We are one week away from the NWSL’s big summer break and Utah has finally taken over the top of the table. Let’s take a look back at the top storylines from Week 9 and see who is thriving through the first third of the season.
Royals take the throne
After losing their first two matches, the Utah Royals have now strung together a nine-game unbeaten streak to climb to the top of the standings. They are 7-0-2 in that span and have only been shut out once.
Japanese midfielder Mina Tanaka is leading the team with four goals and three assists in nine matches. In fact, she has now contributed to five of the club’s seven game-winning goals this season and is tied with former forward and coach Amy Rodriguez with 15 career contributions (11 goals, four assists).
Goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn has also been in fine form, saving nine of the 11 shots on target she’s faced. She has four clean sheets and leads the league with .39 goals against per 90 minutes.
Another big moment this week came in the 20th minute when Kiana Palacios received a ball from Cloè Lacasse and scored her first Utah goal on a left-footed shot. The Mexican international is the eighth Utah player to score this season.
“The past few games, I feel like I was knocking, and I was just like ‘Don’t overthink, don’t get frustrated,’” she said. “When I saw it go in, I was like, ‘Oh, finally.’ That weight was lifted off my shoulders and hopefully it keeps coming naturally.”
The Royals will spend this week preparing for their biggest match of the season against the Portland Thorns, who also have 23 points. Utah holds a slight advantage in goal differential, giving the Royals the top spot for now.
Thorns tripped up
Speaking of Portland, the Thorns appeared to have a pretty solid lead in the standings a few weeks ago, but have now fallen to second with two losses and a draw in their last four matches.
One bright spot for the Thorns is Sophia Wilson, who has four goals and an assist through 12 matches. She is tied for the team lead with Reilyn Turner and Olivia Moultrie.
Current keep rolling at CPKC
The Kansas City Current won their ninth consecutive regular-season home game and extended their unbeaten streak to 22. Both are league records. The Current are now 6-5-0 on the season and 5-0-0 at home. They host Boston on May 30 in the clubs’ first meeting.
Seeing red
Before the end of May, players have already surpassed the total number of red cards we saw in the 2025 campaign with 13. Boston’s Bianca St-Georges leads the league with two, including one last week against Bay, which earned a three-match suspension.
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