2025 NWSL Championship: Four players to watch in the playoffs

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) returns this weekend, with play-off action taking centre stage.

After a gruelling 26-game campaign, in which the Kansas City Current claimed the NWSL Shield, the race for the championship title is now on.

Eight of the league’s best will face off in a tournament that will leave the top two to battle it out on 22 November in the final game of the season.

Ahead of what promises to be an exciting month of football, Olympics.com takes a look at four players who could be crucial to their teams' bids for glory.

2025 NWSL Championship playoffs: Full schedule and how to watch live

Title-chasing Temwa Chawinga: I want to give back to the Kansas City Current fans

Delphine Cascarino (San Diego Wave)

After winning the NWSL Shield in 2023, expectations were high for the San Diego Wave. Those hopes for another title were dashed the following season, as San Diego finished 10th with just six wins to their name.

The turn of the new year was a transitional period for the club, with a new manager and several new players joining their ranks.

Perhaps more importantly, they retained the services of French international Delphine Cascarino, who had joined them from European giants Lyon in 2024.

This term her quality has shone through. She is currently the league’s leading playmaker with six assists across 24 outings. Add to that her five goals, and it is clear she has been a highly effective creative outlet for the California-based club.

What sets Cascarino apart, aside from her sublime skill set on the pitch, is her experience of winning trophies. She won nine league titles and six Champions League trophies over almost a decade in France. Her winning mentality, and ability to perform when the stakes are so high, may well be a game-changer for the dressing room as the season reaches its final stages.

San Diego Wave take on the Portland Thorns on Sunday (9 November).

Emma Sears (Racing Louisville)

Just two years into her professional career, Emma Sears is finding her feet quickly in Louisville. The 24-year-old impressed in her rookie campaign straight out of college last season, and was involved in six goals while still coming to terms with the league. 2025 has seen her more than double that tally, with 10 goals and two assists, with her goal return making her one of the top five scorers in the league.

She isn't only thriving domestically, with the U.S. women’s national team reaping the rewards of her form. During a recent international break, Sears scored a hat-trick in a 6-0 demolition of New Zealand. With Sears in full flow and showing an abundance of confidence, she will make for formidable opposition in the play-offs.

Racing Louisville take on Washington Spirit on Saturday (08 November).

Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current)

As arguably one of the best teams to grace the NWSL era, there are several stars to watch at Kansas City Current. Lo’eau LaBonta, Claire Hutton, Debinha and Hailie Mace are all among the standouts from a dominant campaign this year. Goalkeeper Lorena has also been excellent between the sticks, registering an impressive 14 clean sheets.

The star of the show, however, continues to be Temwa Chawinga. Almost unplayable on her day, the Malawi international broke several records last year in her debut NWSL season, following it up with another Golden Boot campaign this term. Her knack for finding the back of the net has often made the difference for her side. With 15 goals already in 2025, along with 3 assists, defences will need to be on high alert if they are to stop Chawinga.

Having already secured the NWSL Shield, the 27-year-old is now hungry to complete the double.

“My focus is to help the team win the league,” she said in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com earlier this year.

“Last season we didn’t win the league, but the fans have been supporting us a lot, I want to win the league and give [back to] the fans for the way they have supported us.

“We need to thank them, to bring something to them as a thank you – we need to work hard as a team to bring something to this city.”

KC Current take on NJ/NY Gotham on Sunday (9 November).

Emily Sams (Orlando Pride)

In what is likely to be a play-off heavily dominated by attacking talent, including Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda, defender Emily Sams may hold the key to their successful title defence. Last term she was at the heart of the joint-best defence in the league. This time around, she has been a central figure for Orlando who had the third-best defensive record en route to a fourth-placed finish in the table.

The 26-year-old is pivotal to the way in which the Pride play, which involves building from the back. Sams has completed the fourth-most passes across all players in the league, totaling 1,445 in 25 appearances. It is evidence of how much players around her rely on her as the beating heart of the team.

For all the attacking prowess a team may possess, the difference between winning a title or not just as much lies with the defence. Orlando’s pursuit of back-to-back championships could therefore rest on the performances of Sams and the rest of the team's back line.

Orlando Pride take on Seattle Reign on Friday (7 November).

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