If you're tuning into the 2026 NWSL regular season for the first time, welcome to the best part of the year, the second half of the schedule. Clubs will have all hands on deck to make a playoff push and prove they're the most powerful team in the league.
That means it's time to queue up my NWSL Power Rankings. Time is winding down for teams to rise and fall in the rankings. So if you're trying to keep track of where your favorite team lands, here are my previous rankings.
August is already proving to be the perfect mix of chaos and stability. One week a team can impress and just stay ranked where they were before, while others can produce such significant performances that you have to bump them up the list — like Houston Dash's impressive rookies, Linda Ullmark, who just made the U20 World Cup roster, and Kat Rader — who can't stop scoring.
The kids are MORE than alright 🤩Kat Rader leads the 2026 @NWSL rookies and she's not slowing down anytime soon 😤 pic.twitter.com/mSMPTaqyUD
Teams like Houston keep the middle of the rankings interesting, while teams like Racing Louisville keep the bottom half of the list more honest. There might be fewer surprises there, especially if you're Boston or Chicago.