A guide to every NWSL team ahead of the 2026 season | Part 1
Our preview of all 16 teams competing in the 2026 NWSL season, looking at how each of them did in the off-season and whether they can make the playoffs
The 2026 NWSL season kicks off this month, and we will be giving you guides that look at all 16 clubs ahead of this year’s new regular season campaign. After a fairly chaotic off-season, things can now return to on-field matters, where there are many reasons to be excited.
They will be split into four parts, with this one being the first preview taking a little dive into Angel City, Bay FC, Boston Legacy FC, and Chicago Stars.
Three of these teams were unsuccessful last year in making it to the playoffs. While Boston Legacy are one of the two expansion teams joining the league this year, so many eyes will be on them to see what they bring to the NWSL.
Angel City FC
Last season: 11th (Regular season)
Main Stadium: BMO Stadium
Last season wasn’t one to remember for Angel City after they had started fairly well in winning four of their first eight games, but then tailed off quite a lot and finished in 11th place. They started with Sam Laity as an interim head coach, before he became assistant to their next head coach Alexander Straus, who came in at the start of June to begin this transitional phase within the squad.
Off-season moves
They have made some decent off-season moves when you consider the additions of 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year Emily Sams from Orlando Pride, plus Ary Borges from Racing Louisville, and also Taylor Suarez. In terms of exits, a lot of experienced names left such as Sara Doorsoun, Madison Hammond and Miyabi Moriya, and there were the two retirements of Ali Riley and Christen Press.
The addition of Sams is the big one for Angel City, and she is no doubt going to be key for them in terms of strengthening their backline, and she isn’t afraid to go and get some goals either. Bringing in Ary Borges as well should add a bit more energy to their midfield options.
Head coach - Alexander Straus
He joined from Frauen Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich midway through the 2025 NWSL season, and he took on a young team that was without many of its experienced players due to injuries and other personal aspects. However, if there is one thing that Straus has yet to implement within this Angel City team, it’s their playing style. He led a top Bayern Munich team to success previously, and now he has to make things click with many of the good players that he has at his disposal at Angel City.
Having had a pre-season to work with the squad that he has will be interesting to see whether what he is asking of his players does then come across, and if we can then identify what Angel City’s style of play is clearly, that gives them a platform to work from.
The thing with Alex Straus is that whenever you hear him speak about the game, he is very detail-oriented and intense in trying to get information across. Because of how he is, he’ll be aiming for a much better season than what has been seen of this team previously.
Can they make the playoffs?
Right now it is hard to say whether this is a team that has it in them to take that next step forward, because we can look at this from both sides. On one hand, it could be a bit too soon and perhaps they need to make some extra additions to their squad depth in certain areas to make that happen. On the other hand, should a club that puts as much in as Angel City does always be targeting a top-eight finish at an absolute minimum?
Big seasons could potentially await many of their top names such as Riley Tiernan, Giselle Thompson, and Sveíndis Jane Jónsdóttir. But until we see them in action, I still feel very 50/50 about them at this stage. Angel City fans should be hopeful of a better campaign than what has been experienced in the last two seasons. (Brad)
Bay FC
Last season: 13th (Regular season)
Main Stadium: PayPal Park
It’s been an off-season of change at Bay FC following a disappointing 2025 season, with a coaching change being at the forefront as Emma Coates comes in and replaces Albertin Montoya, plus there is more of an influence being taken on a youthful approach heading into the club’s third NWSL season. They’ve been ambitious before and now with this overhaul of their identity, there is a good amount of intrigue surrounding this club.
Off-season moves
In terms of the exits from Bay FC, they have had to replace a few of the experienced names who have recently left, such as Kiki Pickett moving to the San Diego Wave and Rachel Hill who has joined Racing Louisville.
Their off-season business has definitely added to the intrigue around Bay FC heading into the new season. Trading a big fee for Claire Hutton from Kansas City Current is a landmark move that also shows the transition into building this new philosophy. Alex Pfeiffer is another name included in that, and two other signings that will be familiar to Emma Coates’ approach are Anouk Denton and Keira Barry from the WSL, who both worked with the head coach in the England U23’s.
Head coach - Emma Coates
Brought in as someone known well by Bay Collective CEO Kay Cossington, Emma Coates is the head coach who has been tasked with guiding Bay FC forward and as already identified with the off-season moves, her impact is already being felt.
After two-years coaching the England U23’s along with Gemma Davies, her assistant coach who also has joined her in the Bay Area, she has a proven track record of developing young players and will bring about a personal change of female leadership now from a coaching standpoint, which will make a change from when questions had been brought up previously under their last head coach about the style in which ideas came across.
Can they make the playoffs?
I feel that it’s a tough one for Bay FC. I mainly say this because looking at them right now, this is a young team that may take some time to adjust and click to the ideas and style of play that Emma Coates is going to want to implement. Compared with many other clubs in the league, they are going through a big change, and it’s one where we will have to wait and see whether it produces results quickly in the short term. (Brad)
Boston Legacy FC
Last season: N/A (New expansion team)
Stadiums: Gillette Stadium | Centreville Bank Stadium
Entering their inaugural season in the league, for the 15th NWSL club it will be interesting to see if they can build themselves up to have the same success as the other Boston sports teams over the years. For the team in this first season, there will be a lot of adjustments in getting used to playing with each other, and for the players, it’s all about getting an understanding of the philosophy of head coach Filipa Patão, who joins the team after being the manager of Portuguese side S.L Benfica.
Off-season moves
Obviously as a new team to the league, they have a whole new roster with some well-known NWSL names added like goalkeeper Casey Murphy, Nichelle Prince and Ella Stevens. The latter is fresh off winning the NWSL title with Gotham FC last season, while Prince joins from the KC Current, and Casey Murphy adds some needed experience in goal coming from NC Courage.
Head coach - Filipa Patão
Patão is one of the youngest head coaches in the NWSL this season at just 36-years-old, but she does arrive with a lot of success to her name, as during her time at Benfica she won five consecutive league titles and 11 total trophies during her five years with the club.
When first revealed as the head coach back in June last year, Patão was quick to make everyone know that she wants her team to play with passion. From the outset, she has talked about playing aggressively and on the front foot. As much as her teams benefit from having the ball, she is known as an adaptable coach as well and will look to mould her preferred style of play with the strengths of players within her squad.
Can they make the playoffs?
It’s always hard for new teams to start well in the NWSL like we have seen over the last few years with a few of the recent expansion teams. If you think back to the last two expansion teams, Bay FC did get to the playoffs in their inaugural campaign, while Utah Royals didn’t. Both of those teams then went out and missed finishing in the playoffs last season.
They have a few players who I expect to make a difference for them throughout the season. Personally, I think Amanda Gutierres will be a top player for them, but I do think we will see Boston struggle more towards the lower end of the table in this debut campaign. With them, it will be more interesting to see how things progress throughout the season and how they adapt to Patão’s style of play, plus they can always add more players in at some point. (Regan)
Chicago Stars FC
Last season: 14th (Regular season)
Main Stadium: Martin Stadium
After a bitterly disappointing season last year that felt more like a transitional season than anything, the Stars will be hoping for better results this time around if they are to avoid being right down near the bottom again.
The big miss for them last season was Mallory Swanson, who was on maternity leave, and you could see the big hole she had left in the team when it came to them needing goals. With her only giving birth a few months ago, it will still be a while before we can probably expect to see her again playing, but what it does allow is for someone else to step up in those forward areas, possibly like Jameese Joseph. With a new head coach at the club as well, it feels like a chance is there for a refreshed Chicago Stars to make themselves known.
Off-season moves
Trading Ludmila away from the club will leave a hole in the team in terms of her goals that she brought to them last season, plus Ally Schlegel leaving as well will impact them on that front.
With their incomings though, we have seen the team bring in a few experienced NWSL players like Michelle Alozie, Brianna Pinto and Katie Lund, which will help the team out quite a bit with the addition of three players who should improve them from a quality standpoint in their depth.
Head coach - Martin Sjögren
One of the many Swedish managers in the NWSL now, Sjögren joins from Hammarby IF where he managed to lift the Swedish Cup during his time with the club and took them to the Women’s Champions League. He was also previously the head coach of the Norway national team for six years before leaving in 2022.
Stylistically, he is known for possession-oriented football and being forward-thinking, which fits the profile of what those at the club want to see produced from their team. He has gone on record in saying that he wants to attempt to blend the European style of football with the physicality and directness of American football, and that doing this will hopefully create something sustainable in the long term for the Chicago Stars.
Can they make the playoffs?
The squad is definitely better in some places than it was last season, and they will be hoping for a better season under Sjögren compared to how it started under Lorne Donaldson. But I still believe that without Swanson’s goals up front, they will be a team that will struggle this season and ultimately miss out on the playoffs again.
Any adjustment period will be normal for a new coach coming into the club, and at least last season seemed like the start of a transition phase which laid down some early foundations. Now it’s just adding to that with a set identity that they can build upwards, beginning with this season. (Regan)
What to read next ⬇️
A guide to every NWSL team ahead of the 2026 season | Part 2
Following on from the first NWSL team guides preview, we now take a look at the next four teams in the order: Denver Summit FC, Gotham FC, Kansas City Current and the Houston Dash.
Let us know some of your thoughts and predictions ahead of the new NWSL season in our comments section ⬇️