After months of offseason planning, new coaching hires, new signings, and weeks of preseason preparation, the 2025 NWSL regular season is finally here – and it’s time to predict how it will all shake out.
Much like seasons past, 2025 is poised to be full of surprises that will make projections for the season difficult. While the Orlando Pride and the Washington Spirit hope to continue last year’s momentum for another campaign, the Houston Dash are aiming to disrupt things after an ambitious rebuild over the winter. It sets up for another competitive year in the NWSL after an offseason of change.
Here’s a look at the CBS Sports team’s outlook on the 2025 NWSL season.
Attacking Third picks for NWSL
| Category | Lisa Carlin | Darian Jenkins | Jessica McDonald | McCall Zerboni |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MVP | Trinity Rodman | Barbra Banda | Trinity Rodman | Sam Coffey |
| Defender of the Year | Rafaelle | Rafaelle | Tara McKeown | Emily Sonnett |
| Midfielder of the Year | Croix Bethune | Tess Boade | Jaedyn Shaw | Claire Hutton |
| Rookie of the Year | Maddie Dahlien | Brooklyn Courtnall | Trinity Armstrong | Lilly Reale |
| Goalkeeper of the Year | Mandy McGlynn | Kailen Sheridan | Alyssa Naeher | Ann-Katrin Berger |
| Golden Boot | Temwa Chawinga | Temwa Chemwinga | Temwa Chemwinga | Temwa Chemwinga |
| Coach of the Year | Jonatan Giraldez | Jonatan Giraldez | Sean Nahas | Sean Nahas |
| Comeback Player of the Year | Diana Ordonez | Kristen Marie Hamilton | Luana | Midge Purce |
| NWSL Shield winner | Kansas City Current | Kansas City Current | Washington Spirit | Orlando Pride |
| NWSL Champions | Washington Spirit | Orlando Pride | North Carolina Courage | Kansas City Current |
Editorial picks for NWSL
| Category | Sandra Herrera | Pardeep Cattry | Chuck Booth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most surprising team | Houston Dash | Houston Dash | Houston Dash |
| Most disappointing team | Portland Thorns FC | San Diego Wave | Portland Thorns FC |
| MVP | Temwa Chawinga | Barbra Banda | Barbra Banda |
| Best signing | Rebeca Bernal | Gabi Portilho | Yazmeen Ryan |
| Defender of the Year | Emily Sams | Emily Sams | Emily Sams |
| Midfielder of the Year | Leicy Santos | Hal Hershfelt | Croix Bethune |
| Rookie of the Year | Brooklyn Courtnall | Trinity Armstrong | Brooklyn Courtnall |
| Goalkeeper of the Year | Casey Murphy | Jane Campbell | Jane Campbell |
| Golden Boot | Temwa Chawinga | Barbra Banda | Barbra Banda |
| Coach of the Year | Jonatan Giraldez | Jonatan Giraldez | Jonatan Giraldez |
| NWSL Shield Winner | Washington Spirit | Washington Spirit | Washington Spirit |
| NWSL championship runners-up | NJ/NY Gotham FC | Kansas City Current | Kansas City Current |
| NWSL champions | Kansas City Current | Washington Spirit | Washington Spirit |
MVP Considerations
- Sandra Herrera: Temwa Chawinga (Current) - She was a problem for defenses across the league in 2024 and she’ll remain so in 2025 with new additions and returning players to the Current. With more attacking options for the squad, it could mean more unpredictability, more goals, and more MVP-caliber play.
- Pardeep Cattry: Barbra Banda (Pride) - Like Chawinga, Barbra Banda settled into the NWSL quickly and emerged as one of 2024’s top performers, so there’s no reason to suggest she won’t find a way to string together another strong season of work.
- Chuck Booth: Barbra Banda (Pride) - I’m not sure if there’s a shot that Banda can’t make. She’s automatic for the Pride. Given every opportunity to lead the team and surrounded with even more talent this season after already coming into the league and lifting the NWSL Championship, even just repeating what Banda did could lead to MVP honors.
