NWSL stats and minutiae after Week 18

Here’s a look at some stats and minutiae following Week 18 of the 2026 National Women’s Soccer League season. We’ll keep evolving this space every week to try and keep you informed. Have an idea or an addition? Hit me @munson-bella.bsky.social on Bsky or @munson_bella on X as I fill in this week for Dan Lauletta.

All statistics below reference regular season games only except where noted.

Player stats

— Kaleigh Kurtz has now played 134 consecutive regular season matches and 12,022 consecutive minutes. Both are league records. The streaks began June 26, 2021, while playing for the Courage. (The unrounded number is due to a rain-shortened match in 2023.)

— Sophia Wilson scored the game-winner against Denver Saturday to extend her team-leading goal tally to 10. She is the first NWSL player to score 10+ goals in four NWSL seasons (2022, 2023, 2024, 2026).

— In a dramatic 2-1 victory for North Carolina over Boston, Ashley Sanchez scored her 12th and 13th goals of the season, putting her in the lead for the Golden Boot race. She is now one goal away from the Courage single-season goals record. It is also the latest goal scored in NWSL history, coming in the 17th minute of second-half stoppage time, officially at 106:50 on the clock.

— Speaking of the Golden Boot race, though Sanchez is in the lead with 13 goals, she has tight competition. Barbra Banda is back from WAFCON and right behind her with 12, while Sophia Wilson, Trinity Rodman and teammate Evelyn Ijeh all sit on 10. Temwa Chawinga is the lone player with nine, and knowing how quickly she can score in bunches, it is looking like the Golden Boot could go down to the wire this season.

— Debinha scores the equalizing goal against Seattle Saturday from the penalty spot, marking her fifth of the 2026 campaign as well as her NWSL-record 84th career goal across all NWSL competitions. It was also the 60th of her NWSL regular season career, moving the Brazilian into a tie for fourth place in league history.

— Kansas City saw several players reach important individual milestones on Saturday. Midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta became the 10th player in NWSL history to reach 200 appearances, while defender Izzy Rodriguez set a new club record with her 47th consecutive start. Defender Kayla Sharples made her 100th career appearance while fellow defender Elizabeth Ball made her 100th start.

— Two players made NWSL debuts last week. With Abby Smith out of the starting XI due to injury, goalkeeper Kat Asman made her first career NWSL start in goal and posted five saves. The 26-year-old joined Denver in July on loan from the Orlando Pride. Asman played her college ball at Penn State and debuted against the team that drafted her in the third round of the 2024 NWSL Draft, Portland.

Cosette Morché also started in goal for her NWSL debut, making three saves, including a diving save in second-half stoppage time to secure the three points for Orlando against Washington. She became the first goalkeeper in Pride history to record a shutout in her NWSL debut.  

Team stats

— Kate Del Fava remains minute-perfect for the Royals, having played all 6,570 over 73 games since the team launched in 2024. Those are the longest streaks from the start of any expansion team.

— With a brace against San Diego on Friday, Utah’s Mina Tanaka overtook former Royal Amy Rodriguez to become the club’s all-time leading goal scorer with 15. The Japanese midfielder earned her second career brace and first this season, becoming the first-ever Utah Royal to record multiple double-goal games in club history.

— Racing’s win over the Reign midweek extended Louisville’s winning streak to a club-record four games. Racing has clawed back its season thanks to its attack, tallying 11 goals during the four-game winning streak. This also marked Racing’s first-ever regular season win over Seattle. The streak came to a halt Sunday afternoon, as Racing fell 3-2 to Chicago Stars FC.

— Portland and Kansas City kept their home stadiums fortified as each extended home unbeaten runs. The Current’s unbeaten streak at CPKC Stadium, which began in 2024, extended to 27 straight home matches. The Thorns remain unbeaten at home in 2026

— With a 0-0 draw against Angel City, Gotham FC tied their club record with a nine-match unbeaten streak. Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger recorded her 10th clean sheet of the 2026 season, tying her own club record from last year. She is the first NWSL goalkeeper to record double-digit shutouts in consecutive seasons, and the first to have 10 or more in multiple seasons for one club.

— On Wednesday, the Houston Dash matched their largest margin of victory ever with a 5-0 win over Chicago, their first triumph with that scoreline since defeating Orlando in 2022. Three Dash rookies scored four of Houston’s five goals, including Kat Rader, whose brace brought her to nine total goals on the season, the second most scored by a rookie in regular season play.

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