Gotham eyes the ultimate upset as NWSL playoffs kick off

Take cover.

Can Gotham stage the ultimate NWSL upset?

The NWSL playoffs have finally arrived, as eight teams duke it out in weekend quarterfinals — each hunting a ticket to November 22nd’s championship in San Jose.

• No. 8 Gotham might have the toughest battle, traveling to No. 1 Kansas City on Sunday to attempt an historic upset as they fight to extend their season.

• “I don’t think there’s an underdog mindset at all,” Gotham midfielder Jaedyn Shaw told JWS this week. “We know that we can come into this game, bring our style of play, and win this game.”

Big picture: Winning the 2025 NWSL Shield in record fashion, the Current haven’t suffered a home loss all year — though things might change if an adductor strain continues to sideline back-to-back Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga.

• The team has yet to provide an update on Chawinga, though the striker did sit out last Sunday’s 2-1 win over No. 6 San Diego.

• “Obviously Temwa’s an amazing player, but our bench is is incredible,” Kansas City defender Elizabeth Ball said ahead of the team’s regular-season finale. “Our whole squad is always ready for for whatever’s thrown at us.”

Advantage KC: The Current hold a 2-0 winning record over the Bats this season, with Gotham managing just one regular-season win in their last five matches.

• “We’re not performing terrible — we’re actually playing well,” Shaw said. “We have moments in the games where we’re doing really well. It’s just the last touch to score goal, or the last block, or being in the right positioning to prevent a goal.”

Tune in: Kansas City hosts Gotham at 12:30 PM ET on Sunday, live on ABC.

Seattle shoots to end Orlando’s NWSL title defense

On a mission to avenge last year’s 13th-place finish, No. 5 Seattle visits No. 4 Orlando tonight laser-focused on ending the 2024 NWSL champions’ title defense.

• “Everyone wants to go back-to-back, everyone wants to double down on what they’ve done, and to become a winning club you have to do it multiple times,” Orlando defender Carson Pickett said ahead of Friday’s quarterfinal.

• “In big games, big players step up,” said Seattle head coach Laura Harvey. “One thing we know with our squad, and we’ve shown it all season, is what we look like at the start of the game, we’re probably not going to look like that at the end of the game.”

Big picture: Both teams will have room for adjustments, after playing each other to a 1-1 stalemate last Sunday — with tonight’s face-off becoming just the fourth regular-season finale rematch in NWSL playoff history.

• The Reign will likely continue their defensive-minded five-back approach, while Orlando tries to overcome injured superstar Barbra Banda’s absence.

• “The league is getting harder and harder every single year that I’ve played,” said Pickett. “It’s hard to break a deadlock sometimes, especially in a moment when you absolutely have to win.”

Tune in: The Pride host the Reign tonight at 7 PM ET, live on Prime.

Offseason league Project B causes a WNBA salary stir

New offseason league Project B is raising more than eyebrows, with the international upstart reportedly far exceeding WNBA salaries as it builds out its pro women’s basketball roster ahead of a planned 2026 debut.

• Front Office Sports reported that Project B offered inaugural signing Nneka Ogwumike a multi-million dollar payday, with indications that multi-year deals could reach eight figures and sources telling the FOS that the budding league has already signed additional WNBA players.

• Project B also gave the Seattle Storm star equity, putting WNBA stakeholders on edge as CBA negotiations continue to simmer Stateside.

Big picture: While the winter league’s F1-style tournament structure doesn’t directly compete with the WNBA season, players have been known to de-prioritize domestic league play if offered enough money overseas.

• Retired superstar Diana Taurasi sat out the entire 2015 WNBA season after top Euroleague side UMMC Ekaterinburg paid her $1.5 million to forgo that summer’s competition.

• Other offseason leagues are also making financial inroads, with 54 WNBA players set to feature in Unrivaled 3×3’s second season this winter — including equity-holder Paige Bueckers.

Stay tuned: Some big names including A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese were notably left off this week’s full Unrivaled roster reveal, adding to the drama as lucrative offseason options continue to push the US league’s CBA negotiations further into the spotlight.

NWSL teams extend key contracts ahead of 2025 playoffs

Kansas City’s celly queen is sticking around, with the Current announcing the re-signing of captain Lo’eau LaBonta through the 2028 NWSL season this week.

• “From baseball field to NWSL Shield, I’ve seen how far we’ve come and I’m hyped to see how far we can go,” the 32-year-old said in Thursday’s team statement. “I’ve grown with this club and this city, and I’ve seen how belief turns into history. This new contract is about more than just soccer — it's about building a legacy, one celly at a time."

Big picture: The Current weren’t the only team locking down their locker room this week, with Gotham FC signing rising star midfielder Jaedyn Shaw to a new multi-year contract extension after her record midseason transfer from North Carolina.

• “Whether we’re winning games or losing games, just being around the girls and stuff, I feel like everyone has been so welcoming to me and has made this place feel like home,” Shaw told JWS after Thursday’s news.

USC star JuJu Watkins buys into NWSL’s Boston Legacy

Sidelined USC superstar JuJu Watkins is staying busy, with the injured guard buying into NWSL expansion side Boston Legacy’s investment group this week.

• Watkins is the first NCAA player to actively invest in a pro women’s sports franchise, joining fellow high-profile Legacy investors like Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.

• “Boston Legacy FC is creating a space for women to achieve, lead, and inspire others at the highest level,” Watkins said in a press release. “I’m proud to be part of the movement pushing women’s sports forward.”

Eyes on the prize: “She’s showing that today’s student-athletes aren’t just building their own brands — they’re shaping the future of the game,” Legacy owner Jennifer Epstein said of Watkins.

PWHL expansion sides reveal team names and logos

The PWHL’s newest teams are re-introducing themselves, as 2025/26 expansion sides Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes officially revealed their team names and branding on Thursday.

• “The Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes are bold, distinctive, and true to who we are as a league,” PWHL EVP of business operations Amy Scheer said in a league statement. “Each team identity is deeply connected to its home — Seattle draws inspiration from the waterways that shape its landscape, and Vancouver from its abundance of unique wildlife.”

• Both teams have already committed to sporting generic PWHL branding through their inaugural seasons, while also planning to unveil individual identities ahead of the league’s November 21st puck-drop.

Quote of the day

New Dallas Wings boss Jose Fernandez
explaining his WNBA vision in his first press conference as Wings head coach.