2021 National Women's Soccer League season

The 2021 National Women's Soccer League season was the ninth season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it is the 15th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States.

National Women's Soccer League

Season	2021
Champions	Washington Spirit (1st title)
NWSL Shield	Portland Thorns FC (2nd shield)
Challenge Cup	Portland Thorns FC (1st cup)
Matches played	120
Goals scored	278 (2.32 per match)
Top goalscorer	Ashley Hatch (10 goals)
Biggest home win	POR 5–0 CHI (May 16) NC 5–0 LOU (May 28)
Biggest away win	LOU 0–4 HOU (Sept 26)
Highest scoring	RGN 5–1 HOU (Aug 7)
Longest winning run	4 games NC (June 19 - July 4) POR (July 7 - Aug 26) WAS (Oct 9 – Oct 31)
Longest unbeaten run	8 games NJY (June 5 – Aug 7) POR (July 3 – Aug 26) RGN (Aug 14 - Oct 13) NJY (Sept 4 – Oct 31)
Longest winless run	13 games KC (May 15–Aug 15)
Longest losing run	6 games KC (May 26–July 27)
Highest attendance	27,278 RGN vs. POR (August 29, 2021) (NWSL Record)
Lowest attendance	1,929 HOU vs. POR (July 24, 2021)
Total attendance	592,074
Average attendance	5,104
← 2020 2022 → All statistics correct as of June 23, 2024. Attendance at 2 matches were not reported.

This season was the first in which the NWSL has been fully self-governing. After the 2020 season, the league terminated its management contract with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF or U.S. Soccer), which nonetheless continues to provide major financial support to the NWSL.^[1] Further financial backing is provided by the Canadian Soccer Association. Both national federations pay the league salaries of many of their respective national team members in an effort to nurture talent in those nations and take a major financial burden off of individual clubs.

On November 18, 2020, the NWSL announced new competition formats for the 2021 season.^[2] The Challenge Cup became a league cup competition played before the start of the regular season. The Cup was followed by the 24-match regular season, which began on May 15 and concluded on October 31. The playoffs were expanded to include the six teams, with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye. Playoffs started on November 6 and concluded with the NWSL Championship on November 20.^[3]

In the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup, Portland Thorns FC and NJ/NY Gotham FC won the West and East Divisions, respectively, earning the right to play in the final. As Portland had the better record, they hosted the final, which was played on May 8 in Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. The game was a 1–1 draw after 90 minutes; Portland won the ensuing penalty shootout 6–5 to win the cup.^[4]

In the regular season, the Portland Thorns won the most points and thus earned the NWSL Shield.

In the playoffs, the Washington Spirit and Chicago Red Stars progressed to the final, which was played on Nov. 20, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky. The Spirit prevailed 2–1 in overtime, winning the NWSL Championship.

The season was also marked by a sexual misconduct controversy that erupted on September 30, when The Athletic published an investigation into North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley that accused him of a pattern of sexual coercion and abuse, and also alleged numerous inappropriate comments about players' physical appearance and sexuality. More than a dozen players from every team Riley had coached since 2010 spoke to the publication, and two named players went on the record with allegations against him. The Courage fired Riley that day, and U.S. Soccer immediately suspended his coaching license.^[5] The next day, the NWSL called off all of its scheduled matches for that weekend, both FIFA and U.S. Soccer announced they were starting their own investigations into Riley, league commissioner Lisa Baird resigned, and league general counsel Lisa Levine was dismissed. Further reporting revealed systemic failure by NWSL leadership to investigate allegations against Riley, including some made in the 2021 season.^[6][7]

Teams, stadiums, and personnel

Team names

Before the start of the season, Sky Blue FC rebranded as NJ/NY Gotham FC with new team insignia, jerseys, and colors.^[8]

The new Kansas City team, which played the 2021 season under the placeholder name of Kansas City NWSL, announced its permanent identity of Kansas City Current at its final home game on October 30.^[9]

Stadiums and locations

See also: List of National Women's Soccer League stadiums

Capacities listed here are full capacities, and do not reflect COVID-19 restrictions.

Team Stadium Capacity Chicago Red Stars SeatGeek Stadium 20,000 Houston Dash PNC Stadium[a] 7,000[b] Kansas City Legends Field[11] 10,385 NJ/NY Gotham FC Red Bull Arena 25,000 MSU Soccer Park[c] 5,000 North Carolina Courage Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park 10,000 OL Reign Cheney Stadium 6,500 Orlando Pride Exploria Stadium 25,500 Portland Thorns FC Providence Park 25,218 Racing Louisville FC Lynn Family Stadium 11,700[d] Washington Spirit[e] Audi Field 20,000 Segra Field 5,000 This venue was known as BBVA Stadium at the start of the season. It was renamed PNC Stadium after PNC Financial Services completed its purchase of BBVA USA on June 1.[10] The full capacity is 22,039, but the maximum capacity for Dash games is restricted to 7,000. Gotham FC played their Challenge Cup home games at the MSU Soccer Park. Seated capacity; full capacity with standing room is 15,304. The Spirit were scheduled to play seven regular-season games at Audi Field and five at Segra Field.[12] Their scheduled home opener on May 26 at Segra Field became a road game at Houston due to construction delays, and the home date was not made up.[13]

Red Stars Dash Kansas City Gotham Courage Reign Pride Thorns Racing Spirit Locations of the National Women's Soccer League teams in 2021.

Personnel and sponsorship

Note: All teams use Nike as their kit manufacturer.

Team	Head coach	Captain	Shirt sponsor
Chicago Red Stars	Rory Dames	Julie Ertz
Houston Dash	James Clarkson	Jane Campbell Rachel Daly	MD Anderson Cancer Center
Kansas City	Huw Williams	Rachel Corsie[14]	Palmer Square Capital Management[15]
NJ/NY Gotham FC	Scott Parkinson	McCall Zerboni[16]	Avaya[17]
North Carolina Courage	Sean Nahas (interim)	Abby Erceg	Continental AG
OL Reign	Laura Harvey	Lauren Barnes Megan Rapinoe	Black Future Co-op Fund[18]
Orlando Pride	Becky Burleigh (interim)	Ashlyn Harris	Orlando Health
Portland Thorns FC	Mark Parsons	Christine Sinclair	Providence Health & Services
Racing Louisville FC	Mario Sanchez (interim)	Michelle Betos[19]	GE Appliances[20]
Washington Spirit		Tori Huster[21] Andi Sullivan	IntelliBridge[22]

Coaching changes

Team	Outgoing coach	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Position in table	Incoming coach	Date of appointment	Ref.
Racing Louisville FC				Preseason	Christy Holly	August 12, 2020	[23]
Kansas City				Preseason	Huw Williams	December 7, 2020	[24]
OL Reign	Farid Benstiti	Resigned	July 2, 2021	9th	Sam Laity (interim)	July 2, 2021	[25]
Orlando Pride	Marc Skinner	Resigned	July 23, 2021	5th	Becky Burleigh (interim)	July 25, 2021	[26][27]
OL Reign	Sam Laity (interim)	End of interim period	August 9, 2021[a]	6th	Laura Harvey	July 15, 2021	[30]
Washington Spirit	Richie Burke	Reassigned[b]	August 10, 2021	7th			[33]
NJ/NY Gotham FC	Freya Coombe	Mutual separation	August 30, 2021	7th	Scott Parkinson	August 31, 2021	[34][35]
Racing Louisville FC	Christy Holly	Terminated for cause	August 31, 2021	9th	Mario Sanchez (interim)	August 31, 2021	[36]
North Carolina Courage	Paul Riley	Terminated	September 30, 2021	3rd	Sean Nahas (interim)	September 30, 2021	[37]

1. Although Harvey was appointed on July 15, 2021, she officially took up the position on August 9, 2021.^[28][29]
2. The Spirit initially re-assigned Burke to the front office but suspended him one day later pending an investigation by the league.^[31] He was terminated for cause on September 28, 2021, after the league concluded its investigation.^[32]

Regular season

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Portland Thorns FC	24	13	5	6	33	17	+16	44	NWSL Shield
2	OL Reign	24	13	3	8	37	24	+13	42	Playoffs – Semi-finals
3	Washington Spirit (C)	24	11	6	7	29	26	+3	39	Playoffs – First round
4	Chicago Red Stars	24	11	5	8	28	28	0	38
5	NJ/NY Gotham FC	24	8	11	5	29	21	+8	35
6	North Carolina Courage	24	9	6	9	28	23	+5	33
7	Houston Dash	24	9	5	10	31	31	0	32
8	Orlando Pride	24	7	7	10	27	32	−5	28
9	Racing Louisville FC	24	5	7	12	21	40	−19	22
10	Kansas City	24	3	7	14	15	36	−21	16

Source: NWSL
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(C) Champions

Tiebreakers

The initial determining factor for a team's position in the standings (and hence playoff qualification and seeding) is points earned, with three points earned for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. If two or more teams are tied in points, the NWSL uses the following tiebreaker criteria in the order listed:^[38]

1. Head-to-head win–loss record, or points per game if more than two teams, between the teams tied in points.
2. Greatest goal difference (against all teams, not just tied teams).
3. Greatest total number of goals scored (against all teams, not just tied teams).
4. Apply #1–3 to games played on the road.
5. Apply #1–3 to games played at home.
6. Coin toss or drawing of lots.

Note: If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, tiebreaker determination restarts at step 1.

Attendance

See also: National Women's Soccer League attendance

NWSL attendance in 2021 was impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Some early-season matches were closed to the public because of COVID restrictions, and when games were opened, many teams had lower average attendances than the most recent regular season in 2019. This table excludes the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup.

Average home attendances

Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.^{[citation needed]}

Team	GP	Attendance	High	Low	Average
Portland Thorns FC	9	112,992	17,584	5,819	12,555
Racing Louisville FC	12	79,042	8,488	5,843	6,587
OL Reign	12	62,885	27,278	2,104	5,240
North Carolina Courage	12	59,837	7,064	3,523	4,986
Kansas City	12	58,043	6,345	3,449	4,837
Orlando Pride	12	50,728	5,755	3,407	4,227
Washington Spirit	10	41,304	6,002	2,233	4,130
NJ/NY Gotham FC	12	45,516	9,532	1,924	3,793
Houston Dash	13	44,017	4,792	1,929	3,386
Chicago Red Stars	12	37,710	4,488	2,265	3,143
Total	116	592,074	27,278	1,924	5,104

Updated through 2021 season. Two matches were not reported, mostly resulting from the absence of fans due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Portland Thorns FC were the only club not to report matches (versus Louisville June 5 and Kansas City June 20). Two matches (September 4 Washington at Portland and September 12 OL Reign at Washington) were declared forfeits by Washington due to COVID protocol violations and not played. Due to construction delays, Washington's scheduled home opener on May 26 at Segra Field became a road game at Houston, and the home date was not made up.

Statistical leaders

As of October 31, 2021.^[39][40]

Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Ashley Hatch Washington Spirit 10 2 Bethany Balcer OL Reign 9 Rachel Daly Houston Dash Midge Purce NJ/NY Gotham FC 5 Sydney Leroux Orlando Pride 8 Ifeoma Onumonu NJ/NY Gotham FC 7 Eugénie Le Sommer OL Reign 7 Sophia Smith Portland Thorns FC Lynn Williams North Carolina Courage 10 Megan Rapinoe OL Reign 6 Trinity Rodman Washington Spirit Ebony Salmon Racing Louisville FC

Top assists Rank Player Club Assists 1 Sofia Huerta OL Reign 6 Trinity Rodman Washington Spirit 3 Caprice Dydasco NJ/NY Gotham FC 5 Carson Pickett North Carolina Courage 5 Jess Fishlock OL Reign 4 Nahomi Kawasumi NJ/NY Gotham FC Kristie Mewis Houston Dash Ifeoma Onumonu NJ/NY Gotham FC Courtney Petersen Orlando Pride Mallory Pugh Chicago Red Stars Kealia Watt Chicago Red Stars

Clean sheets Rank Player Club Clean sheets 1 Casey Murphy North Carolina Courage 11 2 Bella Bixby Portland Thorns FC 9 3 Aubrey Bledsoe Washington Spirit 8 4 Adrianna Franch 2 teams 7 Sarah Bouhaddi OL Reign 6 Kailen Sheridan NJ/NY Gotham FC 6 7 Cassie Miller Chicago Red Stars 5 8 Michelle Betos Racing Louisville FC 4 Jane Campbell Houston Dash 10 Ashlyn Harris Orlando Pride 3 Alyssa Naeher Chicago Red Stars

Hat-tricks Player For Against Score Date

Playoffs

Further information: NWSL Playoffs

Beginning this season, the top six teams from the regular season competed for the NWSL Championship, with the top two teams receiving a first-round bye.^[2][41]

	First round					Semi-finals					Championship
						1	Portland Thorns FC	0
	4	Chicago Red Stars	1			4	Chicago Red Stars	2
	5	NJ/NY Gotham FC	0								4	Chicago Red Stars	1
											3	Washington Spirit (a.e.t.)	2
						2	OL Reign	1
	3	Washington Spirit (a.e.t.)	1			3	Washington Spirit	2
	6	North Carolina Courage	0

First round

Chicago Red Stars	1–0	NJ/NY Gotham FC
Woldmoe  51' Pugh 61' DiBernardo  80'	Report	Freeman  67' Lloyd  72' Johnson  90'

November 7, 2021

15:00 ET

SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Illinois

Attendance: 7,027

Referee: Kevin Broadley

Washington Spirit	1–0 (a.e.t.)	North Carolina Courage
Hatch 113'	Report

November 7, 2021

17:30 ET

Audi Field, Washington, D.C.

Attendance: 5,379

Referee: Natalie Simon

Semi-finals

OL Reign	1–2	Washington Spirit
Le Sommer 3' Rapinoe  88' Watt  89'	Report	Rodman 12' O'Hara  61' Sanchez 68'

November 14, 2021

15:00 ET

Cheney Stadium, Tacoma, Washington

Attendance: 5,273

Referee: Matt Franz

Portland Thorns FC	0–2	Chicago Red Stars
Salem  80'	Report	Johnson 37' Woldmoe 59'

November 14, 2021

17:30 ET

Providence Park, Portland, Oregon

Attendance: 15,832

Referee: Katja Koroleva

Championship

Washington Spirit	2–1 (a.e.t.)	Chicago Red Stars
Sullivan 67' (pen.) O'Hara 97' Roddar  101'	Report	Hill 45+5'

November 20, 2021

12:00 ET

Lynn Family Stadium, Louisville, Kentucky

Attendance: 10,360

Referee: Tori Penso

Championship MVP: Aubrey Bledsoe (WAS)

Challenge Cup

Main article: 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup

The 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup was a tournament-style competition starting on April 9 and ending with a final played on May 8, before the start of the regular NWSL season. The tournament was organized as a group stage with two five-team, geographically chosen groups playing a round-robin, followed by a single-game final featuring the top team from each group. NJ/NY Gotham FC won the Eastern Division and the Portland Thorns won the Western one. In the final, held at Providence Park in Portland, these two teams tied 1-1 after 90 minutes and went straight to a penalty-kick shootout, with Portland prevailing 6–5 in seven rounds of penalties.

East Division

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	NJ/NY Gotham FC	4	2	2	0	5	3	+2	8	Qualification for the Championship
2	North Carolina Courage	4	2	1	1	9	8	+1	7
3	Orlando Pride	4	1	2	1	3	3	0	5
4	Washington Spirit	4	1	1	2	3	4	−1	4
5	Racing Louisville FC	4	0	2	2	4	6	−2	2

Source: NWSL
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

West Division

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Portland Thorns FC	4	3	1	0	6	2	+4	10	Qualification for the Championship
2	OL Reign	4	2	1	1	5	5	0	7
3	Houston Dash	4	1	3	0	4	2	+2	6
4	Chicago Red Stars	4	0	2	2	3	5	−2	2
5	Kansas City	4	0	1	3	4	8	−4	1

Source: NWSL
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Championship

Main article: 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup Championship

Portland Thorns FC	1–1	NJ/NY Gotham FC
Sinclair 8' Charley  79'	Report	Lewandowski  38' Lloyd 61'
Penalties
Sinclair Klingenberg Horan Rodríguez Dunn Sauerbrunn Weaver	6–5	Long Lloyd Cudjoe Freeman Onumonu Viens Kawasumi

May 8, 2021 (2021-05-08)

10:00 PT

Providence Park, Portland, Oregon

Referee: Natalie Simon

Individual awards

As of November 20, 2021

Annual awards

Further information: NWSL awards

Award	Winner		Nominees	Ref.
Golden Boot	Ashley Hatch (10 G)	Washington Spirit		[42]
Coach of the Year	Laura Harvey	OL Reign	Mark Parsons, POR Scott Parkinson, NJY	[43]
Rookie of the Year	Trinity Rodman	Washington Spirit	Emily Fox, LOU Victoria Pickett, KC	[44]
Goalkeeper of the Year	Aubrey Bledsoe	Washington Spirit	Kailen Sheridan, NJY Bella Bixby, POR	[45]
Defender of the Year	Caprice Dydasco	NJ/NY Gotham FC	Sarah Gorden, CHI Emily Menges, POR Carson Pickett, NCC Alana Cook, RGN	[46]
Most Valuable Player	Jess Fishlock	OL Reign	Mallory Pugh, CHI Midge Purce, NJY Ashley Hatch, WAS Angela Salem, POR	[47]

Teams of the Year

NWSL Teams of the Season
Pos.	Best XI		Second XI		Ref.
GK	Kailen Sheridan	NJ/NY Gotham FC	Bella Bixby	Portland Thorns FC	[48]
DF	Carson Pickett	North Carolina Courage	Emily Fox	Racing Louisville FC
	Sarah Gorden	Chicago Red Stars	Emily Menges	Portland Thorns FC
	Alana Cook	OL Reign	Meghan Klingenberg	Portland Thorns FC
	Caprice Dydasco	NJ/NY Gotham FC	Sofia Huerta	OL Reign
MF/FW	Jess Fishlock	OL Reign	Lindsey Horan	Portland Thorns FC
	Eugénie Le Sommer	OL Reign	Rachel Daly	Houston Dash
	Angela Salem	Portland Thorns FC	Mallory Pugh	Chicago Red Stars
	Midge Purce	NJ/NY Gotham FC	Sydney Leroux	Orlando Pride
	Ashley Hatch	Washington Spirit	Bethany Balcer	OL Reign
	Trinity Rodman	Washington Spirit	Ifeoma Onumonu	NJ/NY Gotham FC

NWSL Championship Game MVP
Player	Club
Aubrey Bledsoe	Washington Spirit

Monthly Awards

Player of the Month

Further information: NWSL Player of the Month

Month	Player	Club	Ref.
May	Alex Morgan	Orlando Pride	[49]
June	Lynn Williams	North Carolina Courage	[50]
July	Ashley Hatch	Washington Spirit	[51]
August	Megan Rapinoe	OL Reign	[52]
September	Bethany Balcer	OL Reign	[53]
October	Midge Purce	NJ/NY Gotham FC	[54]

Team of the Month

Further information: NWSL Team of the Month

Month	Goalkeeper	Defenders	Midfielders	Forwards	Ref.
May	Kailen Sheridan, NJY	Caprice Dydasco, NJY Emily Fox, LOU Phoebe McClernon, ORL Carson Pickett, NC	Debinha, NC Crystal Dunn, POR Jessica Fishlock, RGN	Sydney Leroux, ORL Alex Morgan, ORL Mallory Pugh, CHI	[55]
June	Michelle Betos, LOU	Caprice Dydasco, NJY (2) Abby Erceg, NC Courtney Petersen, ORL Becky Sauerbrunn, POR	Tori Huster, WAS Kristie Mewis, HOU Sam Mewis, NC	Marta, ORL Trinity Rodman, WAS Lynn Williams, NC	[56]
July	Bella Bixby, POR	Caprice Dydasco, NJY (3) Emily Menges, POR Meghan Klingenberg, POR Katie Naughton, HOU	Andi Sullivan, WAS Allie Long, NJY Morgan Gautrat, CHI	Sydney Leroux, ORL (2) Mallory Pugh, CHI (2) Ashley Hatch, WAS	[57]
August	Casey Murphy, NC	Caprice Dydasco, NJY (4) Emily Menges, POR (2) Ali Krieger, ORL Carson Pickett, NC (2)	Jessica Fishlock, RGN (2) Denise O'Sullivan, NC Angela Salem, POR	Nadia Nadim, LOU Ifeoma Onumonu, NJY Megan Rapinoe, RGN	[58]
September	Kailen Sheridan, NJY (2)	Tierna Davidson, CHI Sofia Huerta, RGN Estelle Johnson, NJY Casey Krueger, CHI	Morgan Gautrat, CHI (2) Dzenifer Marozsan, RGN Angela Salem, POR (2)	Bethany Balcer, RGN Rachel Daly, HOU Eugenie Le Sommer, RGN	[59]
October	Aubrey Bledsoe, WAS	Caprice Dydasco, NJY (5) Sofia Huerta, RGN (2) Sarah Gorden, CHI Sam Staab, WAS	Jessica Fishlock, RGN (3) Morgan Gautrat, CHI (3) Angela Salem, POR (3)	Ashley Hatch, WAS (2) Midge Purce, NJY Trinity Rodman, WAS (2)	[60]

Weekly awards

Further information: NWSL Player of the Week

For weekly awards during the Challenge Cup, see 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup § Weekly awards.

Week	Player of the Week		Save of the Week		Ref.
	Player	Club	Player	Club
1	Midge Purce	NJ/NY Gotham FC	Ashlyn Harris	Orlando Pride	[61][62]
2	Emina Ekic	Racing Louisville FC	Erin McLeod	Orlando Pride	[63][64]
3	Mallory Pugh	Chicago Red Stars	Kailen Sheridan	NJ/NY Gotham FC	[65][66]
4	Lindsey Horan	Portland Thorns FC	Ashlyn Harris (2)	Orlando Pride	[67][68]
5	Michelle Betos	Racing Louisville FC	Abby Smith	Kansas City	[69][70]
6	Lynn Williams	North Carolina Courage	Michelle Betos	Racing Louisville FC	[71][72]
7	Havana Solaun	North Carolina Courage	Ashlyn Harris (3)	Orlando Pride	[73][74]
8	Ashley Hatch	Washington Spirit	Didi Haracic	NJ/NY Gotham FC	[75][76]
9	Mallory Pugh (2)	Chicago Red Stars	Ashlyn Harris (4)	Orlando Pride	[77][78]
10	Tziarra King	OL Reign	Ashlyn Harris (5)	Orlando Pride	[79][80]
11	Eugenie Le Sommer	OL Reign	Bella Bixby	Portland Thorns FC	[81][82]
12	Bethany Balcer	OL Reign	Christen Westphal	Portland Thorns FC	[83][84]
13	Ifeoma Onumonu	NJ/NY Gotham FC	Ashlyn Harris (6)	Orlando Pride	[85][86]
14	Megan Rapinoe	OL Reign	Sarah Bouhaddi	OL Reign	[87][88]
15	Sarah Woldmoe	Chicago Red Stars	Ashlyn Harris (7)	Orlando Pride	[89][90]
16	Bethany Balcer (2)	OL Reign	Ashlyn Harris (8)	Orlando Pride	[91][92]
17	Sydney Leroux	Orlando Pride	Bella Bixby (2)	Portland Thorns FC	[93][94]
18	Eugenie Le Sommer (2)	OL Reign	Ashlyn Harris (9)	Orlando Pride	[95][96]
19	Games postponed				[97]
20	Rachel Daly	Houston Dash	Ashlyn Harris (10)	Orlando Pride	[98][99]
21	Midge Purce (2)	NJ/NY Gotham FC	Jess Fishlock	OL Reign	[100][101]
22	Eugenie Le Sommer (3)	OL Reign	Kailen Sheridan (2)	NJ/NY Gotham FC	[102][103]

References

1. Linehan, Meg; Rueter, Jeff (January 12, 2021). "NWSL news galore: Sacramento is in, the USSF is out, Utah investigation buried". The Athletic. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
2. "NWSL Announces Innovative 2021 Competition Framework". NWSL. November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
3. "NWSL Challenge Cup Set to be Played in Home Markets, Kickoff Scheduled for April 9". NWSL. January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
4. Donovan, Mike (May 8, 2021). "Challenge Cup Championship Recap". Portland Thorns FC. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
5. "North Carolina Courage fire coach Paul Riley amid 'serious allegations of misconduct'". ESPN.com. September 30, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
6. "NWSL postpones weekend matches over misconduct allegations". ESPN.com. October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
7. Carlisle (October 1, 2021). "NWSL postpones weekend matches over misconduct allegations". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
8. Gastelum, Andrew. "NWSL Club Sky Blue FC Rebrands as NJ/NY Gotham FC". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
9. "Kansas City Current Reveals Name and Crest at Inaugural Season Finale" (Press release). Kansas City Current. October 30, 2021.
10. "PNC Completes Acquisition of BBVA USA" (Press release). PNC Financial Services. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
11. Dornbrook, James (December 8, 2020). "Ownership group scores approval to bring professional women's soccer back to Kansas City". Bizwomen. The Business Journals. Retrieved January 23, 2021. The new team will begin play in 2021 at JustBats Field at T-Bones Stadium in Kansas City, Kan., which is being renovated.
12. Goff, Steven (November 8, 2019). "Washington Spirit to split home matches among three venues next season". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
13. Goff, Steven (May 24, 2021). "Spirit moves home opener to Houston after construction delays, friction with D.C. United". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
14. KC NWSL [@KCWOSO] (August 4, 2021). "Will Captain CorsieTrade mark sign get the ball right on the line? Watch till the end" (Tweet). Retrieved August 4, 2021 – via Twitter.
15. "KANSAS CITY NWSL ANNOUNCES PALMER SQUARE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AS INAUGURAL SEASON FRONT OF JERSEY PARTNER". Kansas City NWSL. April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
16. NJ/NY Gotham FC [@GothamFC] (April 8, 2021). "Your captain could never 🔥 ( 📸 : @DIdeeds ) https://t.co/fuM6rV5rJF" (Tweet). Archived from the original on April 8, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
17. "NJ/NY Gotham FC Announces Avaya as Premier Sponsor for 2021 Season". Gotham FC. April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
18. "OL Reign Unveil 2021 Jerseys Featuring Black Future Co-op Fund". OL REIGN: WE ARE THE BOLD.
19. "BETOS, MCCASKILL APPOINTED AS RACING LOUISVILLE FC'S CAPTAINS". Racing Louisville FC. April 8, 2021. Archived from the original on April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
20. "GE APPLIANCES EXPANDS PRO SOCCER SUPPORT TO RACING LOUISVILLE FC". Racing Louisville FC. December 17, 2020. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
21. Martin, Alejandra (November 30, 2020). "Spirit Re-Sign Co-Captain Tori Huster to a Multi-Year Deal". Washington Spirit. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
22. "Washington Spirit Announce IntelliBridge as Front of Jersey Sponsor for Remainder of 2021 » Washington Spirit". August 19, 2021.
23. "Christy Holly named first head coach in Racing Louisville FC history". NWSL. August 12, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
24. "Kansas City Returns to the NWSL as Expansion Team in 2021". NWSL. December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
25. "FARID BENSTITI RESIGNS AS HEAD COACH OF OL REIGN". OL Reign. July 2, 2021. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
26. "Marc Skinner Steps Down as Orlando Pride Head Coach". Orlando Pride. July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
27. "Becky Burleigh Appointed Orlando Pride Interim Head Coach". Orlando Pride. July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
28. Cristobal, Jacob (July 15, 2021). "Laura Harvey returns as head coach of OL Reign". Sounder At Heart. Retrieved July 16, 2021. Sam Laity will remain as interim head coach for the club's next four matches until Harvey returns, and will then continue on as an assistant coach.
29. Cristobal, Jacob (August 8, 2021). "OL Reign score five goals in the first half to beat Houston Dash, 5-1". Sounder At Heart. Retrieved August 8, 2021. ...incoming head coach Laura Harvey was in attendance and will begin her second stint as head coach of the Reign on Monday.
30. "LAURA HARVEY RETURNS AS HEAD COACH OF OL REIGN". OL Reign. July 15, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
31. "Statement From Steve Baldwin". Washington Spirit. August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
32. "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com.
33. "Richie Burke re-assigned to Spirit Front Office". Washington Spirit. August 10, 2021. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
34. "Gotham FC coach Freya Coombe to leave team Sunday after taking Angel City job". The Athletic. August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
35. "NJ/NY Gotham FC Announces New Head Coach and Assistant Coach". NJ/NY Gotham FC. August 31, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
36. "HOLLY'S CONTRACT TERMINATED; SANCHEZ APPOINTED INTERIM COACH". Racing Louisville FC. August 31, 2021. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
37. "NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE TERMINATE HEAD COACH PAUL RILEY, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY". North Carolina Courage. September 30, 2021. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
38. "2021 Competition Rules". NWSL. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
39. "NWSL Stats". NWSLsoccer.com. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
40. "2021 NWSL Stats". FBref. Sports Reference. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
41. "NWSL Announces 2021 Playoff Schedule". National Women's Soccer League. October 31, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
42. "Washington Spirit Forward Ashley Hatch Named 2021 NWSL Golden Boot Winner". National Women's Soccer League. November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
43. "OL Reign's Laura Harvey Named 2021 NWSL Coach of the Year". National Women's Soccer League.
44. "Washington Spirit Forward Trinity Rodman Named 2021 NWSL Rookie of the Year, Presented By Ally". National Women's Soccer League. November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
45. "Washington Spirit's Aubrey Bledsoe Named 2021 NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year". National Women's Soccer League. November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
46. "NJ/NY Gotham FC Back Caprice Dydasco Named 2021 NWSL Defender of the Year". National Women's Soccer League. November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
47. "OL Reign Midfielder Jessica Fishlock Named 2021 NWSL Most Valuable Player Presented by Budweiser". National Women's Soccer League. November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
48. "NWSL Announces the Winners of Mastercard Inaugural 2021 Best XI Awards". National Women's Soccer League. November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
49. "May Player of the Month: Alex Morgan". National Women's Soccer League. June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
50. "North Carolina Forward Lynn Williams Tabbed June Player of the Month". National Women's Soccer League. July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
51. "Washington Striker Ashley Hatch Named July Player of the Month". National Women's Soccer League. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
52. "OL Reign Forward Megan Rapinoe Named August Player of the Month". National Women's Soccer League. September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
53. "OL Reign Forward Bethany Balcer Named September Player of the Month". National Women's Soccer League. October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
54. "NJ/NY Gotham FC Forward Margaret Purce Named October Player of the Month". National Women's Soccer League. November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
55. "May Team of the Month". NWSLsoccer. NWSL. June 3, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
56. "NWSL Announces June Team of the Month". NWSLsoccer. NWSL. July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
57. "NWSL Announces July Team of the Month". NWSLsoccer. NWSL. August 6, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
58. "NWSL Announces August Team of the Month". NWSLsoccer. NWSL. September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
59. "NWSL Announces September Team of the Month". NWSLsoccer. NWSL. October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
60. "NWSL Announces October Team of the Month". NWSLsoccer. NWSL. November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
61. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (May 19, 2021). "Week 1 is @100Purcent 💯 The @GothamFC star takes home @budweiserusa Player of the Week honors 👏 #NWSL21 https://t.co/ExpUNNOdBk" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
62. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (May 19, 2021). "The VOTE is in...🗳️ @Ashlyn_Harris is this week's winner for @Verizon Save of the Week 👏 #NWSL21 | @ORLPride https://t.co/ZcdpLBEs1I" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
63. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (May 26, 2021). "Lady Lavender 💜 @emina_ekic10's standout performance earns the LOU City native @budweiserusa Player of the Week honors 👏 #NWSL21 https://t.co/hBhSIDWAFy" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
64. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (May 26, 2021). "All worthy, but only one winner 🥇 @erinmcleod18 takes home this week's @Verizon Save of the Week with this stop 🚫 #NWSL21 https://t.co/22v2O9eJTr" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021 – via Twitter.
65. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (June 2, 2021). "That Chi-Town shine ✨ @MalPugh takes home @budweiserusa Player of the Week honors 👏 https://t.co/OSjpSzZH6S" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
66. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (June 2, 2021). "The hero Gotham deserves 🦇 @Kailen_Sheridan's amazing stop takes home @Verizon Save of the Week honors for Week 3 ✅ @GothamFC | #NWSL21 https://t.co/AY7J4LEdsQ" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
67. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (June 9, 2021). "A thorn in the opposition's side 🌹 @LindseyHoran takes home @Budweiserusa Player of the Week honors for Week 4 👏 https://t.co/Mbsb6VwvHg" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
68. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (June 9, 2021). "You voted, and the winner is in...🗳️ @Ashlyn_Harris' diving stop takes home @Verizon Save of the Week honors for Week 4 👏 https://t.co/G68MVASeC1" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
69. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (June 24, 2021). "No bet here, it's a sure thing 🔒 Drop a 🍻 in the comments for your @budweiserusa Player of the Week winner, @MichelleBetos ⤵️ https://t.co/oQTyqUikf0" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
70. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (June 23, 2021). "The pick of the bunch 💯 @abbyys44's penalty stop earns the @KCWoSo keeper @Verizon Save of the Week honors 👏 #NWSL21 https://t.co/dIfA3UTtVi" (Tweet). Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
71. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (June 30, 2021). "There could only be one 🔥 Drop a 🍻 for the @budweiserusa Player of the Week, @lynnraenie 👏 https://t.co/odvFmwQ8cL" (Tweet). Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
72. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (June 30, 2021). "That's a bet 💯 @MichelleBetos takes home @Verizon Save of the Week for this spectacular stop 👏 https://t.co/1UDAPRmVBo" (Tweet). Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Twitter.
73. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (July 7, 2021). "Havana Goal-na-na Give a 🍻 to @HavanaSolaun, your @budweiserusaPlayer of the Week Clapping hands sign 👏 https://t.co/odvFmwQ8cL" (Tweet). Retrieved July 7, 2021 – via Twitter.
74. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (July 8, 2021). "👉😠👈 @Ashlyn_Harris' penalty stop is your @Verizon Save of the Week winner 👏" (Tweet). Retrieved July 8, 2021 – via Twitter.
75. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (July 14, 2021). "She smashed it ✅ Send a cheers to your @budweiserusa Player of the Week, @ash_hatch33 🍻 https://t.co/xywSqPNw1u" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
76. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (July 14, 2021). "Picture perfect save 📸 @DIdeeds takes home @Verizon Save of the Week honors for this stop at Providence Park ⤵️ https://t.co/O8G2iFXDPE" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
77. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (July 21, 2021). "Own Goal's favorite assister 😉 Put a 🍻 in the chat for your Week 9 @budweiserusa Player of the Week, @MalPugh 👏 https://t.co/peQ8U4Qr7B" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
78. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (July 21, 2021). "Four straight PK stops 🚫 Four Save of the Week wins 🏆 @Ashlyn_Harris takes home @Verizon Save of the Week honors for Week 9 ⤵️ https://t.co/mtFcidb3CY" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
79. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (July 28, 2021). "Long Live Zee King 👑 Drop a cheers in the chat for this week's @budweiserusa Player of the Week, @tziarra 🍻 https://t.co/aFHzEPzG7w" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
80. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (July 28, 2021). "Another week, another win 🏆 @Ashlyn_Harris takes home @Verizon Save of the Week honors for this penalty save ⤵️ https://t.co/kbv3kS9a2d" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
81. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (August 4, 2021). "Genie in a bottle 🧞♀️ Drop a 🍻 in the comments for the @budweiserusa Player of the Week, @ELS_9_FRANCE 👏 https://t.co/E6OSDfWtTT" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
82. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (August 4, 2021). "Look Ma, One Hand 🖐️ This amazing @bellageist stop is this week's @Verizon Save of the Week winner 👏 https://t.co/62I7kVZLTs" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
83. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (August 11, 2021). "The @OLReign crown another 👑 Cheers in the chat for this week's @budweiserusa Player of the Week, @bethanybalcer 🍻 https://t.co/TtzCILmhsU" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
84. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (August 11, 2021). "She's a defender, but this save is a keeper ✅ @Cwestphal20 is this week's @Verizon Save of the Week winner ⤵️ https://t.co/8HOsCwxd5B" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
85. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (August 18, 2021). "t's not 𝓲𝓯 she balls out, it's when she balls out🍻 in the chat for this week's @budweiserusa Player of the Week winner, @ify_on22🍻" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
86. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (August 18, 2021). "In safe hands @Ashlyn_Harris is voted this week's @Verizon Save of the Week winner for this stop" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
87. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (August 25, 2021). "It had to be Pinoe A big 🍻 to the match-winner, @mPinoe, on @budweiserusa Player of the Week honors 👏" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
88. "SARAH BOUHADDI EARNS NWSL SAVE OF THE WEEK". OL Reign. August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
89. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (September 1, 2021). "Putting the W in Woldmoe Cheers in the chat for Sarah Woldmoe of the @chicagoredstars taking home @budweiserusa Player of the Week honors 🍻" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
90. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (September 1, 2021). "What a week for this legend @Ashlyn_Harris takes home @Verizon Save of the Week honors for Week 15 Clapping hands sign" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
91. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (September 9, 2021). "This will float your boat Cheers to @bethanybalcer for taking home @budweiserusa Player of the Week honors for Week 16 Clinking beer mugs 🍻" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
92. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (September 9, 2021). "She's done it again @Ashlyn_Harris is your @Verizon Save of the Week Winner for Week 16" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
93. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (September 15, 2021). "BIG MOM ENERGY Fire Cheers in the chat for @sydneyleroux being named this week's @budweiserusa Player of the Week 🍻" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
94. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (September 15, 2021). "Bella's Big Week Smiling face with sunglasses @bellageist is your @Verizon Save of the Week Winner for this stop against the Courage" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
95. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (September 29, 2021). "Her reign continues Cheers in the chat for this week's @budweiserusa Player of the Week, @ELS_9_FRANCE 🍻" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
96. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (September 29, 2021). "She's done it again @Ashlyn_Harris takes home @Verizon Save of the Week for this stop" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
97. "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com.
98. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (October 13, 2021). "Winning on a Daly basis Soccer Cheers to @RachelDaly3 on being named @budweiserusa Player of the Week for Week 20 🍻" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
99. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (October 14, 2021). "She's done it again @Ashlyn_Harris takes home @Verizon Save of the Week for this stop" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
100. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (October 20, 2021). "100% her week Cheers to @100Purcent on taking home this week's @budweiserusa Player of the Week" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
101. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (October 20, 2021). "Always a lock for the highlight reel @JessFishlock takes home this week's @Verizon Save of the Week for this goal line clearance" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
102. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (November 3, 2021). "Bagging Braces Cheers to @ELS_9_FRANCE on taking home another @budweiserusa Player of the Week award" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
103. National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (November 3, 2021). "The hero @GothamFC needed @Kailen_Sheridan takes home @Verizon Save of the Week honors for this stop" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

External links

• Official website