The 2025 NWSL playoffs are set. After a historic regular season that produced Shield-winning Kansas City Current, every remaining team still dreams of lifting the trophy on Nov. 22. Kansas City enters as the clear favorite, but the league’s postseason history rewards belief: short runs, single-game drama and upsets are part of the NWSL DNA. Below is a team-by-team look at why each club could make a title run — and why each could fall short.
No. 8 — Gotham FC Next game: at Kansas City Current, Nov. 9, 12:30 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN) Why they can win: Gotham has more quality than their No. 8 seeding suggests. When healthy and clicking, their attack is dangerous: the addition of Jaedyn Shaw paired with Rose Lavelle and striker Esther González (13 regular-season goals) gives Gotham firepower. On their day they can create chances, move fast in transition and punish opponents who give them time on the ball. Why they can’t: Defensive errors under pressure have cost them. Gotham’s 25 goals conceded ranked among the better marks, but goals often came from self-inflicted mistakes — risky play out of the back and lapses at key moments. Kansas City exposed those flaws
