NWSL Power Rankings: Will Barbra Banda’s injury sink Orlando Pride’s playoff hopes?

The weather is ending in the regular season of the NWSL 2025. The week 17 was another example of the way the margins are close between the teams while the playoffs grow. The high table teams abandoning points to teams with a seasonal tee becomes a trend, and a lot of attention will be in second place Washington Spirit As they take 13th place Chicago Stars FC Saturday (4 p.m. HE on Paramount + and CBS). The two parties are undefeated in four consecutive games, but where did they land in this week’s ranking?

While time is exhausted to stimulate the hopes of the playoffs, there are still a lot of opportunities for the teams to bend their muscles in my ranking. Kansas City still governs the league ranking and these rankings, but any club can climb or tumble.

It is not because Chicago is second in the ranking that they have residents of the sewers in my ranking. Or the best three of San Diego in the League do not quite reflect their recent form, but do not worry, it is noted on this list. If you keep a trace of the team team trends, consult my previous power classification.

So what teams will get up and who will fall? Week 18 will be there soon, so don’t miss any action. Fans can watch NWSL regular season games through CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount + and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

2025 NWSL power classification

Here is how the league accumulates as we approach week 18:

1 and 1 Kansas City Current (-)

At this point, we lack superlatives about this team. Several things can be true, such as Kansas City Current having a strong defense and a deadly attack. It’s not surprising when you have the center-center Kayla Sharples in the back and front Temwa Chawinga up.

2. Washington Spirit (-)

Played a spoiler as a visit side In front of a record crowd of 40,091 And have become the closest rival of Kansas City for all the titles in the league. They will have to tighten things on the defensive side if they want to be the most powerful NWSL team, and they have the pieces to do so with the Nigerian international midfielder Deborah Abiodun of a loan with Dallas Trinity.

3 and 3 Orlando Pride (-)

With Barbra Banda For the rest of the season, it may be the last time I have Orlando in the first three of my power classification. Banda led the team and the League in total fire (71) and was the top scorer in the list with eight goals. Lizbeth Jacqueline Ovalle is an exciting signature, but Banda’s shoes were not the ones she was supposed to fill.

4 Portland thorns (-)

The Thorns clashed by the best team in the League last weekend and ended as well as any other club; They lost. Perhaps a moral victory is that they did not play very badly and threatened in the last third, and it looked like a performance that will eventually propel them into the ranking.

5 Seattle reigns (-)

This team is just enough not to trip, and it is not exactly a compliment. Sofia Huerta finally broke a record of assists for the NWSL which could be a sign of better things to come, because they are better than most teams in the League, but not more powerful than clubs in front of them.

6. Wave de San Diego (-2)

The wave had trouble generating a lot of momentum during the second half of the season after being the biggest surprise team before the mid-season break. A five -game victory, and there is no easy calendar for teams at this stage of the season. If San Diego wants to be a powerful competitor, they must resume consistency.

7 Racing Louisville FC (-)

The races quickly became the team to which others hate to face, and they improved. The club has taken a step on the deadline to provide other attack options with a business to MAKENNA Morris. She is a young player of her second year in the League, but already has experience in playoffs and championships after a final with Spirit in 2024.

8 Angel City FC (+1)

Angel City can almost touch the line of the playoffs on the league table, and it is about as powerful as in my ranking. An important objective of the increase in star Alyssa Thompson against a competitor could make things happen, but the group also loses players during the transfer window. Difficult to assess everything the club wants to go with the rest of the season.

9. GOTHAM FC (-1)

In one way or another, Gotham has managed to stay in the mixture in the upper half of my ranking, but a lack of creativity and a goal marking them finally. Esther Gonzalez is still in the running for NWSL Golden Boot, and there has been a lot of chance, but the finish is not there.

10 Houston Dash (+1)

The rankings are just a number for Houston Dash. They quietly climb the list with coherent performance outside the mid-season break. Solid defensive performance of Natalie Jacobs,, Avery PattersonAnd Paige Nielsen have changed things for the dashboard, and if Yazmeen Ryan Continue to score, they will remain a threat.

11. Chicago Stars FC (+2)

Perhaps it is the bottom of the ranking which is more fun than the summit during this section of the season, or perhaps it is just a line of thought for the Nerds and the patients who root the weekly chaos. There was no better example of the production of scandalous finishes at the end of the game in the league than of Chicago, and their exciting feedback increased them in the power classification.

12 Utah Royals FC (+2)

It is almost as if the Royals had understood that their land could be used to their advantage. It is not a secret for anyone that the visiting teams had trouble scoring in the altitude, but the defense of the Royals also made things difficult. If the group can turn into victories, they remain an annoying side along the section.

13 Bay FC (-2)

This group has confusing all season. A week, they seem to have understood, and the next, they cannot manage a game. A little sad to see the Nigerian international striker Oshola Asisat reduced to a bench player and the club which seems less powerful and more confusing.

14 Northern Caroline Courage (-2)

You cannot concede three goals in 10 minutes and climb the ranking. You cannot concede a hat -trick to a solo player who spanned the game. But the North Carolina did it, and they lowered power because of this.