Ranking the 25 best NWSL players of 2026 (so far)

May 8, 2026 No Comments

NWSL Top 25: The best players of 2026, rankedplayWhy Olivia Moultrie is a future superstar in the NWSL (0:53)Jeff Kassouf breaks down Olivia Moultrie’s superb play so far for the Portland Thorns. (0:53)Jeff KassoufMay 8, 2026, 06:12 AM ETClose

Jeff Kassouf covers women’s soccer for ESPN, focusing on the USWNT and NWSL. In 2009, he founded The Equalizer, a women’s soccer news outlet, and he previously won a Sports Emmy at NBC Sports and Olympics.

Multiple Authors

Roughly one-quarter of the 2026 NWSL season is complete, and the stars of the new campaign are beginning to shine.

The sample size is large enough now that we can declare with confidence which players have risen above the rest to be the best in their positions, or, across all positions in the league.

So, who is the best player in the NWSL right now? And which other players have pulled away from the pack to put in elite campaigns to date? Introducing the first edition of ESPN’s NWSL Top 25, a ranking of the best players based on their form so far this season.

How we rank NWSL players, and what to expect

Firstly, this is not an overall ranking of the best players in the NWSL based on historical performances or the skill we know a player might possess. This ranking puts aside name recognition and past seasons to focus solely on what players have produced in the six to eight games that every team has played thus far.

The only thing that matters is what they’ve done for their clubs since the NWSL season began on March 13. This means that there are loads of big-name players who missed the cut — for now.

If you followed ESPN’s NWSL coverage in previous seasons, you’ll remember our MVP Tracker. Consider this Top 25 an expanded, refreshed version of that exercise, one which recognizes a higher volume of top performers. We will revisit the Top 25 throughout the season.

Second, this list combines copious amounts of film analysis — I’m watching every weekend (and Wednesdays!) like you — with advanced data. This is not purely a numbers-driven list, nor is it baseless opinion. It is research driven. (Note: All data is provided by ESPN Global Research.)

Finally, and to the point about data: I have made a conscious effort to at least have awareness of positional balance while compiling this list. That does not mean there will be two full starting XIs, but it is to say that this is not just a list of players who have scored the most goals. This long list started with over 50 players.

Enough with the suspense-building. Onto the list!

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25. Sam Meza, defensive midfielder, Seattle Reign

Meza is second in the NWSL in defensive interventions, a metric that combines seven major defensive measurements including duels and tackles. Her well-rounded game was on display in an assertive performance in the Reign’s early-season win over the Kansas City Current.

24. Jordynn Dudley, winger, Gotham FC

Who cares that she is a rookie? Dudley has immediately adapted to the professional game to play the provider role for a surging Gotham team. She glides through defenses on the wing and punishes teams from the end-line with smart crosses.

23. Sveindís Jónsdóttir, forward, Angel City FC

Angel City’s No. 9 started the season on fire, with three goals and two assists in her first three games. She is without a goal contribution in three games since, however. The Icelandic international remains an attacking threat for one of the surprise teams thus far.

22. Haley McCutcheon, attacking midfielder, Orlando Pride

“McClutcheon,” as I called her in last year’s playoffs and will absolutely take credit for, is once again a picture of consistency for Orlando, this time in a slightly higher area of the field with 40-year-old Marta surprisingly relegated to the bench.

21. Jane Campbell, goalkeeper, Houston Dash

Campbell leads the league in goals prevented (5.87), no surprise for anyone who watched her single-handedly preserve a 1-0 season-opening win over the San Diego Wave. Campbell and the Dash have only conceded eight goals in six games this season this season, and the vibes are better than ever in Houston.

Denver goalkeeper Abby Smith (second in the NWSL in goals prevented) has been better contributing at sparking her team’s attack, and Bay FC’s Jordan Silkowitz has saved more shots, but Campbell is the early league leader between the posts.

20. Esme Morgan, centerback, Washington Spirit

Morgan has been the steadier central defender so far this season for the Spirit. She ranks slightly behind Utah’s Kate Del Fava in defensive interventions among centerbacks, but Morgan is less prone to errors on the ball and gets the early-season nod in the positional battle.

19. Ryan Williams, fullback, North Carolina Courage

Williams’ attacking abilities from the fullback position are not new, but her production from the relatively deep position remains incredible. She is tied for sixth in the NWSL in chances created and tied for the league lead with three assists.

18. Lia Godfrey, attacking midfielder, San Diego Wave

Godfrey’s first three goals as a professional were game-winners across four games. She added a fourth goal recently from the important No. 10 role with the Wave. This pace will be hard to sustain, but her production so far is impressive for anyone, rookie or not.

17. Kiki Van Zanten, forward, Houston Dash

Van Zanten’s four goals have come in two-goal batches, but she continues to generate chances (T-9 in NWSL) for a Houston team that is rooted in a high-pressure, high-energy identity.

16. Melissa Kössler, forward, Denver Summit

Kössler is one of the surprise players of the year so far in the NWSL with four goals. The German forward has a commanding presence on the field and a nose for goal. Did you see her first touch in the buildup to Denver’s second goal against San Diego (which was a pseudo assist for Kössler)? It was pristine.

15. Manaka Matsukubo, attacking midfielder, North Carolina Courage

Last year’s NWSL-midfielder-of-the-year-who-really-played-forward is back to the art of distorting traditional positions. She’s a blend of a No. 9 and No. 10 depending on the day, and she remains one of the most exciting players in the league. Manaka has three goals and an assist in only five games after returning from Japan’s Asia Cup triumph.

14. Claire Hutton, defensive midfielder, Bay FC

Hutton’s shocking offseason move from Kansas City to Bay FC added additional pressure to the 20-year-old, but she is as confident as ever (including for the USWNT). Hutton has masterfully dribbled out of tight spaces with the ball, and she is everywhere on the field defensively.

13. Jessie Fleming, defensive midfielder, Portland Thorns

Fleming is shouldering the additional weight left by former captain Sam Coffey’s offseason departure and she’s doing it well. Fleming does not have the flashy role in this successful Thorns midfield, but she is the foundation of why they have found such disciplined defensive structure under new head coach Robert Vilahamn. Fleming is tied for fifth in the NWSL in defensive interventions.

12. Trinity Rodman, winger, Washington Spirit

Rodman’s year started out quiet for her standards, especially after signing a world-record contract in January, but she was still creating opportunities. Then it all clicked. Rodman has been on fire over the past three games, logging three goals and three assists to help the Spirit surge up to second place.

11. Kennedy Wesley, centerback, San Diego Wave

Wesley has successfully picked up the torch left in San Diego by longtime friend and teammate Naomi Girma as an exceptional two-way centerback. Wesley leads the NWSL by a wide margin in completed passes and touches, thanks to San Diego’s possession-heavy style. In a league that has often had a dearth of top global centerbacks, Wesley looks like a star in the making.

10. Pietra Tordin, forward, Portland Thorns

Sophia Wilson is back to 90 minutes fit and beginning to take some of the scoring load, but Tordin has carried that weight early with three goals and three assists for the Thorns. The 22-year-old Tordin has played her way into wider conversations, like the longer-term USWNT picture.

9. Cloé Lacasse, winger, Utah Royals

Utah’s amazing start to the season can’t be attributed to just one player, but Lacasse has been the standout for the Royals thus far. She has terrorized defenses on the left flank in transition. Lacasse has three goals and two assists so far, including goals in three straight games for the second-place (!) Royals.

8. Leicy Santos, attacking midfielder, Washington Spirit

Santos pulls the strings in the Spirit midfield. She has the freedom to venture forward and create thanks to the defensive cover that defensive midfielder Hal Hershfelt provides. Santos is great at making late runs into the box to get on the end of service, as she did for both of her goals against Kansas City, with three goals and an assist overall so far this season.

7. Ashley Sanchez, winger, North Carolina Courage

It’s all coming together for Sanchez in 2026. She scored five goals in her first seven games while playing a wider role. That wide role is a surprising twist for a player who has long been at her best as a No. 10 with freedom, but the shift has isolated her against defenders to let her 1-v-1 skills shine.

Sanchez has scored off the dribble, in transition, with her head, and even via a cheeky scoop shot as she drifts in from the left side.

6. Barbra Banda, forward, Orlando Pride

Banda keeps reminding the rest of the league that they were spared half a season of defending her after she got injured last August. She is back with a vengeance, however, and scoring incredible goals from tight spaces like the two she notched last weekend against Washington.

Banda’s seven goals this season have set the early pace for the Golden Boot.

5. Rose Lavelle, attacking midfielder, Gotham FC

Peak, healthy Rose Lavelle has returned after a strong 2025 campaign that was capped by her NWSL Championship-winning goal. Lavelle continues to be the creative magician in the middle of the park for Gotham this season. She can play the final ball and progressive pass that starts an opportunity.

4. Kenza Dali, defensive midfielder, San Diego Wave

Any neutral soccer purist can kick back and be entertained by Dali, who at nearly 35 years old still makes everything look easy. The veteran French midfielder has exquisite vision, incomparable passing precision, and serves as the heart of the Wave. A radar chart of Dali in possession looks like a bullseye, because she’s that good. Just like last year, there is no better regista in the NWSL.

3. Rosemonde Kouassi, winger, Washington Spirit

Kouassi ranks second in the NWSL in chances created behind Dali, and she does the hard work off the ball to get the Spirit cooking in transition. Kouassi served up an assist on a platter for Rodman last weekend in a 4-2 win over Orlando, placing it so perfectly that Rodman just sort of ran into it for the tap-in.

Kouassi gives the Spirit balance on the other wing and loves to run at defenders to get to the endline. She has not yet scored this season, which is the one blemish on her individual record, but Kouassi has three assists and has played provider for Rodman and Sofia Cantore.

2. Dudinha, winger, San Diego Wave

Dudinha brings Brazilian flair to complement her two goals and three assists so far. The 20-year-old Dudinha uses her agility to put opponents under pressure as they try to build out of the back, a tactic which led directly to a goal against Utah early in the season.

Then, when she gets on the ball, Dudinha runs at defenders with confidence and frequently gets to the endline to turn her opponents and put them in compromising positions. One Wave goal that won’t show on Dudinha’s stat sheet is the game-winner to complete a 3-2 comeback against Denver. It was an own goal created by Dudinha beating her defender on the left sideline, rounding the corner, and crossing the ball into the goalmouth. She leads the NWSL in 1-v-1 take-ons.

1. Olivia Moultrie, attacking midfielder, Portland Thorns

Moultrie is the early contender for the NWSL MVP award with four goals, three assists and 17 chances created for the league-leading Portland Thorns. She is the combination of art and science, a player obsessed with results and determined to find creative, audacious solutions.

Moultrie sees the game differently. I dare you to watch her assist from Sunday and not be astounded at how Moultrie saw and executed that pass. She invites pressure from defenders and thrives as space closes.

She is 20 years old and in her sixth professional season, which is still hard to comprehend. Moultrie was one big part of the reason the Thorns over-performed last year. With Coffey no longer in Portland, Moultrie is now the main attraction in midfield. When she is on the ball, it is must-watch entertainment. Other clubs around the world are surely taking notes.