NWSL 2023: Five things we learned from the season
After Gotham FC claimed a first championship, we highlight five key takeaways from an enthralling campaign.
Football
The National Women’s Soccer League crowned a new Championship winner at the end of the 2023 season.
NJ/NY Gotham FC overcame OL Reign 2-1 on Saturday (11 November) to take the title just 12 months on from finishing bottom of the table.
A lengthy off-season awaits, as attention soon turns to the 2024 edition of the competition in which two more teams will join the increasingly competitive league.
Before that, Olympics.com takes a look at some of the key moments from what was a breathless campaign.
From retiring legends to youngsters on the rise, here are five things we’ve highlighted…
Fairytale endings do exist
For either Megan Rapinoe or Ali Krieger, the NWSL Championship Final would provide a fitting end to an illustrious career.
Rapinoe was hoping to help OL Reign secure a first title while former USWNT teammate and fellow two-time world champion Krieger looked to do the same with NJ/NY Gotham FC.
In the end, Rapinoe's swansong lasted just three minutes as she suffered a suspected torn Achilles - with Krieger hugging her before she left the pitch - and Gotham took league honours for the first time.
While they experienced vastly different fortunes in their farewell matches, history will look back fondly on this history-making pair.
Megan Rapinoe hugs Ali Krieger before going off injured in the NWSL Final
More competitive than ever
Year after year, the NWSL proves to be one of the most competitive leagues in the world. The 2023 campaign took that to new heights, with just two of six playoff berths decided going into the last matchday of the regular season.
The playoffs alone add a new dimension, with the NWSL Shield winners - going to the regular season tabletoppers - far from guaranteed to go on and win the Championship.
San Diego Wave FC finished atop the table but a semi-final exit to OL Reign proved that when it comes to the ultimate prize, anyone can pip you to the post.
And then comes NJ/NY Gotham FC who finished stone last a year ago after 17 defeats in 22 games.
But under new Spanish coach Juan Carlos Amoros, Gotham scraped into the playoffs and stunned reigning champions Portland Thorns to take the crown.
The sheer unpredictability of this league makes it an enthralling watch for supporters.
Ali Krieger retires an NWSL champion with NJ/NY Gotham FC
The kids are alright
The NWSL is quickly becoming a hub for up-and-coming talents to really flourish with the 2023 season proving just that.
With a combined age of just 55, Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC), and Olivia Moultrie (Portland) all had fine breakout campaigns.
The league’s track record of seeing young stars shine is now well established thanks to previous success stories like Naomi Girma, Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman.
With more experienced players being lured to Europe, youth will continue to have a big impact in the NWSL going forward.
San Diego Wave's Naomi Girma was named NWSL Defender of the Year for a second consecutive season
The immovable Naomi Girma
For the second year running, Naomi Girma was named NWSL Defender of the Year after helping San Diego Wave to top of the regular season standings.
The only player to achieve the feat previously was former USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn who completed a hat-trick from 2013 to 2015. Fine company indeed.
Arguably one of the best ball playing centre-backs on the planet right now, 23-year-old Girma starred in 19 of the 22 league games across the season including in each of San Diego's nine clean sheets. The Wave had the second best defensive record in the league, conceding 22 goals.
Girma recently penned a new long-term deal at the club and is going from strength to strength under Wave head coach and former England defender Casey Stoney.
As things go, expect her to match Sauerbrunn’s ‘three-peat’ next year.
Girma was beaten to the league MVP award by North Carolina Courage's Brazilian forward Kerolin with Portland's Sophia Smith claiming the Golden Boot.
Portland Thorns' Sophia Smith (C) won the 2023 NWSL Golden Boot
This is just the start
Next year, the NWSL will expand to 14 teams with the return of the Utah Royals and the arrival of Californian newcomers Bay FC.
Both franchises will acquire players via the 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft on 15 December with existing clubs having until three days before that to protect up to nine players apiece.
That will not be the end of the growth as plans are already in place for a 16-team league.
Over one million fans piled into stadiums for this year's competition with attendances set to rise further in 2024.
There is also growing demand for viewership for supporters who cannot get to games with the league securing a blockbuster broadcast deal between Prime Video, CBS, ESPN, and ABC; a game-changing move for women’s soccer in the United States.
The National Women’s Soccer League is on the up and up.