Gotham FC wins second NWSL Championship in three years

The GIST: Saturday brought a fairy tale ending for No. 8 seed Gotham FC, who defeated No. 2 Washington Spirit 1–0 to win the NWSL Championship. Here’s how the Bats clinched their second title in three years, plus a look at what’s to come for the growing league.

🌹 Gotham midfielder Rose Lavelle seals the deal in the 80th minute: Big-time players meet big-time moments, and veteran Lavelle stepped up in a major way in San Jose, banging home the eventual game-winner in an otherwise deadlocked game. Gotham outshot Washington 13 to 7 in the evenly played match, wearing down an injured, but persevering Spirit back line.

👀 Zooming out: Saturday marked Gotham’s second championship won as the lowest seed in the postseason, a testament to the league’s defining parity. The question now is whether that league-wide level playing field will continue to be the NWSL’s biggest strength…or become its greatest limitation.

• Commissioner Jessica Berman remains in the headlines as she continues to back the NWSL’s parity-inducing salary cap, with uncertainty swirling around Spirit star and now free agent Trinity Rodman’s future in the league.

• Something that’s set in stone? The NWSL will expand to 16 franchises with the additions of Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC in 2026. Needless to say, we’ll be watching this space.