Only two weeks left in the FNWSL season! It seems like it was just yesterday that Barbra Banda was racking up 27 points in Round 1 in my vice captain slot (though Temwa Chawinga’s 16 points in the captain slot was nothing to sneeze at). Since then, Amber Waves of Pain, Esther lauders FC, and Huff n Puff have all overtaken me in the Manser’s Answers mini-league (congratulations to all of them), and the Manser’s Answers team has been in free fall for the past couple of rounds. I may have to play a few differentials to catch up in the next two weeks – stay tuned for that. In the meantime, let’s catch up on a few happenings around the NWSL so you can plan your fantasy team for the final couple of weeks of the season!
We have a late Friday deadline this week, with two matches kicking off Round 25 at 10e/9c/8m/7p: Seattle hosting Utah (I suppose we could call this the Crown Derby?), and Bay hosting North Carolina in the NoCal/NoCar showdown.
What is the playoff situation?
Surprisingly, with only two weeks to go, only a few positions have been decided in the NWSL table:
- Kansas City has clinched the shield and the #1 playoff seed.
- Washington has clinched the #2 seed.
- Chicago, Bay, and Utah have been eliminated from playoff contention.
Every other team has something to play for over the last two weeks (though admittedly, the path to the playoffs for Houston or Angel City is extremely narrow). The good news is, from an FNWSL perspective, we should see most NWSL teams playing their normal starters in Round 25. Expect to see lots of rotation from KC and Washington though.
What is the situation in the W CONCACAF Cup?
Orlando and Washington have midweek cup matches this week to conclude the group stage of the W CONCACAF Champions Cup, while Gotham is off. Neither Washington nor Orlando has clinched a knockout stage spot yet, so expect many starters to get midweek minutes for the Spirit and the Pride. After this week, there won’t be any additional cup games during the NWSL regular season or playoffs, as the knockout stages of the competition will occur in 2026.
What is the disciplinary situation?
Taylor Flint and Bianca St. Georges should be available again in Round 25, having served their suspensions in Round 24. According the the NWSL report, only Leilanni Nesbeth reached five accumulated yellow cards last week, so she likely will be the only player suspended in Round 25, but don’t forget to check this before the deadline.
Which teams are closing out the season strong?
Don’t look now, but the Orlando Pride may have turned things around. With seven points from three games, the Pride appear have ended a slide that began all the way back in late June. With matches at Washington and home against Seattle, they don’t have the easiest remaining schedule, but if you need a differential option – Carson Pickett is back in the starting lineup after scoring twice in three matches, and she always racks up the defensive points with enough minutes.
Louisville is also finishing the season strong as they attempt to hold on to the final playoff spot. Bethany Balcer pulled back a point with a late goal against Chicago last week, and Racing won their previous two matches. Taylor Flint will be back this week (probably the highest-floor player in FNWSL), and we’ve previously mentioned the upside of Emma Sears and Janine Sonis. With several of the premium-price players seeing limited minutes, consider Louisville to get the most value for your FNWSL budget.
Any questions about Round 25? Comment or Bluesky @MansersAnswers!