The 2024 National Women's Soccer League season was the twelfth season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it was the 18th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. The league had 14 teams following the addition of expansion teams Bay FC and Utah Royals—the latter being the revival of a team that had played in the league from 2018 to 2020.
The season began with the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup, a supercup match between the reigning playoff champion (NJ/NY Gotham FC) and NWSL Shield winner San Diego Wave FC, on March 15, 2024. The regular season began the following day and ran until November 3; it paused for a month between July 8 and August 18 for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Each team played 26 matches during the regular season, an increase of four from the 2023 season. The playoffs comprised the top eight teams and ran from November 9 to November 23. The Orlando Pride finished in first place during the regular season, accumulating a record 60 points, and also won the playoffs, defeating the Washington Spirit in the final.
In addition to league play, 2024 marked the debut of the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, an international competition between clubs from the NWSL and Liga MX Femenil of Mexico. The inaugural edition was played from July to October and won by the Kansas City Current.
The 2024 season was the first under new broadcast agreements with CBS Sports, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video and Scripps Sports; 118 of the total 182 matches were televised or streamed nationally. Attendance averaged 11,235 per game, a record, and total attendance for the year was just over two million, also a record.
Teams, stadiums, and personnel Stadiums and locations
Team Stadium Capacity Angel City FC BMO Stadium 22,000 Bay FC PayPal Park 18,000 Chicago Red Stars SeatGeek Stadium 20,000 Houston Dash Shell Energy Stadium 22,039 Kansas City Current CPKC Stadium 11,500 NJ/NY Gotham FC Red Bull Arena 25,000 North Carolina Courage WakeMed Soccer Park 10,000 Orlando Pride Inter&Co Stadium 25,500 Portland Thorns FC Providence Park 25,218 Racing Louisville FC Lynn Family Stadium 11,700 San Diego Wave FC Snapdragon Stadium 35,000 Seattle Reign FC Lumen Field 10,000 Utah Royals America First Field 20,213 Washington Spirit Audi Field 20,000
Personnel and sponsorship Note: All teams use Nike as their kit manufacturer as part of a league-wide sponsorship agreement renewed in November 2021. Team Head coach Captain(s) Shirt sponsor Angel City FC DoorDash Bay FC Sutter Health Chicago Red Stars Wintrust Houston Dash (interim) MD Anderson Cancer Center Kansas City Current United Way of Greater Kansas City NJ/NY Gotham FC CarMax North Carolina Courage Merz Aesthetics Orlando Pride Orlando Health Portland Thorns FC Providence Health & Services Racing Louisville FC GE Appliances San Diego Wave FC (interim) Kaiser Permanente Seattle Reign FC Black Future Co-op Fund Utah Royals America First Credit Union Washington Spirit CVS Health
Coaching changes Team Outgoing coach Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming coach Date of appointment Utah Royals Preseason April 19, 2023 Bay FC Preseason September 27, 2023 Chicago Red Stars (interim) End of interim period October 16, 2023 Preseason December 20, 2023 Houston Dash (interim) End of interim period October 16, 2023 Preseason December 22, 2023 Kansas City Current (interim) End of interim period October 16, 2023 Preseason October 23, 2023 Washington Spirit Fired October 17, 2023 Preseason (interim) January 23, 2024 Angel City FC (interim) End of interim period October 21, 2023 Preseason November 2, 2023 Racing Louisville FC Mutual separation October 27, 2023 Preseason November 30, 2023 Portland Thorns FC Promoted to technical director April 16, 2024 14th (interim) April 16, 2024 San Diego Wave FC Fired June 24, 2024 9th (interim) June 24, 2024 Utah Royals Fired June 30, 2024 14th (interim) June 30, 2024 Washington Spirit (interim) End of interim period July 7, 2024 3rd January 9, 2024 Portland Thorns FC (interim) End of interim period July 19, 2024 5th July 19, 2024 San Diego Wave FC (interim) End of interim period August 16, 2024 10th (interim) August 16, 2024 Houston Dash Mutual separation October 1, 2024 14th (interim) June 28, 2024 Utah Royals (interim) End of interim period October 24, 2024 10th October 24, 2024
Regular season Standings
Tiebreakers The initial determining factor for a team's position in the standings is most points earned, with three points earned for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. If two or more teams tie in total points total when determining rank, playoff qualification, and seeding, the NWSL uses the following tiebreaker criteria, going down the list until all teams are ranked.
Greater goal difference across the entire regular season (against all teams, not just tied teams). Most total wins across the entire regular season (against all teams, not just tied teams). Most goals scored across the entire regular season (against all teams, not just tied teams). Head-to-head results (total points) between the tied teams. Head-to-head most goals scored between the tied teams. Fewest disciplinary points accumulated across the entire regular season (against all teams, not just tied teams). Coin flip (if two teams are tied) or drawing of lots (if three or more teams are tied).
Results
Positions by week Considering each week to end when the NWSL releases their weekly standing tweet
Team \ Week1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Orlando Pride 6 9 8 5 5 4 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Washington Spirit 12 6 4 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2NJ/NY Gotham FC 8 4 7 7 11 11 9 7 7 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3Kansas City Current 3 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4North Carolina Courage 1 3 3 2 4 2 6 6 6 7 8 7 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5Portland Thorns FC 10 14 13 14 9 7 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 6 Bay FC 5 7 10 6 8 10 12 13 11 12 10 12 11 11 8 8 10 8 7 8 9 8 8 8 8 7 Chicago Red Stars 2 1 2 4 3 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 7 6 6 6 6 6 8 Racing Louisville FC 7 10 9 9 6 6 8 11 10 8 7 8 8 8 9 9 8 10 11 9 8 9 9 9 9 9San Diego Wave FC 913 6 8 10 8 10 8 8 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 11 12 12 12 12 10 10 12 13 10Utah Royals 13 8 12 13 14 13 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 13 13 13 14 13 12 10 10 11Angel City FC 11 11 14 10 7 9 7 9 9 11 12 11 10 10 11 11 9 9 9 10 10 11 11 11 11 12Seattle Reign FC 4 5 11 12 13 14 11 12 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 12 11 10 11 11 12 13 13 12 13Houston Dash 14 12 5 11 12 12 13 10 12 10 11 10 12 12 12 12 13 14 14 14 13 14 14 14 14 14 Legend: Gold = first place; green = playoff position; Red = last place.
Attendance
Average home attendances Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
+ Regular season Team San Diego Wave FC 12 234,896 32,066 10,289 19,575 Angel City FC 13 251,073 22,000 16,023 19,313 Portland Thorns FC 13 243,428 23,212 16,688 18,725 Washington Spirit 13 181,187 19,897 8,182 13,937 Bay FC 13 177,027 18,000 10,367 13,617 Kansas City Current 13 149,500 11,500 11,500 11,500 Utah Royals 13 133,949 20,370 7,491 10,304 NJ/NY Gotham FC 13 111,660 11,662 5,883 8,589 Seattle Reign FC 13 110,536 16,598 5,083 8,503 Orlando Pride 13 108,424 17,087 4,702 8,340 Chicago Red Stars 13 93,030 35,038 2,999 7,156 Racing Louisville FC 14 86,916 11,365 2,137 6,208 North Carolina Courage 13 82,702 10,026 4,528 6,362 Houston Dash 13 80,520 8,600 4,438 6,194 Total 182 2,044,848 35,038 2,137 11,235
Highest attendances + Regular season Rank Home team Score Away team Attendance Date Stadium 1 Chicago Red Stars 1–2 Bay FC 35,038 Wrigley Field 2 San Diego Wave FC 1–2 Kansas City Current 32,066 Snapdragon Stadium 3 1–4 North Carolina Courage 26,516 4 3–0 Chicago Red Stars 24,115 5 1–1 Washington Spirit 23,541 6 Portland Thorns FC 3–0 Angel City FC 23,212 Providence Park 7 Angel City FC 0–1 Bay FC 22,000 BMO Stadium 2–1 North Carolina Courage 0–3 Orlando Pride 2–2 Portland Thorns FC
Statistical leaders
Top scorers
Rank Player Club Goals 1 Temwa ChawingaKansas City Current 20 2 Barbra BandaOrlando Pride 13 3 Sophia SmithPortland Thorns FC 12 4 Esther GonzálezNJ/NY Gotham FC 9 MartaOrlando Pride 6 Bethany Balcer2 teams 8 Trinity RodmanWashington Spirit Ouleymata SarrWashington Spirit 9 Claire EmslieAngel City FC 7 Ashley HatchWashington Spirit Rose LavelleNJ/NY Gotham FC Sydney LerouxAngel City FC Asisat OshoalaBay FC Ally SchlegelChicago Red Stars Ella StevensNJ/NY Gotham FC Mallory SwansonChicago Red Stars
Top assists
Rank Player Club Assists1 Croix BethuneWashington Spirit102 Alyssa ThompsonAngel City FC73 Barbra BandaOrlando Pride6 Temwa ChawingaKansas City Current DebinhaKansas City Current Vanessa DiBernardoKansas City Current Trinity RodmanWashington Spirit Sophia SmithPortland Thorns FC9 Yazmeen RyanNJ/NY Gotham FC5 María Sánchez2 teams
Clean sheets
Rank Player Club Clean sheets 1 Anna MoorhouseOrlando Pride 13 2 Shelby HoganPortland Thorns FC 9 3 Ann-Katrin BergerNJ/NY Gotham FC 8 Jane CampbellHouston Dash 5 Aubrey KingsburyWashington Spirit 7 6 Casey MurphyNorth Carolina Courage 6 Alyssa NaeherChicago Red Stars Kailen SheridanSan Diego Wave FC 9 Katie LundRacing Louisville FC 5 Katelyn RowlandBay FC Almuth SchultKansas City Current
Hat-tricks
+ Player For Against Score Date Cloé Lacasse Utah Royals vs. Seattle Reign FC 3–0 October 13, 2024
Playoffs
The NWSL increased the number of teams eligible for the NWSL playoffs from the top six teams to the top eight in the 2024 season. In the semifinals, teams were not reseeded and the winners within each quarterfinals arm played each other.
Bracket
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship
Challenge Cup
In a change of format, the Challenge Cup will be played as a one-off super cup, contested by the winners of the previous season's NWSL Championship, NJ/NY Gotham FC, and NWSL Shield, San Diego Wave FC.
NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup
The inaugural Summer Cup was played from July to October. Kansas City Current defeated NJ/NY Gotham FC 2-0 in the final.
Individual awards
Annual awards
Award Winner Nominees Ref. Golden Boot Temwa Chawinga Kansas City Current N/A Most Valuable Player Temwa Chawinga Kansas City Current Barbra Banda, Orlando Pride Marta, Orlando Pride Trinity Rodman, Washington Spirit Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns FC Defender of the Year Emily Sams Orlando Pride Kaleigh Kurtz, North Carolina Courage Tara McKeown, Washington Spirit Naomi Girma, San Diego Wave FC Kylie Strom, Orlando Pride Midfielder of the Year Croix Bethune Washington Spirit Vanessa DiBernardo, Kansas City Current Lo'eau LaBonta, Kansas City Current Marta, Orlando Pride Ashley Sanchez, North Carolina Courage Goalkeeper of the Year Ann-Katrin Berger NJ/NY Gotham FC Anna Moorhouse, Orlando Pride Mandy Haught, Utah Royals Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune Washington Spirit Ally Sentnor, Utah Royals Claire Hutton, Kansas City Current Coach of the Year Seb Hines Orlando Pride Juan Carlos Amorós, NJ/NY Gotham FC Vlatko Andonovski, Kansas City Current
Teams of the Year Best XI Pos. Player Team GK NJ/NY Gotham FC DF NJ/NY Gotham FC North Carolina Courage Orlando Pride Washington Spirit MF Orlando Pride Washington Spirit FW Washington Spirit Kansas City Current Orlando Pride Portland Thorns FC
Second XI Pos. Player Team GK Orlando Pride DF Orlando Pride San Diego Wave FC Washington Spirit North Carolina Courage MF Kansas City Current Washington Spirit Kansas City Current NJ/NY Gotham FC NJ/NY Gotham FC FW NJ/NY Gotham FC
Monthly awards Player of the Month