The 2017 National Women's Soccer League season was the fifth season of the
National Women's Soccer League
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a women's professional Association football, soccer league and the highest level of the United States soccer league system#Women's leagues, United States soccer league system (alongside the USL Supe ...
, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors,
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) was the top-level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded six teams for the 2011 ...
(2009–2011) and the
Women's United Soccer Association
The Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) was the world's first women's soccer league in which all the players were paid as professionals. Founded in February 2000, the league began its first season in April 2001 with eight teams in the Uni ...
(2001–2003), it was the eleventh overall season of FIFA- and USSF-sanctioned top-division women's soccer in the United States. The league is operated by the
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of soccer in the United States. It is a full member of FIFA and governs American soccer ...
and receives major financial backing from that body. Further financial backing is provided by the
Canadian Soccer Association
The Canadian Soccer Association (; branded as Canada Soccer) is the governing body for soccer in Canada. Headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, the federation is a full member of FIFA and governs Canadian soccer at the international, professional, a ...
; both national federations pay the league salaries of many of their respective national team members in an effort to nurture talent in those nations.
The reigning champions
Western New York Flash
The Western New York Flash (WNY Flash) was an American women's soccer club based in Elma, New York, that most recently competed in the United Women's Soccer league in 2018. They won league championships in four different leagues: the USL W-Leag ...
did not play under that name; the franchise was sold, relocated to
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, Wake, Chatham County, North Carolina, Chatham, and Durham County, North Carolina, Durham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is part of the Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh-Cary, NC M ...
and rebranded as the
North Carolina Courage
The North Carolina Courage are an American professional Association football, soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It was founded on January 9, 2017, after Stephen Malik acqui ...
.
After schedule disruptions in the previous two years caused by the
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup was the seventh FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international soccer championship contested by the women's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament was hosted by Canada for the f ...
and the
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...
, NWSL teams in 2017 once again played 24 games, a schedule last played during the
2014 season. The Courage won the
NWSL Shield
The NWSL Shield is an annual award given to the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team with the best regular season record as determined by the NWSL points system. The NWSL Shield has been awarded annually since 2013 and is recognized as a ...
(the regular season), topping the
Portland Thorns by two points.
The
NWSL Playoff semifinals were held October 7–8, 2017, and were won by the Thorns and the Courage. The
NWSL Championship Game was held on October 14, 2017 at
Orlando City Stadium
Inter&Co Stadium (formerly Orlando City Stadium and Exploria Stadium) is a soccer-specific stadium in downtown Orlando, Florida. The stadium is located along West Church Street in the Parramore neighborhood west of downtown Orlando. It is the ...
in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
. The Thorns won 1–0, becoming
NWSL Champions, their second championship.
Teams, stadiums, and personnel
Stadiums and locations
Two teams, the Dash and Reign, do not make their stadiums' entire capacity available for home games, instead restricting ticket sales at a lower level. The full capacities of their venues are included in parentheses and ''italics''.
Personnel and sponsorship
Note: All of the teams use Nike as their kit manufacturer.
Coaching changes
Competition format
* Each team played a total of 24 games, 12 home and 12 away.
* The four teams at the end of the season with the most points qualified for the playoffs.
League standings
Tiebreakers
The initial determining factor for a team's position in the standings is most points earned, with three points earned for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. If two or more teams tie in point total, when determining rank and playoff qualification and seeding, the NWSL uses the following tiebreaker rules, going down the list until all teams are ranked.
# Head-to-head win–loss record between the teams (or points-per-game if more than two teams).
# Greater goal difference across the entire season (against all teams, not just tied teams).
# Greatest total number of goals scored (against all teams).
# Apply #1–3 to games played on the road.
# Apply #1–3 to games played at home.
# If teams are still equal, ranking will be determined by a coin toss.
NOTE: If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format.
Weekly live standings
''Considering each week to end on a Sunday.''
Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit are an American professional Association football, soccer team based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It is a continuation of the D.C. United Women of the USL W-League (1995� ...
and
Boston Breakers
The Boston Breakers were an American professional women's soccer club based in the Boston neighborhood of Allston. The team competed in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). They replaced the original Breakers, who competed in the defu ...
were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 18 on August 26, 2017 after losing their respective games.
FC Kansas City
FC Kansas City was an American professional women's soccer club based in Kansas City, Missouri. The team was one of the eight founding clubs of the National Women's Soccer League in 2012, and began play in 2013. They were two-time NWSL champio ...
and
Houston Dash were both eliminated in Week 20 on September 9, after the Chicago Red Stars gained one more point in a tie against FC Kansas City.
Sky Blue FC
Gotham Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in the New York metropolitan area that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Founded in 2006 as Jersey Sky Blue, the team was known as Sky Blue FC from 2008 un ...
was eliminated later that weekend after a loss against the Washington Spirit.
Seattle Reign
Seattle Reign FC is an American professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Founded in 2012, it is one of eight inaugural members of the NWSL. Since June 2024, the Reign ar ...
was the last team to lose a playoff spot after a defeat in Week 21.
In Week 19,
North Carolina Courage
The North Carolina Courage are an American professional Association football, soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It was founded on January 9, 2017, after Stephen Malik acqui ...
was the first team to clinch a playoff spot. Later that week,
Portland Thorns clinched the second playoff spot. Both
Chicago Red Stars
Chicago Stars Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in the Chicago metropolitan area that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). A founding member of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league as the Chic ...
and
Orlando Pride
The Orlando Pride are an American professional Association football, soccer team based in Orlando, Florida, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The Pride began play in the 2016 National Women's Soccer League season, 2016 ...
clinched the remaining two spots in Week 21.
Attendance
Average home attendances
Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
Updated to games played on October 1, 2017.
Highest attendances
Regular season
Updated to games played on October 7, 2017.
Statistical leaders
Top scorers
Updated: October 1, 2017
Top assists
Updated: October 1, 2017
NWSL Playoffs
The top four teams from the regular season competed for the NWSL Championship. In one semifinal, the
North Carolina Courage
The North Carolina Courage are an American professional Association football, soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It was founded on January 9, 2017, after Stephen Malik acqui ...
defeated the
Chicago Red Stars
Chicago Stars Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in the Chicago metropolitan area that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). A founding member of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league as the Chic ...
1–0 on a dramatic 89th-minute goal. In the other,
Portland Thorns FC
Portland Thorns FC is an American professional Association football, soccer team based in Portland, Oregon, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Established in 2012, the team began play in 2013 in the then-eight-team NWSL ...
defeated the
Orlando Pride
The Orlando Pride are an American professional Association football, soccer team based in Orlando, Florida, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The Pride began play in the 2016 National Women's Soccer League season, 2016 ...
4–1. One week later, in the final on October 14, Portland defeated North Carolina 1–0 to claim the NWSL Championship.
Semi-finals
Championship
Individual awards
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
Team of the Month
Weekly awards
Annual awards
References
; NWSL Statistics
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Women's Soccer League 2017
2017
2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly.
Events January
* January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
2017 in American soccer leagues