NWSL Standings: Can Anyone Stop Orlando Pride?

It’s Monday and another week of NWSL action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.

Our rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal differential), recent performances, Opta computer ratings and observations from our editors.

Who’s climbing the rankings? Who’s plummeting? Our editors and statistical models have ranked the league’s 14 clubs after matchday 17. Let’s dive in.

Previous ranking: 1

Next match: Sunday at Chicago Red Stars, 6 p.m. ET

Torrential rain came closer to stopping the Pride than anyone else this season, but even Mother Nature was no match for Orlando, who made a good Gotham side look extraordinarily average in a 2-0 win. The team has now won five in a row and is six points clear in the Shield race, but it seems the gap between the Pride and the rest of the league is much wider than that.

Previous ranking: 2

Next match: Saturday vs. Portland Thorns, 12:30 p.m. ET

The Spirit traveled across the country to play on a shabby field in a very hot San Diego, where they were much better and only managed a 1-1 draw. It was a frustrating day for Washington, but not one that would change anyone’s mind about this very good team.

Previous ranking: 3

Next match: Saturday vs. Utah Royals, 7:30 p.m. ET

The Current were unbeaten in their first 15 games, but their 2-1 loss at North Carolina marked their third straight defeat since that unbeaten start. It appears that KC’s midfield has really been missed by Claire Hutton, who is competing at the U20 World Cup. It’s a bit concerning how much the Current are relying on the 18-year-old, but it will be up to the veterans to pick up the slack over the next month in Hutton’s absence.

Previous ranking: 4

Next match: Sunday vs. Houston Dash, 1:00 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

No one has beaten the Pride this season, so it’s not a problem that Gotham lost in Orlando. What is concerning is their inability to create chances even once they fell behind and started pushing players forward. The Bats really missed Lynn Williams.

Previous ranking: 6

Next match: Sunday at San Diego Wave FC, 8 p.m. ET

The Courage enjoyed one of their biggest attendances of the season and although most fans went home during the long break due to bad weather, the stoppage proved to be a godsend for the team who took the lead once play resumed. Brianna Pinto’s goal in added time was an absolute beauty that deserved to be the match-winner that it was.

Previous ranking: 9

Next match: Friday vs. Seattle Reign FC, 10:00 p.m. ET

Alyssa Thompson scored again and Sydney Leroux scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time, giving Angel City a second straight win over Chicago. With Thompson back in the game, MA Vignola and Christen Press recovering and Katie Zelem back in the mix, this could be the team no top seed wants to see in the playoffs.

Previous ranking: 5

Next match: Saturday at the Washington Spirit, 12:30 p.m. ET

Rob Gale has won his first six games as Thorns boss, but the team have won just two games since that stretch on May 17. They have also not scored multiple goals in a game since, creating real doubts about the direction of the team, and a 3-1 home defeat to Bay at the weekend didn’t help.

Previous ranking: 7

Next match: Saturday at Bay FC, 10pm ET

Taylor Flint had another good performance and Louisville took the lead over Seattle, but things went against him and Racing suffered a tough loss. He has only won once since June 7 and his next two games are against Bay and Angel City, the two teams ahead of him in the standings. Things need to change quickly.

Previous ranking: 8

Next match: Sunday vs. Orlando Pride, 6 p.m. ET

The Red Stars looked set to take a point in Los Angeles, but an injury-time goal handed them a loss. The lack of depth in attack took its toll, as the Red Stars struggled to get Mallory Swanson into play and had few other ways to get forward in open play.

Previous ranking: 10

Next match: Friday at Angel City FC, 10 p.m. ET

The Reign beat Racing to make it two wins in a row for the first time this season and suddenly find themselves just four points off a playoff spot. Ji So-yun’s substitution changed the course of the game and it went far beyond the goal she scored. She may have been named Player of the Match despite playing just 36 minutes.

Previous ranking: 12

Next match: Saturday vs. Racing Louisville, 10:00 p.m. ET

Bay acquired Abby Dahlkemper to help its defense, but she made an offensive impact in her debut, scoring the opening goal in a 3-1 win over Portland. The three points helped keep Bay in last place in the playoffs and on track for a terrific first season.

Previous ranking: 11

Next match: Sunday vs. North Carolina Courage, 8 p.m. ET

It was the Kristen McNabb show in San Diego as she scored for both teams in a 1-1 draw against the Spirit. While a draw against a good team like Washington is an encouraging result, the Wave were pretty badly outplayed and really need all the points if they want to make the playoffs.

Previous ranking: 13

Next match: Saturday on Kansas City Current, 7:30 p.m. ET

The Royals took a three-goal lead and easily beat the Dash in Houston. The changes up and down the Utah team over the summer are paying off and the team is now unbeaten in its last four games, despite Ally Sentnor’s trip to the Under-20 World Cup.

Previous ranking: 14

Next match: Sunday at NJ/NY Gotham FC, 1:00 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

The mess in Houston only got worse with a comprehensive loss to Utah, where the team was lucky not to lose a player or two. There’s no doubt about the worst team in the league right now, which is an especially tough pill for the Dash to swallow in a year with two expansion teams.