix is cuttin up. Alright lets restrict her space, but wait where’s Leicy Santos? … Ok now the midfield is finally clogged, but Sarr is running into the space behind. Dammit.’ Yeah, it’s fun. Ahem. When healthy.

Orlando Thee Pride winning the double is still some bizarro world stuff. No disrespect to Haley Carter or Seb Hines, but all disrespect to previous leadership. Anyway, as with every top-4 team barring Gotham, Orlando held onto its core and had a quiet offseason in terms of bringing in new players. Those who were brought in will add depth or strengthen a “weak” spot.

Losing the NWSL Challenge Cup to a free kick banger and penalty shootout is a tough way to miss out on a third trophy lift in five’ish months. But this is a team that will likely need a revenge target, since they’re now at the top and the ones being chased. It’s a different experience to be the team constantly having to withstand every team’s best efforts, but that’s the position they’ll be in throughout 2025.

They’re too talented to crumble in the face of that, but it will be interesting to see how Hines coaches them through the vibe shift.

First Year Player to Watch: Prisca Chilufya
Chilufya is a fellow Zambian forward who moved to FC Juarez in Liga MX Femenil in 2023. In a presser prior to the Challenge Cup, Hines noted that he was excited for Chilufya because the team needed to find a way to maintain a goal scoring threat in behind when Banda is off the pitch. While Chilufya isn’t a 1:1 for Banda (whomst is?), if she can consistently provide that threat later in matches or to spell Banda from time to time, well damn.

2025 Breakout Star: Grace Chanda
Orlando was extremely hype about securing Chanda and were fairly outraged when she was lost for the season under less than ideal circumstances with the Zambian national team. Chanda is a midfielder who can add a more vertical dimension to the Pride’s midfield. She’s healthy now, and we get to see why Orlando were so hyped about her fit with the team.

Prediction: 3rd
Don’t yell at me. The thing is, I think Orlando will be every bit as dangerous as they were last season, but I think a couple teams closed the (marginal) gap this offseason. The NWSL Shield has been won by the same team in back-to-back seasons twice (Seattle, and North Carolina’s threepeat). The ambition across the league is different than it was during those runs, and multiple teams below Orlando got better.

It will likely be an intense season of teams and coaches trying their damnedest every week to be the team that beats the Pride. It won’t happen often, but I think enough to deny them a second consecutive NWSL Shield. But I also think the playoffs is where they’ll get their revenge.