It's Monday and another week of NWSL action is in the books, which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings.
Our rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal difference, expected goal difference), recent performance, Opta computer ratings and the observations of our writers.
Who gets on the table? Who is in free fall? Our writers and statistical models have ranked the 14 clubs in the league after matchday eight. Let's dive in.
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Previous ranking: 1
Next match: Wednesday at Seattle Reign FC, 10 p.m. ET
There are two ways to look at the Current's outcome over the weekend: a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dash. The first option is this: Kansas City dropped points against one of the worst teams in the league. The second (and correct) option is this: Kansas City earned a road point after surviving an hours-long rain delay and outshooting Houston 29 to eight. Yes, this team is going to be fine.
Previous ranking: 4
Next match: Saturday vs. Bay FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
With their team atop the current NWSL table and the only undefeated team left outside of the Current, Orlando fans may have a legitimate beef with their team's second-place spot in these rankings. Barbra Banda is scoring an absolutely absurd 1.25 goals per 90 minutes and the defense is still the best in the league in terms of expected goals allowed without a penalty. Pride is legit, folks.
Previous ranking: 4
Next match: Saturday vs. Seattle Reign FC, 10 p.m. ET
That wild 5-4 loss on the opening weekend seems like a long time ago, doesn't it? Portland is now on a four-game winning streak and earned its most impressive win of 2024 on Saturday against the Washington Spirit. Their play against the ball remains a concern, but the Thorns are the only team in the league to have scored two or more goals in each of their last four games.
Previous ranking: 5
Next match: Friday at Racing Louisville, 8 pm ET
They had chances against Portland, but Washington couldn't complete a late comeback after a Lena Silano goal brought them within one in a tough road game against the Thorns last weekend. With 15 points from eight games and a comfortable seat at the top of the table, things are still going well ahead of schedule in the country's capital.
Previous ranking: 2
Next match: Sunday on Kansas City Current, 6 pm ET
It was a very bad week for the Courage, where they lost two games in a row for the first time this year. They averaged 59.5% possession in those two losses, one to Pride and one to Gotham, but averaged just 0.7 xG in those two games. Converting touches into opportunities remains this team's biggest obstacle.
Previous ranking: 10
Next match: Wednesday at Houston Dash, 8 pm ET
We're all still trying to figure out exactly what this Gotham team will look like in 2024, given all of their injury problems. But wins like the one this weekend against North Carolina serve as a reminder of how high his floor is. You don't have Lynn Williams on your team and you just fade into the night.
Previous ranking: 7
Next match: Friday vs. Washington Spirit, 8 p.m. ET
Look, there's no shame in conceding a goal to Banda or losing to Orlando right now. Both things happened in Louisville on Sunday. Without Savannah DeMelo (concussion) and with Jaelin Howell and Reilyn Turner starting this game on the bench, there simply wasn't much firepower in the spine.
Previous ranking: 8
Next match: Sunday vs. Utah Royals FC, 5:30 p.m. ET
While their midweek matchup against the Spirit was a game to forget, a pragmatic win against Bay FC on Sunday established a solid plan for this team heading into 2024. There weren't many luxuries for the Red Stars with 41% possession . , but a good direct play on goal by Penelope Hocking pushed Chicago towards the result.
Previous ranking: 12
Next match: Wednesday vs. Kansas City Current, 10 p.m. ET
Seattle came out on top in a red-card riddled matchup against the San Diego Wave on Friday, despite playing with 10 for all but nine minutes of the game. However, there is no bad play on the part of the opposing goalkeeper and a goal from a set piece cannot be fixed.
Previous ranking: 6
Next match: Wednesday vs. Utah Royals FC, 10 p.m. ET
That opposing goalkeeper? Well, that was Kailen Sheridan, whose setup turnover helped Seattle even things up in the first half. Savannah McCaskill was the only one of San Diego's four attacking dynamos (Jaedyn Shaw, Maria Sanchez, Alex Morgan and McCaskill) to start on Friday. It's hard to win games without your best players (and when you make game-changing mistakes).
Previous ranking: 9
Next match: Sunday vs. Houston Dash, 7:30 p.m. ET
Angel City got the job done against Utah on Friday, but with only five shots against Utah, it's fair to have questions about Angel City's offense right now. Now, two of those shots found the back of the net thanks to a goal from Sydney Leroux and a penalty kick from Claire Emslie. But there is room for more.
Previous ranking: eleven
Next match: Saturday at Orlando Pride, 7:30 pm ET
Until Bay fixes its defensive woes, its efforts to be a fun, fluid possession team won't amount to much. His crooked offside line in Chicago's opener on Sunday set a bad tone for a team that found itself in a difficult situation.
Previous ranking: 13
Next match: Wednesday vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 8 pm ET
Getting a point against Kansas City Current isn't a terrible result, but doing it at home while suffering shot after shot puts a damper on the Dash's weekend exit.
Previous ranking: 14
Next match: Wednesday at San Diego Wave FC, 10 p.m. ET
We're still waiting for that second Utah Royals win. They haven't picked up three points in a single game since a win over the Courage put them on the board in March. Utah continues to look flat and didn't produce enough in a 2-1 loss to Angel City on Friday.
