NWSL Energy Rankings: What’s mistaken with Washington Spirit?

It is Tuesday, the 2026 NWSL common season is nicely underway, which implies it is time for ESPN’s Energy Rankings.

Who’s set for a climb up the desk? Who’s at risk of a free fall? Our writers studied the motion from throughout Matchday 3 to give you this week’s order of all 16 groups within the league. Let’s dive in.

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Earlier rating: 1
Subsequent match: Saturday at North Carolina Braveness, 6:30 p.m. ET

There is not any higher solution to chase a disappointing midweek loss than with a dominant weekend win. In a 2-0 victory on Saturday that featured Sophia Wilson making her first begin since getting back from maternity depart, Portland wildly outplayed Kansas Metropolis. Wilson did not find yourself on the scoresheet, however she was persistently harmful on each side of the ball and gained a penalty that led to the Thorns’ first aim. This crew seems like the actual deal.

Earlier rating: 2
Subsequent match: Friday at Orlando Delight, 8 p.m. ET

Make that three wins in three video games for Angel Metropolis. Whereas they did not come out flying in opposition to the Sprint on Friday, Angel Metropolis recovered from a sluggish begin by scoring a pair of targets simply minutes into the second half en path to securing a 2-1 victory. Now with three targets on the yr, it was striker Sveindís Jónsdóttir who scored the eventual game-winner — the 24-year-old is flying in her first full NWSL marketing campaign. Whereas Angel Metropolis’s schedule is about to get more durable, they’ve taken care of enterprise admirably to this point.

Earlier rating: 12
Subsequent match: Friday at Boston Legacy, 7 p.m. ET

Wins do not get way more one-sided than San Diego’s 2-0 victory over Chicago on Saturday. The Wave allowed simply two pictures — and neither got here from contained in the field. San Diego’s near-perfect management of the match was capped off by a beautiful strike from teenage substitute Melanie Barcenas. Now on a three-game successful streak and with Catarina Macario aboard, there are many causes to be ok with San Diego.

Earlier rating: 7
Subsequent match: Saturday vs. Denver Summit, 8:45 p.m. ET

Coming into 2026, there was one query about Seattle that stood head-and-shoulders above the remaining: would they, a crew with no truckload of attacking expertise, actually have the ability to rating targets? With 5 targets of their final two outings, the early indicators level in direction of sure. In fact, it helps when the opposing goalkeeper spots you one, as Louisville’s Jordyn Bloomer did on Saturday in Seattle’s 2-1 win. Nonetheless, Seattle’s assault confirmed actual indicators of life later within the first half when some intelligent possession play created Nérilia Mondésir‘s strike. Victories preserve coming for the Reign.

Earlier rating: 8
Subsequent match: Sunday vs. Washington Spirit, 5 p.m. ET (stream dwell on ESPN)

One of many greatest tales of this younger NWSL season is the efficiency of teenager Alex Pfeiffer on the wing for Bay FC. It was the 18-year-old’s strike that launched a 3-1 victory for Bay over North Carolina on Saturday. The winger, who additionally collected an help later within the match, has 4 non-penalty aim contributions in three video games and has been a real breakout star in each sense to start 2026. There’s extra to return from Pfeiffer and Bay.

Earlier rating: 4
Subsequent match: Friday vs. Racing Louisville, 8:30 p.m. ET

Whereas the Sprint fell 2-1 on the street to Angel Metropolis on Friday, the early indicators have been promising for Fabrice Gautrat’s crew with Houston outshooting hosts 9 to 2 within the first half. Star proper again Avery Patterson even broke the sport open with pretty service from the correct wing that ended with Maggie Graham scoring the opening aim. Patterson’s efficiency on the correct actually was eye-catching, even when the Sprint slowed to a jog to start out the second half and conceded two targets to go residence pointless.

Earlier rating: 14
Subsequent match: Friday vs. Angel Metropolis, 8 p.m. ET

As anticipated, Orlando did not management the ball for lengthy stretches in opposition to Gotham on Sunday. As a substitute, they eagerly waited for ill-timed turnovers earlier than leaping the opposite method. However Barbra Banda, the tip of the Delight’s counter attacking spear, was saved quiet in a 0-0 draw on Sunday. Banda’s lack of attacking influence served as a microcosm of the sport itself, the place neither crew managed to efficiently break down the opposite. Nonetheless, a street draw at Sports activities Illustrated Stadium is a powerful outcome for Orlando.

Earlier rating: 3
Subsequent match: Saturday at Kansas Metropolis Present, 4 p.m. ET

The warning indicators proceed to shine down on Gotham’s assault following a 0-0 draw with the Delight on Sunday. Juan Carlos Amorós’ crew has scored only one aim all season — and that aim got here in Boston Legacy’s first sport. Towards Orlando, NJ/NY had treasured little going for them within the assault and ended the match with lower than a single anticipated aim for the third time of their first 4 video games. It is again to the drafting board for Amorós.

Earlier rating: 5
Subsequent match: Saturday vs. Portland Thorns, 6:30 p.m. ET

One of many rising pains that possession-heavy groups undergo is dropping the ball in dangerous spots, struggling with out many numbers to defend in their very own half, and giving up targets. That is precisely what occurred to the Braveness on Saturday of their 3-1 loss to Bay FC. Nonetheless studying the finer factors of recent head coach Mak Lind’s possession-heavy system, turnovers value North Carolina. After conceding three targets within the first half, the sport shortly grew out of attain for a Braveness crew that is below development.

Earlier rating: 11
Subsequent match: Saturday at Seattle Reign, 8:45 p.m. ET

The on-field motion at Mile Excessive Stadium was at all times going to take a again seat to a document being set within the stands. With the 63,004 introduced followers shattering the NWSL’s attendance document, Denver Summit’s first residence sport raised the bar on what appears doable for girls’s soccer in the US. That Denver could not fairly sneak all three factors in opposition to Washington stings a bit, however even accumulating a degree in a 0-0 draw with the Spirit is a beneficial outcome. In all, Saturday was an awesome day for Denver.

Earlier rating: 9
Subsequent match: Sunday at Bay FC, 5 p.m. ET (stream dwell on ESPN)

Elevate your hand when you anticipated the Washington Spirit to be winless by way of their first 4 video games of the season? No one? Alright then. Following a 0-0 draw with Denver Summit that made extra headlines for the parents within the seats than those on the sector, the Spirit are but to gather a victory in 2026. The assault continues to look out of sync, to the purpose the place Washington generated simply two pictures from contained in the 18 in opposition to Denver. There’s an excessive amount of expertise on this Spirit squad for the assault to not gel finally … proper?

Earlier rating: 10
Subsequent match: Friday at Houston Sprint, 8:30 p.m. ET

Racing Louisville merely aren’t constructed to get well from handing their opponents a free aim. That is precisely what goalkeeper Bloomer did in Louisville’s 2-1 loss to Seattle on Saturday when the ball slipped by way of her arms and between her legs on a routine save that was a 1-0 deficit. Whereas they put up a combat late within the match, Racing by no means actually discovered a method again into the sport and discover themselves winless by way of their first three video games of 2026.

Earlier rating: 6
Subsequent match: Saturday vs. Gothan FC, 4 p.m. ET

You’d must think about Kansas Metropolis are taking a protracted, onerous look within the mirror proper about now. After a gap weekend victory over Utah, the Present have now dropped three straight to Chicago, Seattle, and, most lately, Portland. Saturday’s 2-0 loss to the Thorns was about as one-sided of a sport as they arrive. Not often might Kansas Metropolis construct or discover management in possession they usually have been non-threatening in transition. Toss in a defensive miscue for Portland’s game-sealing aim and also you had a day to overlook. Temwa Chawinga cannot return shortly sufficient.

Earlier rating: 15
Subsequent match: Friday vs. Chicago Stars, 9 p.m. ET

Utah did not play the prettiest sport on Saturday in New England, however they managed to keep away from having their identify written within the historical past books subsequent to “Boston Legacy’s first-ever win.” The Royals managed a 2-1 victory, courtesy of two targets that started on useless balls — the primary was a intelligent set piece routine and the second a penalty. Outdoors of these targets, Utah managed simply 4 non-penalty pictures from inside Boston’s field on the day. That the Royals have their first win of the season is a optimistic, however there’s work to be finished but.

Earlier rating: 16
Subsequent match: Friday vs. San Diego Wave, 7 p.m. ET

The excellent news for Boston? They scored their first aim in membership historical past on Saturday, courtesy of Aissata Traore. The striker, who was a continuing thorn in Utah’s aspect, capped off a direct sequence after getting on the tip of a intelligent through-ball from Amanda Gutierres to half the deficit in Legacy’s conflict with the Utah Royals. The dangerous information for Boston? They could not discover one other aim to assert their first-ever level, as a substitute falling 2-1 at Gillette Stadium. The enlargement crew’s hunt for a outcome continues.

Earlier rating: 13
Subsequent match: Friday at Utah Royals, 9 p.m. ET

It isn’t too early to fret in regards to the Chicago Stars, who’ve been held scoreless in three of their 4 video games this season. Chicago solely discovered a solution to publish two pictures of their 2-0 loss to San Diego on Saturday and could not even put ahead a shot from contained in the field earlier than the ultimate whistle. With Jameese Joseph persevering with to be shunted out extensive and, frankly, an absence of talent elsewhere on the sector, it is onerous to image how Chicago’s season rests on something apart from Mallory Swanson enjoying the hero on her yet-unknown return date.