NWSL playoff predictions: who can spoil Gotham’s bid for the double?

Our panel breaks down the players to watch, the dark horses, the state of the league and the top candidates to reach the championship game in DC Compelling storylines that kept the league interesting during a crowded sports summer. The interval years that aren’t Olympic or World

Our panel breaks down the players to watch, the dark horses, the state of the league and the top candidates to reach the championship game in DC Compelling storylines that kept the league interesting during a crowded sports summer. The interval years that aren’t Olympic or World Cup years are often quieter for the NWSL (see: average attendance was essentially flat among the non-expansion teams). In a year with the men’s World Cup on home soil and a major anniversary season for the WNBA, most of the NWSL’s teams gave a solid showing, with close competition for the Shield, an entertaining Golden Boot race and the returns of several big stars.

Even those teams who did not give a solid showing – hello, Chicago – finally made some encouraging moves in the right direction. (Louisville next, please.) Ella Brockway Continue reading...