NWSL Power Rankings: San Diego leads the way, Washington back on track

Q: Why is San Diego Wave ranked first in the NWSL power rankings?

San Diego is ranked first because it has won four straight matches and kept two consecutive clean sheets. The Wave beat Boston 1-0 thanks to Ludmila's 63rd-minute winner, and the article says they lead the league in expected goals and expected assists after Matchday 4.

Q: What happened to the Portland Thorns in their latest match?

Portland drew 2-2 at North Carolina after losing the lead twice. Sophia Wilson, in her second start since maternity leave, is still looking for her first goal of 2026, while Olivia Moultrie recorded her fourth goal contribution of the season.

Q: How did Washington Spirit get back on track?

Washington ended a four-game winless streak with a 2-0 away win over Bay FC. Gift Monday scored in the 86th minute after an own goal by Bay's Brooklyn Courtnall, and the Spirit still have the second-highest xG and xA in the league.

Q: Why did Kansas City Current move up in the rankings?

Kansas City moved up after beating Gotham 2-1 at home for its second win of the season. Temwa Chawinga returned and added an assist, while Debinha and Michelle Cooper scored the goals for the Current.

Q: Which teams are struggling the most near the bottom of the table?

Chicago Stars FC and Boston Legacy FC are among the teams struggling most. Chicago has lost three straight, has allowed 11 goals, and was outshot 27 to 3 in a 1-0 loss to Utah, while Boston lost 1-0 to San Diego and is still dealing with early growing pains as an expansion team.

It's Tuesday, the 2026 NWSL regular season is well underway, which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings.

Who's set for a climb up the table? Who's in danger of a free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 4 to come up with this week's order of all 16 teams in the league. Let's dive in.

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San Diego Wave logo 1. San Diego Wave FC

Previous ranking: 3
Next match: Saturday, April 25 at Denver Summit, 8:45 p.m. ET

Four victories in a row and two consecutive games with a clean sheet, not bad at all from Jonas Eidevall's side. Carried by Ludmila's 63rd-minute game winner, the Wave surpassed Boston with a 1-0 result and are now sitting comfortably at the top of the standings. Credit is due to the roster that leads the league in xG (expected goals) and xA (expected assists) after Matchday 4.

Portland Thorns logo 2. Portland Thorns

Previous ranking: 1
Next match: Sunday, April 26 at Angel City FC, 6 p.m. ET (stream live on ESPN)

There was plenty of back-and-forth between Portland in its trip to North Carolina, but it ultimately remained level at 2-2 over the weekend after losing the lead twice. Sophia Wilson, making her second start since maternity leave, is still seeking that first goal of 2026. A silver lining for Portland is Olivia Moultrie's fourth goal contribution of the season.

Angel City FC logo 3. Angel City FC

Previous ranking: 2
Next match: Sunday, April 26 vs. Portland Thorns, 6 p.m. ET (stream live on ESPN)

This is what happens when the schedule becomes a bit tougher. Just when it looked like Angel City were about to take a point in Orlando, the hosts responded with a pinball-like moment in the 98th minute that led to Haley McCutcheon's dramatic game winner that cemented a 2-1 loss for head coach Alexander Straus. Is this a worrying sign for a team that's ranked 14th overall with duel success rates and 12th in xG?

4. Seattle Reign FC

Previous ranking: 4
Next match: Sunday, April 26 vs. Utah Royals, 8 p.m. ET

Seattle kept Denver scoreless in their 0-0 draw, but more was expected at home after being outshot 18 to 13. Recently earning two wins in a row, Matchday 4's result slows the momentum for head coach Laura Harvey and her squad. Nonetheless, credit to Seattle's Sam Meza for her seven out of seven on tackles and winning 10 of her 12 ground duels.

5. Orlando Pride

Previous ranking: 7
Next match: Friday, April 24 at Racing Louisville, 5:30 p.m. ET

There's the much-awaited big statement. Competitive against Angel City and having the mentality to fight back with a late game winner, Orlando deserves plaudits for its narrow 2-1 victory at home. Clearly a shot-hungry team with 83 in total over five matches, Orlando is starting to pick up steam with its four-game undefeated streak.

6. Houston Dash

Previous ranking: 6
Next match: Saturday, April 25 vs. North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. ET

Count them, four penalties in total (two for each team) in Houston's exhilarating 4-3 win over Louisville. With the game winner arriving in the 99th minute, the result was on a knife edge against an opponent who has just one point so far in 2026. Kiki Van Zanten, with a brace in the victory, now has four goals this season.

<a data-cke-saved-href=7. Bay FC

Previous ranking: 5
Next match: Saturday, April 25 vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 1 p.m. ET

More to prove for a Bay roster that hasn't kept pace with some of the more noteworthy teams in the NWSL this season. Holding on to just 37.8% possession of the ball at home, and being outshot 20-6, the Northern California side stumbled to a 2-0 loss to the Washington Spirit. With nine saves, goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz was arguably the best player on the field for Bay.

8. Washington Spirit

Previous ranking: 11
Next match: Friday, April 24 at Kansas City Current, 8 p.m. ET

Speaking of Washington, its four-game winless streak was immediately cut over the weekend with the 2-0 away win against Bay. Off the bench, Gift Monday was the hero for the visitors through her 86th-minute goal that followed an own-goal from Bay's Brooklyn Courtnall. Things should continue to turn around for the roster that maintains the second-highest xG and xA in the NWSL.

9. North Carolina Courage

Previous ranking: 9
Next match: Saturday, April 25 at Houston Dash, 8 p.m. ET

Credit to making their latest match an arduous one against Portland in the 2-2 draw, but that's now three games in a row without a victory for the Courage. Still, it would be a stretch to say that ambitions were sky high in the start to 2026, and with a game in hand, North Carolina is out of a playoff spot by just one point. Not bad.

10. Denver Summit FC

Previous ranking: 10
Next match: Saturday, April 25 vs. San Diego Wave, 8:45 p.m. ET

No move up, but no move down either after the 0-0 draw in Seattle. Fans will have to be patient for the 2026 debutants, who have now secured three ties from their past four. If there is something they can work on, though, it's the fact that they rank 14th in the NWSL when it comes to shots on target. They outshot Seattle, but have also hit the target just 27.1% of the time from their 48 shots in total.

11. Kansas City Current

Previous ranking: 13
Next match: Friday, April 24 vs. Washington Spirit, 8 p.m. ET

Welcome back, Temwa Chawinga. The forward wasn't the star of the show for the 2025 NWSL Shield winners. That honor goes to either goal scorers Debinha or Michelle Cooper, but the 2026 return of Chawinga (and an assist) sparked good news for the KC side that clinched just their second win of the season through a 2-1 home result vs. Gotham.

Gotham FC logo 12. NJ/NY Gotham FC

Previous ranking: 8
Next match: Saturday, April 25 vs. Bay FC, 1 p.m. ET

There was some late attacking pressure from the 2025 champions, but they just couldn't get the job done in the 2-1 loss to Kansas City. The lone goal, scored by Jaedyn Shaw, represents just Gotham's second goal of 2026. Their underlying numbers aren't exactly great either. They're 13th in xG, 12th in shots on target and 13th in on-target percentage. Work to do for coach Juan Carlos Amorós.

Utah Royals logo 13. Utah Royals

Previous ranking: 14
Next match: Sunday, April 26 at Seattle Reign, 8 p.m. ET

Step by step for Utah in its 1-0 win over Chicago that truly didn't reflect how dominant it was. That's back-to-back wins after Mina Tanaka's second goal of the year and a move up to seventh in the standings. Can the Royals hold on to this for the rest of 2026? They might not be the most aesthetically pleasing team tactically, but don't overlook the scrappy squad that is third in the NWSL in duel success rate and fourth in aerial success rate.

Racing Louisville logo 14. Racing Louisville FC

Previous ranking: 12
Next match: Friday, April 24 vs. Orlando Pride, 5:30 p.m. ET

Injury issues aren't helping, and it perhaps shouldn't be a shock to see Racing lose 4-3 to Houston. Granted, they kept things competitive with their three goals, but the outcome confirms a third defeat from their four games this season. Still, ten goals allowed from four games is never a great look.

15. Boston Legacy FC

Previous ranking: 15
Next match: Saturday, April 25 at Chicago Stars FC, 6:30 p.m. ET

Like Denver, fans will need patience for this expansion team, if not more so. There were some bright first-half moments from the leadership of coach Filipa Patão, but those ultimately led to San Diego's extra push in the final 45 minutes with the 1-0 loss at home for Boston. Some serious growing pains here for the team that is far from a confident protagonist in the NWSL.

Chicago Red Stars logo 16. Chicago Stars FC

Previous ranking: 16
Next match: Saturday, April 25 vs. Boston Legacy FC, 6:30 p.m. ET

What can you say about Chicago? Outshot 27 to 3 in a 1-0 loss to Utah, which extended a three-game losing streak, allowing its 11th goal of the year, which is the worst in the NWSL, leaning on goalkeeper Katie Lund to be the idol of the night with her eight saves. It's too early to make big proclamations about how the season will play out, but Chicago struggling feels like a safe one.