It's the most wonderful time of the year, the NWSL postseason. The 2026 NWSL playoffs begin Friday with the quarterfinal rounds between the league's top eight teams. It's the special place where predictions are futile and what happened in the regular season only matters in opinion. 

That means it's time for a special playoff edition of the NWSL power rankings. Every week through the regular season we brought power rankings for all 16 clubs, and now just eight teams will kick off the playoffs, so of course we're ranking them ahead of the big games. If you're curious where teams landed before the playoffs, check out our previous rankings.

Gotham FC clinched the 2026 NWSL Shield on the final matchday of the regular season, Kansas City Current secured a vital home playoff game, Seattle Reign FC clinched the final playoff spot, and Angel City FC extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games. But where do those teams land on the latest special edition of the power rankings?

Let's get to the teams:

8. Utah Royals FC

The Utah Royals are the feel-good story of the postseason, making the playoffs for the first time in club history. Head coach Jimmy Coenraets and his squad are effective in a counterpress and had an impressive first half of the season, but have been inconsistent since the summer break and have at times struggled against other playoff contenders. 

Kate Del Fava is the defensive star of the show, and the centerback should be considered a finalist for defender of the year. Kaleigh Riehl, Nuria Rabano, and Paige Cronin aid goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn in net. Though injury concerns in the midfield are coming at a tough time for Utah, with a hamstring injury for Mina Tanaka and Narumi Miura managing a thigh issue.

The NWSL playoffs are the place where anything can happen, but the Royals are the only team heading to the postseason on the worst run of form. Just one win in their last five games.

7. Seattle Reign FC

Seattle just squeaked into the playoffs with a final-day win during Jess Fishlock's farewell home game. With the longtime Seattle Reign player retiring after this season, the group will be motivated for a long playoff run, though the goal-scoring question mark is still haunting the team from last year's postseason appearance.

If defense wins championships, then Seattle Reign have put all their eggs in that basket with goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. Centerback Jordyn Bugg has already emerged as a next-gen talent for club and country, and Sofia Huerta is the league's all-time assists leader, and the outside back is crucial to building up play for Seattle.

A lot will depend on Sam Meza dictating things in the midfield, and if Maddie Mercado or Mia Fishel can crank up the attacking looks during the playoffs.

6. Portland Thorns

There's no reason to doubt a team that has a healthy, in-form Sophia Wilson, and that's exactly who the Thorns have heading into the playoffs. Portland's roller coaster of a season has included a start without Sam Coffey, who left for Manchester City, followed by a season-ending injury to Olivia Moultrie in August.

But first-year NWSL head coach Robert Vilahamn got the team to the postseason, while managing injury absences to Reilyn Turner, Morgan Weaver, and M.A. Vignola. Despite the group being thinner throughout stretches of the year, they've adapted when necessary, with defensive midfielder Jessie Fleming as the glue on the pitch, the Thorns' iron woman this season.

5. Washington Spirit

There's no shortage of motivation for Washington Spirit heading into the playoffs. They have lost two consecutive NWSL Championship finals, and this 2026 main event will be hosted at Audi Field, as a neutral site location was selected earlier this year.

Trinity Rodman leads the attack with 12 goals this season. The group has had an inconsistent second half of the season, with injuries to key starters, the return of players from maternity leave, and the inclusion of newly acquired players. The club will hope that enough time has passed that newer players are acclimated, but the playoffs are a different beast. 

A bright spot is Algerian midfielder Melissa Bethi's increased minutes and overall production, and impressive hold-up play by fellow newcomer Clara Lavunga. With Hal Hershfelt out for the season in the midfield, the group will rely on Andi Sullivan to disrupt and Leicy Santos to create, while the backline looks to Esme Morgan and Gabrielle Carle to lock things up.

4. Angel City FC

Angel City are the pure form team in the playoffs. If you're looking for the leading upset candidate, it's them. They carry a 10-game unbeaten streak, and they turned their season around under interim coach Leif Gunnar Smerud, who took over after Alexander Straus was dismissed in June.

The goal scoring is spread out, with leaders Sveindis Jonsdottir (10) and Maiara Niehues (9) setting the tone this season with other players stepping up along the way in Taylor Suarez and Prisca Chilufya. The attack truly cranked up the firepower with the midseason trade for Ally Sentnor, who seems to have finally found a club home with Angel City after stints with Utah Royals and Kansas City.

Equally important is the defensive shape. Outside backs Evelyn Shores and Gisele Thompson have elevated their games this season. Thompson has played higher in the second half of the season, adding five goals and four assists, and Shores has contributed four goals and led the team with eight assists. The return of Savy King on the backline shifted Thompson higher, and the reliable duo of centerbacks Emily Sams and Sarah Gorden in front of shot-stopping goalkeeper Angelina Anderson makes them tough to break down.

3. Kansas City Current

For all the attention and valid doubts around the hiring of head coach Chris Armas and his lack of experience coaching women's pro soccer, the Kansas City Current are back in the postseason and hosting a home playoff game. The group struggled over the first quarter of the season, losing four games to start, and even if part of the coaching strategy may have been to hang on till Temwa Chawinga could get healthy -- it worked. 

The return of the two-time Golden Boot-winning Chawinga shifted things in April, as she notched an assist in her first game back and has scored 12 goals this year, and she's not the only goalscorer this season. Haley Hopkins' breakout year is the season's underrated club storyline. Traded to the team in 2025 by North Carolina Courage for $50,000 in intra-league transfer funds, Hopkins is now the co-leader with Chawinga in goals (12) scored this season.

Together, they helped Kansas City become league co-leaders in goals scored by a squad this year (54), and the club now has plenty of key players in form as they head to the playoffs.

Midfielder Croix Bethune grew into her role after being traded to the Midwest during preseason, and broke the all-time single-season assist record (11). Michelle Cooper's impact after returning from injury with five goals and five assists is equally notable. The team is better when the trio is healthy and together on the pitch, but the roster depth is also a game changer.

It's all a reminder that Kansas City Current may be better than they were during last year's NWSL Shield-winning season because they are now battle-tested and still lethal. 

Angel City and the Kansas City Current square off Saturday at 12 p.m. ET at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. You can watch that matchup live on CBS and Paramount+.

2. Gotham FC

Injury concerns for Gotham FC are probably the main reason for putting the recent NWSL Shield winners at No. 2 on the quarterfinalist power rankings. Jaedyn Shaw tapping in as a sub on Decision Day and scoring a goal off the bench is a positive sign, but an ankle injury to midfielder Jaelin Howell will have serious implications for the group moving forward. 

The East Coast side have won two NWSL Championships in the last three years, won the 2026 Challenge Cup in June, and just hoisted the 2026 NWSL Shield; to not consider them a dynasty in progress is just straight haterdom, and honestly, even putting them second on a power ranking could be just as foolish. 

Even with injury after injury, they are loaded. Guro Reiten might be their best acquisition this year, a player who can dominate the flank as a full back, wing back, or outright forward. Sam Kerr's arrival brings another veteran threat in attack, and Midge Purce and Rose Lavelle are simply built for the playoffs as 2023 and 2025 NWSL Championship MVPs, respectively.

Centerback Tierna Davidson is a leading candidate for defender of the year following a year-long absence from an ACL injury, anchors the defense (and what's left of the backline), and lightens the load in net for goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. 

Howell's ankle, Lavelle and Shaw's minutes management, will all be points of concern, but the beauty in Gotham's DNA is the endless possibility that comes with manager Juan Carlos Amoros and his ability to get the most out of his players in the system. That's part of what makes their NWSL Shield win so impressive, because they're built for the playoffs.

1. San Diego Wave FC

San Diego may have finished second to Gotham FC in the NWSL Shield race, but this was still the best regular season in club history, with a new franchise record for wins and total points. They enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed, in top form on a seven-match unbeaten run, and fueled by both experience and a youth movement in depth. 

On the sidelines, Jonas Eidevall has elevated the team in his second year from a lower playoff seed to a top contender, making adjustments whenever injury or form came into question. No matter who is in the lineup, it's control the ball and control the game for San Diego.

On the pitch, the group is led by Kenza Dali, this year's underdog MVP, a 35-year-old midfield maven who helped mentor Kimmi Ascanio, Melanie Barcenas, and Gia Corley into the season. 

Rookie outside back Mimi Van Zanten became a bona fide NWSL starter, crucial in inverted play and attacking sequences, and complements an experienced centerback duo in Kennedy Wesley and Kristen McNabb. Fellow rookie midfielder Lia Godfrey added six goals and six assists over a long season.

Trinity Byars' 11-goal sophomore season following an ACL injury was exactly what San Diego banked on when they signed her in 2024 following the elimination of the NWSL Draft. They'll either play spoiler to Gotham, or have the most pressure on them after just missing out on the NWSL Shield.