Decision Day is complete.
And no, it has nothing to do with a guy named LeBron.
After the final day of the NWSL regular season on Sunday, Nov. 1, the playoff bracket is set. Defending champion Gotham FC is the top seed and leads the field of eight teams that will vie for the 2026 title starting on the weekend of November 6 to 8. After their 2-0 win over the Utah Royals on Sunday, Gotham FC finishes with 61 points and a record of 18-5-7. This clinches Gotham FC's first ever NWSL Shield, the prize for the regular season champions.
The NWSL playoffs kick off on Friday, Nov. 6 when the No. 2 seed San Diego Wave FC takes on the No. 7 seed Utah Royals, who will be playing in their first postseason in club history.
On Saturday, Nov. 7 sandwiched in the
middle of the action, Malawi sensation Temwa Chawinga leads the No. 4 seed Kansas City Current against the No. 5 seed Angel City FC. The Current's Croix Bethune broke the league's single-season assist record when she notched 11 in 26 games played this year.
Australian star and former Chelsea striker Sam Kerr and Gotham FC will take on No. 8 seed Seattle Reign FC on Sunday, Nov. 8. The Reign were the last team to clinch a playoff spot with a win on Decision Day. Also on Nov. 8, the No. 3 seed Washington Spirit, led by USWNT standout Trinity Rodman, take on her United States teammate Sophia Wilson and the No. 6 seed Portland Thorns FC. Wilson is third in the NWSL with 15 goals in 28 matches and Rodman is close behind her with 12 scores in 30 appearances.
The championship game will be played on Saturday, Nov. 21 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.
Last year, Gotham FC made history when they beat the Washington Spirit 1-0 to win the championship. They were the first No. 8 seed to ever win the title.
This year's NWSL playoffs hold extra weight as the 2027 World Cup in Brazil looms ahead next summer.
Teams that clinched, were eliminated from NWSL playoffs on Decision Day
On Decision Day, Seattle Reign FC clinched the final playoff spot and the No. 8 seed with a 1-0 win over the Orlando Pride.
Two teams with their playoff hopes on the line faced off against each other: the North Carolina Courage and Denver Summit FC, who was playing in their first NWSL season this year. The Courage ended up winning 1-0 with an own goal from Kaleigh Kurtz in stoppage time.
Even with the win, North Carolina missed out on the NWSL playoffs by two points. They finished the season with 45 points compared to Seattle's 47 points.
To make the playoffs, the Summit needed to not only win, but for the already-eliminated Pride to upset Reign FC, which didn't happen. Denver's 41 points is the highest total by an expansion team in league history.
2026 NWSL playoffs bracket
- No. 1 Gotham FC vs. No. 8 Seattle Reign FC - 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 8
- No. 2 San Diego Wave FC vs. No. 7 Utah Royals - 10 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 6
- No. 3 Washington Spirit vs. No. 6 Portland Thorns FC - 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 8
- No. 4 Kanas City Current vs. No. 5 Angel City FC - 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 7
How to watch the 2026 NWSL playoffs
The NWSL playoffs will air on a variety of TV networks and streaming services:
- Nov. 6 - Prime
- Nov. 7 - CBS/Paramount+
- Nov. 8 - ABC/ESPN+
- Nov. 21 championship game - CBS/Paramount+
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Decision Day complete: 2026 NWSL playoffs set, Gotham FC win first Shield
