2024 NWSL Playoff Explainer: Format, Bracket, History and Team Profiles | OneFootball

The 2024 National Women's Soccer League playoffs are here. And, they are bigger than ever.

With two expansion sides joining the league this year, and 14 teams in the league, the playoffs have been expanded to include eight teams rather than six for the first time.

Over the next three weeks, those eight teams will battle it out to become the NWSL champion.

Format

The top eight teams from the NWSL regular season advance to the playoffs. Those teams will be ranked one to eight.

The first round, held Nov. 8-10, will be a straight quarterfinal, where the top seed hosts the eighth seed, the second seed hosts the seventh seed, the third seed hosts the sixth seed, and the fourth seed hosts the fifth seed. It is single-match elimination, with no away goals, and matches will be decided on penalties if still level after 30 minutes of extra time.

After the quarterfinals come the semifinals. There will be two matches on Nov. 16, featuring the four winners from the opening round. The hosts will be whichever teams have the highest seeds to advance out of the quarterfinals.

Finally, the two winning teams from the semifinals will meet in Kansas City at CPKC Stadium on Nov. 23 to compete for the championship.

Bracket

Something to keep in mind is that the NWSL playoff tournament will not be re-seeded. The bracket is now final, with each club's respective route already mapped out.

On one side of the draw are the Orlando Pride, the Chicago Red Stars, the KC Current, and the North Carolina Courage. On the other, the Washington Spirit, Bay FC, NJ/NY Gotham FC, and the Portland Thorns.

For example, if the Pride defeats the Chicago Red Stars then they will face either the Current or the Courage and will not be re-seeded against the lowest-ranked Semifinal team.

History

This is the 11th full season in the NWSL's history. Only six clubs have ever won the championship, with two of those clubs, FC Kansas City (2014 and 2015) and Western New York Flash (2016), having been dissolved.

With three titles, Portland has won the most times of any club (2013, 2017, and 2022). Then there's North Carolina, who won back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019. The Spirit and Gotham picked up their first and only titles in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

The club that tops the standings in the regular season is awarded the NWSL Shield. Only the Courage in 2018 and 2019 have ever won the Shield and then also won the playoffs. In the past three seasons, the team that won the Shield has been eliminated at the semifinal stage.

As a 2024 expansion team, Bay will make its playoff debut on Nov. 10 against the Spirit. The California club is just the second-ever expansion team to make the playoffs in its inaugural season, after the San Diego Wave in 2022.

In 2023, each player on the winning team received $15,000 in prize money. Players for the club who lost in the final received $11,250, the losing semifinalists $7,500, and the losing quarterfinalists $3,750.

Former Gotham FC team captain Ali Krieger, middle left, and forward Midge Purce hold the NSWL Championship trophy to pose for a photo with their team during a visit to the White House in honor of their 2023 championship victory. | Credit: Josh Morgan/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Josh Morgan/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Team Profiles

Orlando Pride

The number one team in the regular season, Orlando amassed a record-breaking total of 60 points (18-2-6). This is the club's first time making playoffs since 2017. With the joint-best defensive record in the league (20 goals conceded), Seb Hines's team will be very difficult to beat and will be trying to bring home the championship for club legend Marta.

After going unbeaten during the first 23 matches of the year, Orlando lost two of its final three matches to close out the regular season. On top of that, the Pride's top scorer, Barbra Banda, hasn’t found the back of the net in her past five matches and has scored just one goal since July.

Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda (22) warms up before a game against the Chicago Red Stars | Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

Washington Spirit

While the Spirit waited for former FC Barcelona head coach Jonatan Giráldez to join the team in June, assistant Adrian Gonzalez guided the club through the first half of the season. Both before and after Giráldez's arrival, Washington has been one of the most explosive teams in the league.

However, injuries and suspensions have caught up with them. Stars Croix Bethune and Andi Sullivan have been ruled out of the playoffs with knee injuries, with Trinity Rodman likely to play through a back injury. Breakout forward Rosemounde Koaussi will miss the Quarterfinal against Bay, as she is serving a suspension for a red card.

NJ/NY Gotham FC

Another team with some availability issues, but arguably Gotham has the squad depth to be able to weather the storm. One of the big spenders in the NWSL, Juan Carlos Amoros's team made a splash last offseason by signing a quartet of USWNT players: Crystal Dunn, Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett, and Rose Lavelle.

The reigning NWSL champion couldn't be coming into the playoffs in better form. Gotham is unbeaten in its last eight matches, winning seven of those. In that run, Yazmeen Ryan has been one of the stars with three goals and two assists alongside midfield grinders Delanie Sheehan and Nealy Martin.

Kansas City Current

The story of the Current's season has been Temwa Chawinga. The Malawian forward has smashed Sam Kerr's NWSL record of 18 goals in a single season by hitting 20 goals for KC in 2024. Perhaps even more impressive than that total, though, is how the Golden Boot winner managed to score at least once against all 13 opponents. Consistency personified.

This year KC opened the CPKC Stadium, the first-ever stadium built solely for an NWSL club. The atmosphere has been electric, with every home match being sold out. Hosting a home quarterfinal should be a big advantage. The Current only lost once at home all year.

North Carolina Courage

When it comes to ball control, it's hard to find a more disciplined and dogmatic team than North Carolina. Under Sean Nahas, the Courage have become the possession queens of the NWSL. Since 2022, they have played more passes and had more possession than any other team.

2023 MVP Kerolin Nicoli tore her ACL last October and has slowly worked back into the team and is ready for the playoffs, but perhaps not at the peak of her powers. Stalwarts at the back Kaleigh Kurtz and Ryan Williams have been two of the best performers, along with a rejuvenated Ashley Sanchez in the attack. Sanchez was a blockbuster signing from the Spirit last January.

Portland Thorns

What a chaotic year for the Thorns. At the start of the year, the club was bought by new owners: the Bhathal family. Then just four matches into the season, the club decided to remove head coach Mike Norris. In September came the announcement that general manager Karina LeBlanc would also be moving to a different role within the Bhathal group.

After assuming the head coaching title, Rob Gale has had a rollercoaster time. The Thorns won seven of their first eight matches under Gale but finished the season winning just two of their final 10 matches. There's also the emotional element of club legend Christine Sinclair hanging up her boots at the end of the year following an incredible career and 11 years with the Thorns.

Bay FC

Another year of two halves. Bay started the season trying to play out of the back, emphasizing expansive forward-thinking soccer. But after recording one of the worst defensive records in the league, head coach Albertin Montoya decided to adapt his philosophy.

Along with the signing of defender Abby Dahlkemper, who was born and raised in the Bay area, the California club has slowly become one of the more steely teams in the league. And don't forget about Racheal Kundananji, who the club paid a world-record transfer fee for. The Zambian winger is finding her shooting boots at the right time.

Chicago Red Stars

Bottom of the standings in 2023, this season has been deemed a success for Chicago. In the first season under head coach Lorne Donaldson, the Red Stars have made a name for themselves as being hard to beat, disciplined, and cautious. No team in the NWSL will put more players behind the ball than Chicago. Expect a low block and obstinance.

Of course, that doesn't mean there isn't attacking quality. USWNT golden girl Mal Swanson is still one of the best players in the league and can be deadly on a quick break when Chicago sucks in an opponent. Swanson ranked eighth in the league for goal contributions (11), seven goals, and four assists.

These playoffs will also be the final time Chicago goes by the name Red Stars. Ahead of the 2025 season, the club will officially rebrand to Chicago Stars FC. Whatever happens, these playoffs will bring up some big feelings for a fanbase that was founded in 2008.