Two big stars are back, two new teams have joined us, and we’ve expanded our presence on the air. National Women’s Soccer League is embarking on its 14th season, hoping to benefit from the growing popularity of women’s sports and a summer focused on soccer.
The season begins Friday with the Portland Thorns playing the Washington Spirit, a game that is being touted as a showdown between Sophia Wilson and Trinity Rodman.
These two players are two-thirds of the triple espresso trio with Mallory Swanson that helped the U.S. win the championship. Gold medal at the Paris Olympics — Power up your league with their star power.
Wilson plays for Portland. I was on vacation all last season. For the birth of my daughter. She signed a one-year contract extension with the Thorns for the 2026 season.
Swanson, who plays for the Chicago Stars, continues to work her way back from maternity leave and is expected to rejoin the club at some point this season.
Rodman re-signed with the Holy Spirit After protracted contract negotiations that cast doubt on the league’s salary cap; A new “High Impact Player” policy has been launched..
Rodman’s return is a win for the league, which saw several high-profile players leave for clubs in Europe last year, including Naomi Girma, Alyssa Thompson and Sam Coffey.
There were concerns that teams would be unable to retain top players due to the salary cap. The HIP rule allows teams to sign certain players for $1 million over the cap.
The league also had the option of increasing the salary cap to $3.7 million in 2026 instead of adopting a more complicated rule. Commissioner Jessica Berman supported the decision in preseason remarks this week.
“The way the High Impact Player Rule works is it actually rewards clubs and creates space within the salary cap to not only sign an elite player, but to surround that player with other quality talent,” Berman said.
new kids on the block
league This season we welcome two new teamsDenver Summit, and Boston Legacy will bring the NWSL to 16 teams.
Denver opens the season Saturday at Bay FC. Summit announced that more than 50,000 tickets have been sold for the home opener against the Spirit on March 28 at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos.
Legacy opens Saturday against defending NWSL champion Gotham FC at Gillette Stadium. At halftime, there will be a performance by local group New Kids on the Block.
The league gave Atlanta its 17th expansion team to begin play in 2028. Berman announced another expansion club for 2028 this week. It will be awarded later this season.
where to watch
NWSL’s broadcast partners include CBS, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps-owned ION. The league expanded its media rights deal last year, adding a new deal with Victory+ that will air 57 games for free this season.
The league will also be featured on ESPN’s “Women’s Sports Sundays” this summer.
“We are committed to working with the WNBA to ensure that women’s sports, specifically the NWSL and WNBA, are at the center of how people think and plan their weekend sports content,” Berman said.
Berman said the league’s viewership on traditional broadcast channels was up 20% last season and 30% on digital services.
world cup bump
This summer, the United States, Mexico and Canada will host soccer’s premier tournament, the Men’s World Cup. The NWSL will pause play for portions of the tournament, but two teams, the Seattle Reign and Legacy, face logistical challenges that will see them forced from their home stadiums or impacted by the tournament.
The Reign will play three games in Spokane, Washington, while the Legacy will play seven games in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
But the league also wants to take advantage of the inevitable attention to soccer.
“When we look back on the season, we hope that the challenges it created will be dwarfed by the opportunities because the benefits and halo effect of the Men’s World Cup has been more widespread,” Berman said. “Our strategy for the summer of football will be a key focus for us.”
look back
The Kansas City Current had a historic season, finishing in first place in 2025. Earn NWSL Shieldset regular season records for points (65), wins (21), home wins (11), road wins (10), shutouts (16), and fewest runs allowed (13).
Gotham FC, the 8th seed in the playoffs, loses to Kansas City. They won 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Gotham defeated the Orlando Pride in the semifinals and won the NWSL title with a 1-0 victory over the Spirit.
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