It's Monday and another week of NWSL action has passed, which means it's time for the ESPN Power Rankings.
Our rankings are derived from a combination of key season stats (points per game, goal difference, expected goal difference), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings and observations from our writers.
Who's on the rise? Who's in free fall? Our editors and statistical models have ranked all 14 clubs in La Liga after Matchday 17. Let's break them down.
Previous classification: 1
Next match: Sunday at Chicago Red Stars, 6:00 pm Eastern Time
A torrential downpour came closer to stopping the Pride than any other team this season, but even Mother Nature couldn't stop Orlando, who made a good Gotham team look extraordinarily mediocre in a 2-0 victory. They've now won five straight and opened up a six-point lead in the Shield race, but it seems the gap between the Pride and the rest of the league is much bigger than that.
Previous classification: 2
Next match: Saturday vs. Portland Thorns, 12:30 p.m. ET
The Spirit flew across the country to play on a subpar field in a very hot San Diego, were a much better team, and somehow only managed to draw 1-1. It was a frustrating day for Washington, but not one that should change anyone's mind about this excellent team.
Previous classification: 3
Next match: Saturday vs. Utah Royals, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Current hadn't lost in their first 15 games, but their 2-1 loss at North Carolina marked their third straight defeat since that unbeaten start. It seemed like the KC midfield really missed Claire Hutton, who is away at the U-20 World Cup. It's a little concerning how reliant the Current is on the 18-year-old, but it will be up to the veterans to step up over the next month while Hutton is out.
Previous classification: 4
Next match: Sunday vs. Houston Dash, 1:00 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)
No one has beaten the Pride this season, so it's not a problem that Gotham fell in Orlando. What was concerning was their inability to create opportunities even when they fell behind and started to push players forward. The Bats really missed Lynn Williams.
Previous classification: 6
Next match: Sunday at San Diego Wave FC, 8 p.m. ET
The Courage had one of their biggest crowds of the season and while most fans went home during the lengthy weather stoppage, the interruption turned out to be a blessing for the team, who went on the defensive once play resumed. Brianna Pinto's stoppage-time goal was an absolute beauty that deserved to be the game-winner.
Previous classification: 9
Next match: Friday vs. Seattle Reign FC, 10 p.m. ET
Alyssa Thompson scored again and Sydney Leroux scored the game-winner in stoppage time, allowing Angel City to beat Chicago for the second straight time. With Thompson finding her way to scoring, MA Vignola and Christen Press getting healthy and Katie Zelem now in the mix, this might be the team none of the top seeds would want to see in the playoffs.
Previous classification: 5
Next match: Saturday at Washington Spirit, 12:30 p.m. ET
Rob Gale won his first six games as Thorns coach, but the team has only won two games since that May 17 skid. They also haven't scored multiple goals in a game since, raising real questions about the team's direction, and a 3-1 home loss to Bay over the weekend didn't help.
Previous classification: 7
Next match: Saturday at Bay FC, 10pm ET
Taylor Flint was back on top as Louisville took the lead over Seattle, but things went against Racing and they suffered a tough loss. They have just one win since June 7 and their next two games are against Bay and Angel City, the two teams behind them in the standings. They need to get things moving as soon as possible.
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Racing Louisville FC vs. Seattle Reign FC: Match highlights
Watch highlights from Racing Louisville FC vs. Seattle Reign FC, 01/09/2024
Previous classification: 8
Next match: Sunday vs. Orlando Pride, 6:00 pm ET
The Red Stars looked like they were going to take a point in Los Angeles, but a goal in stoppage time cost them the defeat. The lack of depth in attack was evident, as they struggled to get Mallory Swanson on the ball and didn't have many other ways to advance in open play.
Previous classification: 10
Next match: Friday at Angel City FC, 10 p.m. ET
The Reign beat Racing and won two games in a row for the first time all season, and suddenly find themselves just four points away from a playoff spot. Ji So-yun's substitution changed the game and that went far beyond the goal she scored. She may have been named Player of the Match despite playing just 36 minutes.
Previous classification: 12
Next match: Saturday vs. Racing Louisville, 10 p.m. ET
Bay signed Abby Dahlkemper to help its defense, but she made an offensive impact in her debut with the opening goal in a 3-1 win over Portland. The three points kept Bay in the final playoff spot and on track for a spectacular debut season.
Previous classification: 11
Next match: Sunday vs. North Carolina Courage, 8:00 p.m. ET
It was the Kristen McNabb Show in San Diego, where she scored for both teams in a 1-1 draw against the Spirit. While a draw against a good team like Washington is an encouraging result, the Wave were badly outplayed and really need every point if they want to climb into a playoff spot.
Previous classification: 13
Next match: Saturday on Kansas City Current, 7:30 p.m. ET
The Royals took a three-goal lead and easily outlasted the Dash in Houston. The top-to-bottom changes Utah made over the summer are paying off and they are now unbeaten in their last four meetings, despite Ally Sentnor being on the sidelines at the U-20 World Cup.
Previous classification: 14
Next match: Sunday at NJ/NY Gotham FC, 1:00 pm ET (live on ESPN+)
The chaos in Houston was compounded by a blowout loss to Utah, in which they were lucky not to be without a player or two. There's no question who the worst team in the league is right now, which is an especially tough pill to swallow for the Dash in a year with two expansion teams.
