play1:15Seattle Reign FC vs. Denver Summit FC – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Seattle Reign FC vs. Denver Summit FC, 04/05/2026
play1:14North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns FC – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns FC, 04/05/2026
The best strikes from ESPN’s top ranked U21 women’s players (1:38)Alyssa Thompson, Jaedyn Shaw and more show why they deserve their spots among ESPN’s top ranked U21 stars. (1:38)
Seattle Reign FC vs. Denver Summit FC – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from Seattle Reign FC vs. Denver Summit FC, 04/05/2026
North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns FC – Game HighlightsWatch the Game Highlights from North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns FC, 04/05/2026
Cesar HernandezApr 7, 2026, 03:49 AM ETMultiple Authors
It’s Tuesday, the 2026 NWSL regular season is well underway, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.
Who’s set for a climb up the table? Who’s in danger of a free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 4 to come up with this week’s order of all 16 teams in the league. Let’s dive in.
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Four victories in a row and two consecutive games with a clean sheet, not bad at all from Jonas Eidevall’s side. Carried by Ludmila’s 63rd-minute game winner, the Wave surpassed Boston with a 1-0 result and are now sitting comfortably at the top of the standings. Credit is due to the roster that leads the league in xG (expected goals) and xA (expected assists) after Matchday 4.
There was plenty of back-and-forth between Portland in its trip to North Carolina, but it ultimately remained level at 2-2 over the weekend after losing the lead twice. Sophia Wilson, making her second start since maternity leave, is still seeking that first goal of 2026. A silver lining for Portland is Olivia Moultrie’s fourth goal contribution of the season.
Previous ranking: 2 Next match: Sunday, April 26 vs. Portland Thorns, 6 p.m. ET (stream live on ESPN)
Seattle Reign FC vs. Denver Summit FC – Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from Seattle Reign FC vs. Denver Summit FC, 04/05/2026
Count them, four penalties in total (two for each team) in Houston’s exhilarating 4-3 win over Louisville. With the game winner arriving in the 99th minute, the result was on a knife edge against an opponent who has just one point so far in 2026. Kiki Van Zanten, with a brace in the victory, now has four goals this season.
Speaking of Washington, its four-game winless streak was immediately cut over the weekend with the 2-0 away win against Bay. Off the bench, Gift Monday was the hero for the visitors through her 86th-minute goal that followed an own-goal from Bay’s Brooklyn Courtnall. Things should continue to turn around for the roster that maintains the second-highest xG and xA in the NWSL.
Credit to making their latest match an arduous one against Portland in the 2-2 draw, but that’s now three games in a row without a victory for the Courage. Still, it would be a stretch to say that ambitions were sky high in the start to 2026, and with a game in hand, North Carolina is out of a playoff spot by just one point. Not bad.
North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns FC – Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from North Carolina Courage vs. Portland Thorns FC, 04/05/2026
No move up, but no move down either after the 0-0 draw in Seattle. Fans will have to be patient for the 2026 debutants, who have now secured three ties from their past four. If there is something they can work on, though, it’s the fact that they rank 14th in the NWSL when it comes to shots on target. They outshot Seattle, but have also hit the target just 27.1% of the time from their 48 shots in total.
There was some late attacking pressure from the 2025 champions, but they just couldn’t get the job done in the 2-1 loss to Kansas City. The lone goal, scored by Jaedyn Shaw, represents just Gotham’s second goal of 2026. Their underlying numbers aren’t exactly great either. They’re 13th in xG, 12th in shots on target and 13th in on-target percentage. Work to do for coach Juan Carlos Amorós.
Step by step for Utah in its 1-0 win over Chicago that truly didn’t reflect how dominant it was. That’s back-to-back wins after Mina Tanaka’s second goal of the year and a move up to seventh in the standings. Can the Royals hold on to this for the rest of 2026? They might not be the most aesthetically pleasing team tactically, but don’t overlook the scrappy squad that is third in the NWSL in duel success rate and fourth in aerial success rate.
Injury issues aren’t helping, and it perhaps shouldn’t be a shock to see Racing lose 4-3 to Houston. Granted, they kept things competitive with their three goals, but the outcome confirms a third defeat from their four games this season. Still, ten goals allowed from four games is never a great look.
The best strikes from ESPN’s top ranked U21 women’s players (1:38)Alyssa Thompson, Jaedyn Shaw and more show why they deserve their spots among ESPN’s top ranked U21 stars. (1:38)
Alyssa Thompson, Jaedyn Shaw and more show why they deserve their spots among ESPN’s top ranked U21 stars. (1:38)
Previous ranking: 3 Next match: Saturday, April 25 at Denver Summit, 8:45 p.m. ET
Previous ranking: 1 Next match: Sunday, April 26 at Angel City FC, 6 p.m. ET (stream live on ESPN)
Previous ranking: 7 Next match: Friday, April 24 at Racing Louisville, 5:30 p.m. ET
Previous ranking: 6 Next match: Saturday, April 25 vs. North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. ET
Previous ranking: 5 Next match: Saturday, April 25 vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 1 p.m. ET
Previous ranking: 11 Next match: Friday, April 24 at Kansas City Current, 8 p.m. ET
Previous ranking: 9 Next match: Saturday, April 25 at Houston Dash, 8 p.m. ET
Previous ranking: 10 Next match: Saturday, April 25 vs. San Diego Wave, 8:45 p.m. ET
Previous ranking: 13 Next match: Friday, April 24 vs. Washington Spirit, 8 p.m. ET
Previous ranking: 14 Next match: Sunday, April 26 at Seattle Reign, 8 p.m. ET
Previous ranking: 12 Next match: Friday, April 24 vs. Orlando Pride, 5:30 p.m. ET
Previous ranking: 15 Next match: Saturday, April 25 at Chicago Stars FC, 6:30 p.m. ET
Previous ranking: 16 Next match: Saturday, April 25 vs. Boston Legacy FC, 6:30 p.m. ET
Cesar HernandezApr 7, 2026, 03:49 AM ETMultiple Authors
Previous ranking: 4 Next match: Sunday, April 26 vs. Utah Royals, 8 p.m. ET
Previous ranking: 8 Next match: Saturday, April 25 vs. Bay FC, 1 p.m. ET