The 2024 NWSL regular season will mark the league's 12th year and the schedule is officially here. There are 14 teams currently in preseason as they prepare for opening weekend. The 2024 season will kick off on March 16 and CBS is the home of the NWSL Championship. There's plenty of action to keep an eye on and fans can watch select NWSL games across CBS Sports platforms including CBS, CBS Sports, Paramount+, and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
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All clubs will play a 26-game schedule, 13 home and 13 away fixtures, but which are the biggest ones to watch? Take a look at our top ten must-see NWSL games this year:
10. Kansas City vs. Portland Thorns
Saturday, March 16 | 12:30 p.m. ET
The Current have the honor of kicking off the regular season and they'll do so at their brand new NWSL-specific stadium. Kansas City first broke ground on CPKC Stadium in 2022, the first purpose-built stadium for a women's professional sports team. Fans can get a look at the shiny new facility and watch the Current welcome former USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski as the new club manager.
9. Bay FC vs. Houston Dash
Saturday, March 30 | 10 p.m. ET
No Old Bay seasoning here as Bay FC is the newest expansion club in the league. Might have to dub this the All-Spice derby as the league's newest club will host their home opener against the first-ever NWSL expansion franchise Houston Dash. The Texas side was awarded expansion in 2014 and held their inaugural season in 2015.
8. Seattle Reign vs. Portland Thorns
Sunday, June 16 | 4 p.m ET | CBS/Paramount+
The league's longest rivalry began in the Pacific Northwest, and while the rosters have changed a bit over the seasons for Seattle Reign FC and Portland Thorns FC, the regional rivalry remains. These two have an earlier fixture in May, but that might just set the stage for a bigger and better battle in June.
7. Chicago Red Stars vs. Seattle Reign FC
Saturday, March 23 | 4 p.m. ET
The Red Stars will begin the season in Utah, but their home opener will be billed as Mallory Swanson's return to SeatGeek Stadium after missing the majority of the 2023 season rehabbing from injury. She was the USWNT's leading goal scorer in 2023 despite her injury in April and the forward has stated she's ready to get back on the pitch come opening weekend.
6. Orlando Pride vs. Racing Louisville FC
Sunday, May 5 | 6 p.m. ET
It's all shades of Purple when these two teams collide. Two teams looking to build off their prior seasons where they remained in playoff contention deep into the 2023 season. It'll also be a matchup in two of the league's youngest head coaches with Orlando's Seb Hines and Louisville's Bev Yanez.
5. Bay FC vs Utah Royals FC
Sunday, June 16 | 10 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network
The two newest teams will go head to head in a battle of expansion franchises. Each club took different approaches to building out their rosters, and we'll get to see who takes the bragging rights in this one.
4. Angel City FC vs. San Diego Wave FC
Thursday, May 23 | 10 p.m. ET
If regional derbys are your thing, with recent league expansion over the last two years, there are now more opportunities for them. With two teams in Southern California there was bound to be a natural rivalry brewing and Los Angeles and San Diego have not disappointed in their short head-to-head history since 2022. Now there's some player crossover with former Angel City player Savannah McCaskill who recently signed with San Diego..
3. NC Courage vs. Washington Spirit
Saturday, Nov. 2 | 7:30 p.m. ET
Sadly, there is no Decision Day on this year's schedule. That just means playoff standings could come down to the final weekend of match play. The Courage helped knock out the Spirit from playoff contention on Decision Day 2023, and this offseason they acquired midfielder Ashley Sanchez from Washington, adding to plenty of storylines in this one.
2. NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Seattle Reign FC
Sunday, June 30 | 1 p.m. ET
A rematch of the 2023 NWSL Championship will go down one week before the league takes a break for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Former Reign midfielders Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett signed with Gotham FC, so this could be another close battle like the 2023 title match.
1. The 2024 NWSL Championship
Saturday, Nov. 23 | 8 p.m. ET | CBS/Paramount+
There is no greater game than the biggest game of the year in NWSL. The league has now expanded to 14 clubs and only four of the current franchises have won the title over the previous decade. As the league celebrates its 12th year, will there be another first-time champion? Tune into CBS to find out!
