NWSL_records_and_statistics
NWSL records and statistics
Notable records and statistics in the NWSL
The following is a compilation of notable records and statistics for teams and players in the National Women's Soccer League, which started in 2013.[1]
Statistics for the NWSL Challenge Cup, a competition originally created in place of the 2020 season that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are treated separately from regular season statistics.
By season
More information Season, Playoff final ...
Close
Total trophies by team
Italics indicates a defunct team.
More information Team, Seasons* ...
| Team | Seasons* | Playoff appearances | Championships | Shields | Challenge Cups | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Courage | 7 | 5 | 2 (2018, 2019) | 3 (2017, 2018, 2019) | 2 (2022, 2023) | 7 |
| Portland Thorns FC | 11 | 9 | 3 (2013, 2017, 2022) | 2 (2016, 2021) | 1 (2021) | 6 |
| OL Reign/Reign FC/Seattle Reign FC | 11 | 7 | – | 3 (2014, 2015, 2022) | – | 3 |
| FC Kansas City | 5 | 3 | 2 (2014, 2015) | – | – | 2 |
| Western New York Flash | 4 | 2 | 1 (2016) | 1 (2013) | – | 2 |
| San Diego Wave FC | 3 | 2 | – | 1 (2023) | 1 (2024) | 2 |
| Washington Spirit | 11 | 4 | 1 (2021) | – | – | 1 |
| NJ/NY Gotham FC/Sky Blue FC | 11 | 3 | 1 (2023) | – | – | 1 |
| Houston Dash | 10 | 1 | – | – | 1 (2020*) | 1 |
| Chicago Red Stars | 11 | 7 | – | – | – | 0 |
| Angel City FC | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | 0 |
| Kansas City Current | 4 | 1 | – | – | – | 0 |
| Orlando Pride | 8 | 1 | – | – | – | 0 |
| Bay FC | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 |
| Utah Royals FC | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 |
| Racing Louisville FC | 4 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 |
| Boston Breakers | 5 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 |
Close
*While there was no 2020 regular season (i.e., it is not included in the second column), 2020 did include the inaugural Challenge Cup, which was won by the Houston Dash. It also included the 2020 Fall Series, in which the "Community Shield" (separate from the NWSL Shield and thus not included here) was won by the Portland Thorns.
Wins
- Most wins in a season (24 games): 17, North Carolina Courage (2018)
- Fewest wins in a season (20 games): 3, Boston Breakers (2016)
- Fewest wins in a season (24 games): 1, Sky Blue FC (2018)
- Most consecutive wins in a season: 7, joint record:
- Most consecutive games without a win: 23, Sky Blue FC (2018)
- Most consecutive away games without a win: 19, Boston Breakers (between August 6, 2014 and July 10, 2016)
- Most consecutive home wins in a season: 7, joint record:
- Portland Thorns FC (between June 28, 2017 and September 30, 2017)
- North Carolina Courage (between July 5, 2019 and October 12, 2019)
- Most consecutive home wins: 8, Portland Thorns FC (between June 28, 2017 and April 15, 2018)
- Most wins in total (204 games): 99, Portland Thorns FC
Losses
- Fewest losses in a season (24 games): 1, North Carolina Courage (2018)
- Longest unbeaten run: 20 games, Washington Spirit (between 26 September 2021 and 7 May 2022)
- Most losses in total (204 games): 94, NJ/NY Gotham FC
- Fewest home losses in a season (12 games): 0, Seattle Reign FC (2014)
- Most consecutive losses in a season: 11, NJ/NY Gotham FC (2022)
- Most consecutive home games undefeated: 22, Seattle Reign FC (between 13 April 2014 and 29 August 2015)
Attendance
Main article: National Women's Soccer League attendance
More information Season, Overall ...
| Season | Overall | Highest | Lowest | Playoff mean | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | Mean | Median | Club | Mean | Club | Mean | ||
| 2013 | 375,743 | 4,270 | 3,007 | Portland Thorns FC | 13,320 | Sky Blue FC | 1,664 | 6,820 |
| 2014 | 446,311 | 4,133 | 3,014 | Portland Thorns FC | 13,362 | Sky Blue FC | 1,639 | 3,763 |
| 2015 | 454,100 | 5,046 | 3,367 | Portland Thorns FC | 15,639 | Sky Blue FC | 2,268 | 6,766 |
| 2016 | 555,775 | 5,558 | 3,997 | Portland Thorns FC | 16,945 | Sky Blue FC | 2,162 | 10,863 |
| 2017 | 609,960 | 5,083 | 3,576 | Portland Thorns FC | 17,653 | FC Kansas City | 1,788 | 12,111 |
| 2018 | 650,562 | 6,024 | 4,025 | Portland Thorns FC | 16,959 | Sky Blue FC | 2,531 | 13,3231 |
| 2019 | 792,409 | 7,337 | 5,565 | Portland Thorns FC | 20,098 | Sky Blue FC | 3,338 | 8,956 |
| 20212 | 567,072 | 5,155 | Portland Thorns FC | 14,391 | Chicago Red Stars | 3,222 | 8,774 | |
| 2022 | 1,042,063 | 7,917 | Angel City FC | 19,105 | Orlando Pride | 4,385 | 21,730 | |
| 2023 | 1,366,581 | San Diego Wave | 20,718 | North Carolina Courage | 5,384 | |||
Close
1 A semifinal that would have been played in North Carolina was moved to Portland due to Hurricane Florence.
2 Due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, many teams had reduced capacities for part or all of the season, including some games with zero fans.
Goals
- Most goals scored in a season: 54, North Carolina Courage (2019)
- Fewest goals scored in a season: 12, Washington Spirit (2018)
- Most goals conceded in a season: 53, Orlando Pride (2019)
- Fewest goals conceded in a season (joint record): 17, North Carolina Courage (2018), Portland Thorns (2021)
- Best goal difference in a season: 36, North Carolina Courage (2018)
- Most goals scored in total: 283, Portland Thorns FC
- Most goals conceded in total: 279, Sky Blue FC/NJ/NY Gotham FC
- Most consecutive games scoring: 28 games, FC Kansas City (2013–2014) includes 3 playoff games
- Most consecutive games scoring 2+ goals: 7 games, Western New York Flash (2013)
- Longest shutout streak (joint record): 5 games, Seattle Reign FC (2016), North Carolina Courage (2021)
Regular season records
Through 2023 season (regular season games only)[3][4]
More information Pts rank(prev. season), PPG rank(prev. season) ...
| Pts rank (prev. season) |
PPG rank (prev. season) |
Club | Seasons[lower-alpha 1] | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finishing positions | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 (2) | 4 (2) | Portland Thorns FC | 10 (2013–) | 226 | 109 | 58 | 59 | 374 | 260 | +114 | 385 | 1.548 | 2 | 4 | 3 | |
| 2 (1) | 3 (1) | OL Reign[lower-alpha 2] | 10 (2013–) | 226 | 105 | 57 | 64 | 337 | 248 | 89 | 372 | 1.646 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 (6) | 7 (6) | Chicago Red Stars | 10 (2013–) | 226 | 95 | 61 | 70 | 321 | 296 | 25 | 324 | 1.433 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 4 (11) | 10 (11) | Washington Spirit | 10 (2013–) | 226 | 70 | 60 | 96 | 266 | 327 | -61 | 270 | 1.194 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 5 (12) | 13 (12) | NJ/NY Gotham FC[lower-alpha 3] | 10 (2013–) | 226 | 67 | 58 | 101 | 260 | 319 | -89 | 259 | 1.146 | 1 | |||
| 6 (7) | 1 (7) | North Carolina Courage | 6 (2017–) | 140 | 75 | 28 | 37 | 248 | 140 | 108 | 253 | 1.80714 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 7 (4) | 11 (4) | Houston Dash | 9 (2014–) | 204 | 65 | 45 | 94 | 234 | 289 | -55 | 240 | 1.1754 | 1 | |||
| 8 (10) | 12 (10) | Orlando Pride | 7 (2016–) | 160 | 51 | 33 | 76 | 195 | 256 | -61 | 186 | 1.1625 | 1 | |||
| 9 (-) | 6 (-) | FC Kansas City | 5 (2013–2017) | 110 | 45 | 27 | 36 | 152 | 125 | 27 | 168 | 1.527 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 10 (-) | 8 (-) | Western New York Flash | 4 (2013–2016) | 86 | 33 | 22 | 31 | 142 | 118 | 24 | 119 | 1.384 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 11 (-) | 16 (-) | Boston Breakers | 5 (2013–2017) | 110 | 25 | 20 | 65 | 132 | 212 | -80 | 95 | 0.864 | ||||
| 12 (5) | 14 (5) | Kansas City Current[lower-alpha 4] | 3 (2021–) | 72 | 21 | 15 | 32 | 74 | 101 | -27 | 78 | 1.0833 | ||||
| 15 (3) | 2 (3) | San Diego Wave FC | 2 (2022–) | 44 | 21 | 10 | 13 | 63 | 43 | 20 | 73 | 1.659 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 14 (9) | 15 (9) | Racing Louisville FC | 3 (2021–) | 72 | 16 | 24 | 28 | 69 | 99 | -30 | 72 | 1 | ||||
| 12 (-) | 6 (-) | Utah Royals FC | 2 (2018–2019) | 48 | 19 | 12 | 17 | 47 | 48 | -1 | 69 | 1.438 | ||||
| 16 (8) | 9 (8) | Angel City FC | 2 (2022–) | 44 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 54 | 57 | -3 | 60 | 1.364 | ||||
Close
Sort order is points, finishing positions, wins
Playoff records
Through 2022 playoffs
More information Rank, Club ...
| Rank | Club | Championships | Runners-up | Seasons qualified |
GP | W | L | D[lower-alpha 1] | Penalty Wins[lower-alpha 1] |
GF | GA | GD | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 3 | 1 | 8/9 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1.750 | 19 | 17 | +2 |
| 2 | North Carolina Courage | 2 | 1 | 4/5 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.143 | 14 | 3 | +11 |
| 3 | FC Kansas City | 2 | 0 | 3/5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.400 | 10 | 4 | +6 |
| 4 | Washington Spirit | 1 | 1 | 4/9 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1.857 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| 5 | Western New York Flash | 1 | 1 | 2/4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1.750 | 8 | 7 | +1 |
| 6 | Chicago Red Stars | 0 | 2 | 7/9 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.900 | 7 | 16 | −9 |
| 7 | OL Reign | 0 | 2 | 6/9 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.750 | 9 | 14 | −5 |
| 8 | Kansas City Current | 0 | 1 | 1/2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.000 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
| 9 | San Diego Wave FC | 0 | 0 | 1/1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.500 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 10 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 0 | 0 | 2/9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0 | 3 | −3 |
| 11 | Orlando Pride | 0 | 0 | 1/6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 1 | 4 | −3 |
| 12 | Houston Dash | 0 | 0 | 1/8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 1 | 2 | -1 |
| 13 | Angel City FC | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | Have not qualified | ||||||||
| 14 | Racing Louisville FC | 0 | 0 | 0/2 | |||||||||
| 15 | Utah Royals FC | 0 | 0 | 0/2 | |||||||||
| 16 | Boston Breakers | 0 | 0 | 0/5 | |||||||||
Close
Sort order is championships, runners-up, PPG, fraction of seasons qualified
Most minutes played
More information Rank, Player ...
| Rank | Player | Minutes Played | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lauren Barnes |
18,298 | 211 |
| 2 | McCall Zerboni |
16,141 | 204 |
| 3 |  Jess Fishlock |
15,305 | 180 |
| 4 | Ali Krieger |
15,026 | 176 |
| 5 |  Abby Erceg |
14,921 | 169 |
| 6 | Allie Long |
14,753 | 172 |
| 7 | Alyssa Naeher |
14,580 | 163 |
| 8 |  Christine Sinclair |
14,426 | 176 |
| 9 | Sofia Huerta |
14,286 | 161 |
| 10 | Becky Sauerbrunn |
14,071 | 164 |
| 11 | Merritt Mathias |
14,020 | 183 |
| 12 | Kristie Mewis |
13,987 | 171 |
| 13 | Emily Menges |
13,850 | 160 |
| 14 | Vanessa DiBernardo |
13,426 | 166 |
| 15 | Danielle Colaprico |
13,398 | 165 |
| 16 | Megan Montefusco |
13,257 | 155 |
| 17 | Meghan Klingenberg |
13,049 | 156 |
| 18 | Tori Huster |
13,013 | 159 |
| 19 | Nicole Barnhart |
12,674 | 144 |
| 20 | Jessica McDonald |
12,593 | 182 |
Close
Most appearances, regular season only
2013–2023 seasons. 226 total matches for each team.[6]
More information Rank, Player ...
| Rank | Player | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lauren Barnes |
211 |
| 2 | McCall Zerboni |
204 |
| 3 | Merritt Mathias |
183 |
| 4 | Jessica McDonald |
182 |
| 5 | Jess Fishlock |
180 |
| 6 | Christine Sinclair |
176 |
| Ali Krieger |
176 | |
| 8 | Allie Long |
172 |
| Jasmyne Spencer |
172 | |
| 10 | Kristie Mewis |
171 |
| 11 | Erika Tymrak |
168 |
| 12 | Vanessa DiBernardo |
166 |
| Abby Erceg |
166 | |
| 14 | Danielle Colaprico |
165 |
| 15 | Becky Sauerbrunn |
164 |
| 16 | Amber Brooks |
163 |
| Alyssa Naeher |
163 | |
| 18 | Sofia Huerta |
161 |
| 19 | Emily Menges |
160 |
| 20 | Tori Huster |
159 |
Close
Goals
- First NWSL goal: Renae Cuellar for FC Kansas City against Portland Thorns FC, 3rd minute (13 April 2013)
- Fastest goal: Michelle Cooper for Kansas City Current against Washington Spirit, 22 seconds (June 18, 2023)[7]
- Most goals in a regular season (24 games): 18, Sam Kerr (2019)
- Most goals in a regular season by a rookie: 11, Diana Ordonez (2022, 22-game season)
- Most goals in a game: 4, Sam Kerr (19 August 2017);[8][9] Kristen Hamilton (5 July 2019);[10][11] Alex Morgan (7 May 2022)[12][13]
- Most goals in a half: 4, Sam Kerr (19 August 2017)[9]
- Most hat-tricks in a season: 2, Sam Kerr (2017);[8][9] Kristen Hamilton (2019)[11]
- Most consecutive seasons to score at least 10 goals: 3
- Sam Kerr, 2017–2019 (with Sky Blue FC, Chicago Red Stars)
- Most consecutive seasons to score at least 15 goals: 3
- Sam Kerr, 2017–2019 (with Sky Blue FC, Chicago Red Stars)
- Most different clubs to score for: 6
- Jessica McDonald for Seattle Reign FC, Portland Thorns FC, Houston Dash, Western New York Flash, North Carolina Courage, and Racing Louisville FC
- Youngest player to score: Alex Pfeiffer, 16 years, three months and 9 days (16 March 2024, for Kansas City Current against Portland Thorns)[14][15]
Top scorers
Goals, regular season only
More information Rank, Player ...
| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sam Kerr |
77 |
| 2 | Lynn Williams |
64 |
| 3 | Christine Sinclair |
62 |
| 4 | Alex Morgan |
60 |
| 5 | Jessica McDonald |
54 |
| 6 | Megan Rapinoe |
51 |
| 7 | Christen Press |
47 |
| 8 | Ashley Hatch |
46 |
| 9 |  Debinha |
44 |
| 10 | Carli Lloyd |
43 |
| 11 | Jess Fishlock |
42 |
| 12 | Sydney Leroux |
41 |
| 13 | Amy Rodriguez |
39 |
| 14 | Crystal Dunn |
38 |
 Nadia Nadim | ||
| 16 |  Rachel Daly |
37 |
| 17 | Allie Long |
36 |
| 18 | Sofia Huerta |
35 |
| 19 | Kealia Watt |
33 |
| 20 |  Kim Little |
32 |
| Sophia Smith | ||
| Jodie Taylor |
Close
Leading goalscorers in playoffs
More information Rank, Player ...
| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amy Rodriguez |
6 |
| 2 | Crystal Dunn |
5 |
| 3 | Jessica McDonald |
4 |
| Samantha Mewis | ||
| 5 | Debinha |
3 |
| Tobin Heath | ||
| Lindsey Horan | ||
| Megan Rapinoe | ||
| Christine Sinclair | ||
| Lynn Williams |
Close
NWSL top goalscorers by season (regular season only)
More information Year, Player ...
| Year | Player | Goals | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Lauren Holiday |
12 | 18 |
| 2014 | Kim Little |
16 | 23 |
| 2015 | Crystal Dunn |
15 | 20 |
| 2016 | Lynn Williams |
11 | 19 |
| 2017 | Sam Kerr |
17 | 22 |
| 2018 | Sam Kerr |
16 | 19 |
| 2019 | Sam Kerr |
18 | 21 |
| 2021 | Ashley Hatch |
10 | 20 |
| 2022 | Alex Morgan |
15 | 17 |
| 2023 | Sophia Smith |
11 | 18 |
Close
Assists
- Most assists in a season: 10, Tobin Heath, Portland Thorns FC (2016)[17]
- Most assists in a single match: 4, Nahomi Kawasumi (for Seattle Reign FC v. Washington Spirit, 16 May 2017)[18]
Most assists
More information Rank, Player ...
| Rank | Player | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sofia Huerta |
31 |
| Jessica McDonald | ||
| 3 | Lynn Williams |
28 |
| 4 | Alex Morgan |
27 |
| 5 |  Nahomi Kawasumi |
26 |
| Megan Rapinoe | ||
| 7 | Jess Fishlock |
25 |
| 8 | Vanessa DiBernardo |
24 |
| Crystal Dunn | ||
| Tobin Heath | ||
| Sam Kerr | ||
| Yūki Nagasato |
Close
Top assists by season
More information Year, Player ...
| Year | Player | Assists | Apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Lauren Holiday |
9 | 18 |
| 2014 | Jessica Fishlock |
8 | 22 |
| 2015 | Kim Little |
7 | 20 |
| 2016 | Tobin Heath |
10 | 15 |
| 2017 | Nahomi Kawasumi |
9 | 24 |
| 2018 | Jessica McDonald |
8 | 23 |
| 2019 | Yūki Nagasato |
8 | 24 |
| 2021* | Trinity Rodman |
6 | 22 |
| Sofia Huerta |
23 | ||
| 2022* | Carson Pickett |
6 | 20 |
| Mallory Swanson |
16 | ||
| 2023 | Sam Coffey |
8 | 22 |
Close
*Joint record
Goalkeepers
Clean sheets
More information #, Player ...
| # | Player | Shutouts | Apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicole Barnhart |
52 | 144 |
| 2 | Alyssa Naeher |
43 | 163 |
| 3 | Adrianna Franch |
42 | 127 |
| 4 | Casey Murphy |
32 | 80 |
| 5 | Kailen Sheridan |
31 | 117 |
| 6 | Jane Campbell |
30 | 103 |
| Aubrey Kingsbury |
119 | ||
| 8 | Bella Bixby |
24 | 57 |
| 9 | Ashlyn Harris |
22 | 135 |
| 10 | Katelyn Rowland |
20 | 60 |
Close
Saves
More information #, Player ...
| # | Player | Saves |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ashlyn Harris |
518 |
| 2 | Alyssa Naeher |
494 |
| 3 | Nicole Barnhart |
468 |
| 4 | Kailen Sheridan |
401 |
| 5 | Adrianna Franch |
395 |
| 6 | Aubrey Kingsbury |
362 |
| 7 | Michelle Betos |
340 |
| 8 | Jane Campbell |
336 |
| 9 | Erin McLeod |
288 |
| 10 | Haley Kopmeyer |
239 |
Close
As of October 2, 2022[update]
More information Winning margin, Date ...
Close
- "Stats". National Women's Soccer League. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
- "Seattle Reign win NWSL Shield for 2nd straight season". ESPN. August 27, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- "2023 NWSL Stats". FBref.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- "NWSL table 2023, form and next opponent". FotMob. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
- Cooper, Jen (2024), "Field Player Registry", Keeper Notes NWSL Almanac, pp. 294-362
- Sperry, Daniel (June 18, 2023). "Kansas City Current squander late lead, lose to Washington Spirit in NWSL home match". The Kansas City Star.
- "Sam Kerr finishes NWSL season with bushel of scoring records". Soccer America. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- Siracusa, Claire (20 August 2017). "Sam Kerr scores four goals in Sky Blue FC comeback win". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- Purdy, Jacqueline (5 July 2019). "Kristen Hamilton scores four, Courage win 5-2" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "NWSL Friday: Kristen Hamilton packs on four goals for Courage". The Equalizer. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- Togerson, Derek (7 May 2022). "Alex Morgan Scores 4 Goals in Wave FC Win". www.nbcsandiego.com. KNSD. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
- Kassouf, Jeff (March 16, 2024). "Kansas City Current open 'game-changing' stadium with 5-4 win". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- Herrera, Sandra (March 16, 2024). "Alex Pfeiffer becomes youngest NWSL goalscorer at 16 years of age in Kansas City Current's wild win". CBSSports.com. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- Cooper, Jen (2023), Keeper Notes NWSL Almanac, Keeper Notes, p. 8.
- Braeback, Jeremiah Mitchell (13 December 2016). "Tobin Heath Named US Soccer Female Player of the Year". Stumptown Footy. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- Ltd, Simplestream. "Nahomi Kawasumi named Player of the Week". www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
