Twelve years ago, NWSL kicked off its first season. Four games were played that first weekend, but just one on Saturday as FC Kansas City hosted the Portland Thorns. Think high school turf field, football lines and a YouTube broadcast, but lots of NWSL talent — and the very first step in building the world’s most compeititive women’s soccer league.
Starters that night at Shawnee Mission District Stadium included Becky Sauerbrunn, Lauren (Cheney) Holiday, Kristie Mewis, Merritt Mathias and Nicole Barnhart for Vlatko Andonovski’s home side. The Thorns starting XI, led by future US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone, featured Christine Sinclair, Alex Morgan, Karina LeBlanc and Allie Long.
A lot of firsts happened in that game — the first NWSL goal (Renae Cuellar for FCKC in the third minute), first assist (Leigh Ann Robinson), first PK goal (Sinclair for Portland) and first yellow card (Kristie Mewis).
So here’s a stat-centric tribute to the anniversary of the league’s first game. Feel free to suggest other NWSL stats by emailing keeper@keepernotes.com.
12 — goals by 2013 Golden Boot winner Lauren Holiday
Then known as Lauren Cheney, the UCLA grad and USWNT regular topped the league scoring charts in the inaugural season, just edging out her USWNT teammates Abby Wambach (11 goals for WNY Flash) and Sydney Leroux (11 for Boston). She logged three multi-goal games, including this brace vs. Washington Spirit.
11 — NWSL championships played Seven teams have won the 11 NWSL Championship titles since 2013, with Portland winning the most (2013, 2017, 2022), and both FC Kansas City (2014-15) and North Carolina (2018-19) winning back-to-back titles. The first two finals were hosted by the highest remaining seed and beginning in 2015 the game shifted to a predetermined venue. Of course, no championship game was played in 2020 due to Covid-19 disrupting the league schedule. Since the regular season & championship resumed in 2021, four different teams have won the league title.
10 — Most assists in a regular season
Tobin Heath, who scored the game-winner for Portland in the 2013 final, led the league in assists in 2016, setting a single-season record of 10 assists in just 14 games played. Last year, Washington midfielder Croix Bethune matched that total as rookie in 17 games before an injury kept her off the field for the rest of the season.
9 — Most goals scored in a single game (both teams) Five NWSL games have seen 9 goals scored — most recently the KCvPOR match in March 2024 at the first-ever soccer stadium built by and controlled by a women’s soccer franchise. The other four games with nine goals: PORvBOS 2014 (6-3), SEAvNJY 2017 (5-4), NJYvSEA 2017 (5-4) and KCvCHI 2023 (6-3).
8 — Consecutive regular-season wins and more
Last year eventual champion and Shield winner Orlando Pride set a league record for consecutive regular-season victories, winnning 8 straight from April 12 through May 24. Kansas City matched that record this weekend with their 8th straight win dating back to October 5 last season.
Eight also represents the number of consecutive seasons to reach the NWSL playoffs — by Portland. The Thorns clinched a post-season berth from 2016 through 2024, excluding the 2020 season that had no playoffs. No team has reached the playoffs more (10 times, every regular season except 2015).
7 — African national teams represented this year The “African invasion” began last year as Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga (20 goals, 6 assists) and Zambia’s Barbra Banda (13 goals, 6 assists) burst onto NWSL’s landscape. There are five other African countries currently represented in NWSL — Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria (which was the the first African nation to be represented in the league by a non-US citizen when Osi Ohale played for the Dash in 2014). Last month Flora Marta Lacho became the first Angolan to play in NWSL when she took the field for Kansas City.
6 — Biggest margin of victory In six regular-season games, one team has won by 6 goals, most recently last month when the Pride defeated Chicago 6-0 in their 2025 home opener. The other five games: PORvFCKC 2014 (7-1), WNYvBOS 2016 (7-1), PORvNC 2019 (0-6), PORvORL 2022 (6-0), ORLvUTA 2024 (6-0).
5 — GKs who’ve made 500+ saves
Five NWSL keepers have recorded 500 or more saves i regular-season play, with Washington’s Aubrey Kingsbury recently joining the club. Ashlyn Harris was the first to reach the mark, followed by Alyssa Naeher, Kailen Sheridan and Jane Campbell.
4 — Players who’ve played in 200+ regular-season games
Seattle original Lauren Barnes was the first to reach the milestone of appearing in 200 NWSL regular-season games back in June 2003, and veteran midfielder McCall Zerboni hit the mark a week later. Portland’s longtime captain Christine Sinclair played her 200th match in the club’s regular-season finale last fall, which was also her final home game. Last month, Jess Fishlock, another Reign original, played her 200th match — and scored too! Five more players could reach the 200-game milestone this year — Vanessa DiBernardo, Danielle Colaprico, Alyssa Naeher (on track to be the first keeper to reach 200), Emily Menges and Arin Wright.
3 — Players who’ve scored 4 goals in one game Sam Kerr was the first to score four goals in one NWSL game, leading Sky Blue FC (now Gotham FC) to a 5-4 home victory over Seattle in August 2017. Two years later, North Carolina’s Kristen Hamilton unleashed four goals against Houston. And in San Diego’s first season in 2022, Alex Morgan scored four against Gotham FC.
2 — 2013 head coaches still in NWSL today Laura Harvey (Seattle) and Vlatko Andonovski (FC Kansas City) are the two coaches from the inaugural season who are still coaching in the league today, although both left NWSL and came back. Andonovski took over the Reign job when Harvey left to coach Utah for its first two seasons (2018-19). Both departed after the 2019 season to take jobs with US Soccer — Andonovski as USWNT head coach and Harvey as U-20 manager and later as part of Andonovski’s staff. Harvey returned to take over the Reign in August 2021 following the Olympics, and the “new” NWSL franchise in Kansas City hired Andonovski before the 2024 season.
1 — Number of NWSL championships that have gone to PKs Only once has the NWSL Championship game gone to a penalty shootout. In 2016, which was the first final not to feature that season’s Shield winner, #2 seed Washington faced #4 seed Western New York in Houston. Tied 1-1 after 90 minutes, the Spirit took an early lead in extra time off Crystal Dunn‘s second goal of the game. It looked the club was headed for its first NWSL trophy, but 2016 season MVP/Golden Boot winner Lynn Biyenoldo (then Williams) netted the equalizer in the 4th minute of stoppage-time to force penalties. Canadian keeper Sabrina D’Angelo came up big in the shootout, making 3 saves for the Flash and earning MVP honors for the game.
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by Jen Cooper
Photo by Gia Quilap
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