The 10 Most Memorable Moments of the 2022 NWSL Season

The 2022 NWSL season has come to a close. It was an exciting season with a lot of really fun moments throughout. Let’s take a look at eight of the top moments from the season.

 

Diana Ordóñez Sets Record

While Ordóñez was at the University of Virginia, she was one of the best goalscorers in the country, so when the North Carolina Courage drafted her with the sixth pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, they hoped she would continue that form.

The forward did that and then some, finishing her rookie season with 11 goals, tied with Debinha for most on the team. On August 6, she scored her seventh goal breaking the league record for most goals in a season by a rookie.

With her 7th goal this season, @diana0rdonez has tied the NWSL record for goals by a rookie 🤩
pic.twitter.com/ZafkJS6hGB

— NC Courage (@TheNCCourage) August 6, 2022

Kim Little Returns to Reign

A Reign legend returned to the NWSL for a short period. Kim Little came over on loan from Arsenal to play with her old team over the summer.

From 2014-16 Little scored 32 goals and registered 16 assists for the Reign. It was really fun to see one of the best players in NWSL history return even if it was for a short period.

 

Angel City’s first game

Bringing professional women’s soccer back to California was long overdue and was met with a lot of excitement. When Angel City was announced as an expansion team, many fans had high expectations, and the organization was able to go above and beyond those in their first season.

Angel City played their inaugural regular season home match on April 29, picking up a 2-1 win in their first match. They did so in front of an incredible sold-out crowd of 22,000 fans, creating an amazing atmosphere.

NWSL: Over 22,000 fans packed into Banc of California Stadium in LA for the inaugural regular season match for Angel City FC.

The home side won 2-1 v North Carolina.

Just listen to the crowd on Canadian Vanessa Gilles' goal!pic.twitter.com/arJUyyyYzH

— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) April 30, 2022

San Diego Wave’s first game at SnapDragon

San Diego began their inaugural season playing at Torero Stadium, but they moved to the brand-new Snapdragon Stadium in September. The Wave broke the attendance record in their first game at Snapdragon with a sellout crowd of 32,000 fans. San Diego got a 1-0 win over rivals Angel City in that match.

 

Houston Dash Punch Ticket To First Playoff

Until this 2022 NWSL season, the Houston Dash had never made it to the NWSL playoffs. The Dash finished in fourth place after a 2-1 win over the Washington Spirit in their regular season finale. The finish earned them a home playoff game in their best season since joining the league. While Kansas City knocked out the Dash during the first round of the playoffs, they hosted the largest crowd in team history for that game.

 

Current Making Moves

In addition to the on-field product put out by the Current this season, they were also making news off the field.

In July, Kansas City opened its 18 million dollar training facility, the first facility to be built specifically for the NWSL.

Since bringing a team back to Kansas City, the Current’s ownership has shown tremendous dedication to improving the women’s game. On October 6, they broke ground on their new stadium which will be the first stadium built for a women’s soccer team.

 

Jaedyn Shaw First NWSL Goal

In July, Jaedyn Shaw joined the San Diego Wave through the NWSL’s discovery process at just 17. The forward got her first start on July 30 against the Chicago Red Stars. She scored her first professional goal in that game, which also proved to be the game-winner. Shaw would go on to score three goals in her first three matches.

She also became the youngest player to start an NWSL playoff game.

The list of players since the league's inaugural season to score a goal in each of their first three @NWSL games:

1. @JaedynShaw11
— End of List — pic.twitter.com/K5YmAhiOzB

— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) September 19, 2022

 

Katie Lund Save Record

Lund earned the starting spot for Racing Louisville ahead of the season and showed why throughout the 2022 campaign. The goalkeeper appeared in 22 games registering 112 saves breaking the NWSL single-season record.

 

Current Clinches Historic Spot in the Finals

The Kansas City Current went from worst to first at one point in the league. They managed to make it all the way to the final match. Although they came in second, their wild success this season isn’t unnoticed!

 

Portland’s Third Championship Title 

It’s me. Hi. pic.twitter.com/xoSOrZ76FV

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 31, 2022

The Thorns won their third NWSL Championship this 2022 NWSL season, making them the only team to have won three! Although the team has been around since the beginning of the league, they had many newer faces out there on the field and managed to secure the win.

 

Featured image @thornsfc on Instagram

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