One of the added benefits of the 2026 NWSL season is that this weekend’s fixtures will not be the last ones. To accommodate the expanded 16-team format, the league extended the regular season from 26 to 30 games. We get three more matches to watch the playoff drama unfold, and this weekend’s fixtures have certainly delivered some prime contests. Putting aside Friday’s Boston Legacy vs. Racing Louisville tie (both teams are eliminated), every other tie will have some impact, big or small, on the post-season hunt.
Super Saturday
Every single Saturday fixture features some big potential moment.
Washington Spirit vs. Gotham FC
Saturday Oct. 17th @ Audi Field, Washington, District of Columbia
Kickoff 12:30pm ET / 9:30am PT
Broadcast on CBS; Streaming on Paramount+
Number three vs. number one. Trinity Rodman and Sofia Cantore vs. Sam Kerr and Rose Lavelle. Yes, please! If you’re curious to see a potential finals match tomorrow, watch this one!
Utah Royals vs. Kansas City Current
Saturday Oct. 17th @ America First Field, Sandy, Utah
Kickoff 3:30pm ET / 12:30pm PT
Broadcast on ION
This is the fight for home field advantage. Utah are #4; Kansas City #5. Only two points separate them, so a Current win lets them leapfrog over the Royals. A draw would open the door for Angel City or Portland to gain ground on both. Kansas City not only has strong momentum, they’re the second highest scoring team in the league (48 goals). Their top four (Hopkins, Chawinga, Debinha and Cooper) have a combined 34 of those. Utah will hope the altitude and raucous fans give them an edge.
North Carolina Courage vs. San Diego Wave
Saturday Oct. 17th @ WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, North Carolina
Kickoff 4:00pm ET / 1:00pm PT
Streaming on NWSL+
This is a BIG test of North Carolina’s courage (see what I did there?). San Diego Wave are a leader contender to make the finals, and surging like a king tide on the backs of four straight victories. North Carolina is the most challenging of their remaining three matches, and given their position they’re likely to stay in the top four. It’s been two years since the Courage last toppled the Wave, and they last faced each other on September 12th. League-leading scorer Ashley Sanchez (20) got a late goal in that one to cut the lead down to 2-1; this game the Courage will need multiple goals from her to claim the three points.
Denver Summit vs. Angel City
Saturday Oct. 17th @ Centennial Stadium, Colorado
Kickoff 5:45pm ET / 2:45pm PT
Broadcast on ION
Denver wants to join San Diego Wave and Bay FC as the only expansion team to make the playoffs in their debut season. Denver currently sit in 10th, two places and four points below the post-season cutoff. So they’ll have to knock down sixth place Angel City to start their climb up. Both teams have scored the same number of goals (45), but Denver’s defense is more porous. Angel City are also on a tear, with only one loss since August 1 (though there have been plenty of draws). Summit will need to be sharp and clinical.
Impact Sunday
We’re listing all of Sunday’s matches in order of importance in the playoff race.
Chicago Stars vs. Seattle Reign
Sunday, Oct. 18th @ Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, Evanston, IL
Kickoff 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
Streaming on Roku
Chicago Stars are in last place, but can still play spoiler when they host 9th place Seattle Reign. Seattle are two points outside the final playoff berth, and with nine points up from grabs until the season’s end they know that winning out gives them the best chance to snatch a spot. Happily for Seattle, the Stars have claimed only one point from their last five games, and are in a free-fall.
Bay FC vs. Portland Thorns
Sunday, Oct. 18th @ PayPal Park, San Jose, California
Kickoff 5:00pm ET / 2:00pm PT
Broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes (Spanish)
A very similar situation will play out in PayPal park a few hours earlier. Bay FC’s season was a total shambles, despite the optimism that surrounded new coach Emma Coates. Their elimination from the playoffs with a 3-1 loss to Orlando on Sept. 27 was then compounded with the shocking news of Racheal Kundananji’s late-season transfer to the Chicago Stars on Oct. 8
All that malaise is good news for Portland. Thorns supporters will undoubtedly hope their side can jump out early against Bay FC, who have a nasty habit of conceding early goals. With some padding, Thorns should be able to cruise into the victory, locking down three points and shoring up their playoff position. Losing would knock them down into the eighth spot.
Houston Dash vs. Orlando Pride
Sunday, Oct. 18th @ Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, Texas
Kickoff 1:00pm ET / 10:00am PT
Broadcast on CBS Sports Network
Just because this is a mid-to-bottom table battle doesn’t mean it’s devoid of consequence. Yes, Houston Dash have been eliminated, but Orlando still has a mathematical chance of making the playoffs. Of course, that math is sketchy at best and the actual likelihood of Pride entering the post-season is akin to watching pigs sprout wings and fly. But still, soccer is built atop hopes.
The Qooligan is an alias of Hooligan Soccer founder Q Williams. Q is a 20+ year veteran of numerous technology and media companies, including MTV, Gracenote, Watchwith and Crunchyroll. He has a master’s degree in European History from Columbia University. Q is also a respected Sports Journalist with extensive experience in Soccer, particularly the Premier League, Champions League, MLS and USL. The Qooligan provides analysis and valuable insights based on years of professional practice. Connect with The Qooligan on X and Bluesky. He is committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy content that reflects expertise, experience and no shortage of attitude.
