Four stars who could decide the 2026 NWSL semifinals

Just four teams remain in the 2026 NWSL playoffs as the Washington Spirit hosts the Utah Royals, while Gotham FC faces Kansas City Current. While much of the attention will fall on the attacking stars, there are other players who could have just as much influence on the outcome.

While the Spirit’s attacking performance against the Thorns was impressive, Utah’s defensive organization presents a different challenge.

The spotlight will be on Trinity Rodman and Clara Luvanga, but midfielder Leicy Santos could play an equally important role in helping Washington break down the Royals.

The Colombian international’s creativity, vision and ability to find spaces could prove essential against a team that most likely will stay compact in defense. Washington has already proved they can overwhelm opponents with their talented forwards, but they will need more against Utah which is where Santos comes in.

Patience and creativity might be just as important as that flair and threat in the front line.

After Utah’s defensive resilience helped them to pull off a major upset in the quarterfinals, the Royals will need to raise their level even further to topple Washington.

The Spirit scored four goals against Portland, with Luvanga and Rodman displaying all their attacking prowess. If the Royals want to reach their first-ever Championship game, they’ll need another great defensive performance.

Enter goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn. Her shot-stopping, positioning, command inside the box and communication with her defensive line could be essential to keeping Washington at bay.

If there’s anything the Royals have demonstrated, it’s that they can resist pressure from higher-seeded teams. Whether they’re successful again may come down to McGlynn’s gloves.

Is another upset realistic? Looking back at the games from this season, a draw and a loss for Utah (1-1 and 1-0, respectively) indicates this semifinal will be a close one.

Gotham’s defense will face its toughest test yet in their semifinal against Kansas City. The Current has shown how dangerous it can be by scoring 54 goals during the regular season, and its attacking threats are capable of punishing even the smallest defensive mistakes.

That’s where goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger becomes pivotal heading into this match. The German international finished the regular season with a league-leading 0.85 goals-against average, helping Gotham concede just 23 goals all seaso.

Against Kansas City’s pace in transition, Berger’s positioning, decision-making and ability to deal with 1-v-1 situations could prove particularly important. Including Gotham’s ability to protect narrow leads, the goalkeeper could be the difference between another clean sheet and elimination.

Knowing Kansas City will have to face the stingiest defenses in the league, maybe Temwa Chawinga and Haley Hopkins won’t be enough to break them down. That’s when a creative weapon such as Croix Bethune becomes pivotal in finding openings against a well-organized opponent.

Bethune finished the regular season with a league-record 11 assists, demonstrating her ability to create opportunities for the likes of Chawinga, Hopkins and more. Her ability to exploit spaces between the lines gives the Current an edge in progressing play and exploiting space behind in the final third.

Should Bethune do so, the Current could be heading to the NWSL championship final.