After the last two spots were decided during the final weekend of the regular season, the 2024 NWSL playoffs are set to commence on Friday. With the league expanding from 12 to 14 teams, the playoffs have also expanded from six teams last season to eight teams this year. That means no more byes, so all eight teams in the playoffs are three wins away from winning a championship.
Throughout the regular season, the Orlando Pride was the dominant team. The Pride won the NWSL Shield and the top seed with three games left in the season. However, Orlando finished the season just four points ahead of the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Current finished just one point behind Washington and Gotham, making it clear that all four teams are serious title contenders heading into the playoffs.
That being said, the four other teams are not to be counted out before the playoffs begin. They’ve all shown promise this year and possess traits of a championship team. A year ago, Gotham was the lowest-seeded team in the playoffs and ended up winning the championship.