NWSL’s 22-match regular season is in the books, and after a wild home stretch in which teams jockeyed for playoff positioning and OL Reign wound up atop the table thanks, in part, to a slip-up by their bitter rival, the playoff picture for the league’s 10th season is set.
OL Reign and the Portland Thorns, whose blown 3–1 lead vs. last-place Gotham FC cost the club a third NWSL Shield in club history, have earned the byes and will host semifinal matchups. Should they both advance, they’d be on a crash course for a final rife with subplots.