The 2023 NWSL regular season will have a brief pause after two weeks of play due to the international window and all 12 clubs officially have two games to look back on and find areas to improve. It's very early in the season but some teams are already separating themselves from those who are still looking for team identity on the pitch. The NWSL regular season will return to play on April 14 and fans can watch matches across CBS Sports platforms and Paramount+.
Let's take a look at where teams have shifted in our power rankings after the second matchday:
NWSL 2023 Power Rankings: Week 2
| Rank | Team | Change | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Portland Thorns FC | – | Sophia Smith is unstoppable and Crystal Dunn is a dominant midfielder. The team keeps first place in our rankings after dropping another four goals in a game with Smith providing the hat-trick. |
2. | San Diego Wave FC | – | Alex Morgan and penalty kicks are an iconic duo at this point, and Jaedyn Shaw is rapidly establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with inside the box. The two are the first teammates in league history to score in each of their first two matches of a season. |
3. | OL Reign | +2 | OL jump up two spots in the rankings after finally converting good chances. The group is capable of some beautiful football, and after a lengthy rain delay, they further lulled Gotham to sleep. |
4. | Houston Dash | +2 | The Dash had a three-game road trip in front of them and got off to a good start with a win against Chicago. Houston jump up two spots with the coaching staff planning the tactics to overload the Red Stars with Dash trio Maria Sanchez, Ebony Salmon, and Diana Ordonez executing it. |
5. | Racing Louisville FC | +2 | Two draws to open their season and Louisville are already showing early signs of causing problems for opposing teams in their attack. Offseason signings Ary Borges, Carson Pickett and Abby Erceg are looking like stellar moves so far, and the club moves up two spots because of their performances. |
6. | Washington Spirit | +3 | Lots of fresh faces including head coach Mark Parsons but the group has done enough to go undefeated in their opening two games. It was a missed opportunity against Louisville on the road despite two goals from Ashley Hatch and standout play by Trinity Rodman. |
7. | NJ/NY Gotham FC | -3 | The east coasters were on the rough end of an extended weather delay, but zero shots on target from 10 opportunities mirrored too much of the goal-scoring struggles from last season. |
8. | Kansas City Current | –5 | Biggest fall in the rankings goes to Kansas City because two consecutive underwhelming performances means I've seen enough for now. Debhina's debut is a bright spot, as is the ongoing development of rookie Michelle Cooper. But lingering injury issues aside for starting-caliber talent, healthy players aren't looking as comfortable in their positions. |
9. | Chicago Red Stars | -1 | Chicago fall again after a second consecutive loss against Houston. Game winners against the team have come via VAR-confirmed penalty calls, but there could be something bigger at play. The footage is officially out on the Red Stars three at the back and teams will continue to target the shape. |
10. | North Carolina Courage | – | After an opening week one win, the group lost against San Diego and struggled to connect on goal despite spending so much time with the ball. They outpassed and outpossessed their opposition, but the execution just wasn't there despite a matrix-style penalty kick by Kerolin for the lone goal. |
11. | Angel City FC | – | No change for Angel City this week despite a stunning finish at the death against Orlando. Rookie Alyssa Thompson got another start in week two and clocked an hour. It's the first road win for Los Angeles this year, but there's not quite an identity for the team just yet and that's on absent tactics. |
12. | Orlando Pride | – | Orlando keep last place after week two. The Pride made adjustments with Ally Watt and Erika Tymrak slotted into the starting lineup, but the team had a late-game lapse and conceded a corner at the death. Back to the drawing board. |
