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And then there was one. After the final weekend of NWSL action before the international break for the Olympics, only one team remains unbeaten this regular season. The Orlando Pride, who finished seventh in the league in 2023, sit alone atop the league standings and are now unbeaten through 16 games this season and 17 games overall following a 2-1 win over the Kansas City Current on Saturday night in Kansas City. Both teams entered the match undefeated on the season and with identical records, but the visiting Pride came away with the victory after goals from Zambian international Barbra Banda and Brazilian star Marta. Banda put the Pride in front in the 37th minute, scoring her 12th goal of the season, but KC struck back just two minutes later as Malawi international Temwa Chawinga netted her 12th goal of the 2024 campaign. Orlando suffered a significant blow before halftime as defender Carrie Lawrence was shown her second yellow card in the 42nd minute, leaving the Pride short-handed for the duration of the match. However, a strong defensive effort kept Kansas City at bay and Marta converted a penalty kick in the 63rd minute for the game-winning goal, handing the Current (10W-1L-5D ) their first loss since September 2023.
The Washington Spirit (11W-4L-1D) earned their 11th win of the season, tied with Orlando for the most in the league, defeating Bay FC 3-0 on the road on Saturday night. The Spirit opened the scoring in the fourth minute and doubled their lead in the 21st as Trinity Rodman converted from the penalty spot for her fifth goal of the season. Rodman’s five goals this year have already matched her goal total from 2023 and she is one away from matching her career-best of six goals scored during her NWSL Rookie of the Year campaign in 2021. Leading 2-0 at halftime, the Spirit scored again in the 57th minute for a 3-0 final over Bay FC (6W-10L-0D).
Defending NWSL Champions NJ/NY Gotham FC ((W-3L-4D) were also victorious on Saturday night, defeating Angel City FC (4W-9L-3D) 2-1 at BMO Stadium. Rose Lavelle opened the scoring in the 16th minute, collecting a pass from Crystal Dunn and finishing with a perfectly-placed right-footed shot from the top of the penalty area. It was Lavelle’s fifth goal of the season, tied for her most ever in an NWSL campaign, and gives her goals in back-to-back games for just the second time in her NWSL career. Gotham scored again in the 40th minute to take a 2-0 lead and withstood a comeback attempt from Angel City, who pulled one back with a penalty kick in the 69th minute.
In more west coast action, Portland Thorns FC (8W-5L-3D) snapped their three-game winless streak with a dramatic 1-0 win over the San Diego Wave (3W-7L-6D) on Friday night in Portland. Scoreless until late in the second-half, Izzy D’Aquila netted the game’s only goal in the 85th minute to send the home side into the international break on a high note.
The North Carolina Courage (8W-7L-1D) continued their winning ways at home, coming back from a one-goal deficit to defeat Racing Louisville FC 3-1 on Sunday evening in Cary, North Carolina. Louisville (3W-6L-7D) jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a goal in the 31st minute, but North Carolina roared back in the second half, scoring three times in the span of 14 minutes to erase the deficit and remain unbeaten at home this season. The Courage are now unbeaten in 17 consecutive regular season home games dating back to April of last season, tied for the second-longest regular season home unbeaten streak in NWSL history.
Mallory Swanson extended her scoring streak to four consecutive games, lifting the Chicago Red Stars (7W-7L-2D) to a 1-0 win over the visiting Houston Dash (3W-8L-5D) on Saturday evening. Late in first-half stoppage time, Swanson netted her seventh goal of the season with a left-footed laser into the upper-90 from the top of the penalty area. The strike extended Swanson’s scoring streak to four consecutive games, the longest of her NWSL career and tied with Chawinga for the longest by any player in the NWSL this season. Leading 1-0 at the half, the Red Stars put together a strong defensive effort to preserve the clean sheet, led by a season-high six saves from goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
The Seattle Reign (2W-9L-5D) and Utah Royals FC (2W-11L-3D) closed out the weekend action with an entertaining 1-1 draw on Sunday night. Utah struck first in the 67th minute on a goal from Under-20 U.S. Women’s Youth National Team standout Ally Sentnor, but Seattle equalized in the 75th minute on a goal from Veronica Latsko.
