It's a new month for the league, the final one ahead of the postseason, and players are making the most of the limited opportunities in front of them to stand out. That means it's time to roll out the Attacking Third team of the week. It's harder than ever to whittle hundreds of players down to a list of eleven, but someone has to try.
After weekly matches across the 2026 NWSL season, Attacking Third analysts will select players, a head coach, and an honorary captain based on weekend performances. Here you can find a mix of stats and data, analysis from our pundits, and highlights you may have missed over the weekend. If you're keeping track of who earned past honors, check out our previous team of the week.
Every game is a playoff game when you're dancing around near the playoff line. Thankfully for the Courage, they have a reliable goalkeeper in Kailen Sheridan who can help keep close games from turning into dropped points. Kailen Sheridan denies Ryanne Brown from distance ❌ pic.twitter.com/aXSOWmwm5z You know a defender has a huge impact on a game when the story is whether or not they were the victim of a "soft" penalty call.
San Diego Wave FC centerback Kennedy Wesley was a huge thorn in the side of Orlando Pride attackers with her positioning and was a constant outlet for teammates when building play -- and now she's on another team of the week because of it. Fullback Janine Sonis is just making it look easy now. The defender is back on another team of the week after scoring her 12th goal from an outrageous angle.
JANINE SONIS WHAT A GOAL ‼️She scores her 12th goal of the season to give @denversummitfc the lead against The Chicago Stars 💥🏔️ pic.twitter.com/tliInRKd5k North Carolina's backline just got another boost with Natalie Jacobs' return. The defender had to navigate a head injury earlier this season, and while she returned to pitch in July, she made her first start in over a month during a big win with playoff implications. The backline looked more comfortable with the veteran, and she helped carry the Courage's first clean sheet since September 6.
If goalscoring is tough to come by nowadays, just have your striker turn center back in the box on a set piece. That's exactly what Washington Spirit have with defender Tara Rudd. Centerback to centerback connection 🤝Tara Rudd heads in Esme Morgan's cross to put Washington ahead! pic.twitter.com/D2c9OtRQFk Every game from here on out is a must-win for Denver Summit if they want to make the playoff leap.
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