Six best players from the NWSL playoff quarterfinals

The NWSL playoff quarterfinals brought an historic attacking display, a major upset and two matches that required late drama to determine which teams would advance to the semifinals.

While some players displayed major attacking performances, others stood out for their defensive work.

Here are six players that stood out in the first round of the postseason.

Trinity Rodman made sure everyone knows why she’s the highest-paid player in the NWSL after scoring two goals and assisting once in the quarterfinals. Her three-goal contributions are what people will remember from the game against the Thorns, but that’s not all she did.

Her defensive work stands out for an attacker. Rodman contributed in defense with 12 recoveries and won her three attempted tackles. Hands down, a well-rounded performance that gives the Spirt momentum into the next round.

While Rodman stole the spotlight, she wasn’t the only player responsible for the Spirit’s stellar performance in attack. Any discussion of it would be incomplete without acknowledging Clara Luvanga.

She delivered three-goal contributions—one goal and two assists—too in just 67 minutes, created two big chances and made three key passes. Both she and Rodman became the first players in NWSL history to record three goal contributions in a single playoff game. Efficiency at its best.

It takes something special for the seventh seed to keep the second seed, San Diego, scoreless and eliminate them from playoff contention.

Part of that special something was goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, who helped to pull off the quarterfinal’s biggest upset. She made two crucial saves to keep Utah alive before Kiana Palacios scored the winning goal. With Mina Tanaka unavailable, Utah’s defense is their best asset in this lopsided bracket.

She finished the game with four saves, five throws, two high claims, three clearances and 12 recoveries. More importantly, she helped Utah preserve the narrow lead as San Diego chased the game. McGlynn also tied the league record with her third career playoff clean sheet, another milestone part of an already memorable performance.

Kansas City Current are through. It wasn’t easy. After all, it took extra time to eliminate Angel City in the quarterfinals.

It was a tight match. And while the decisive goal, through a controversial penalty kick, decided the fate of these teams and attracted much of the attention, center back Gabrielle Robinson was instrumental in ensuring the Current remained in contention throughout 120 minutes.

Robinson’s defensive game was impressive, registering 15 clearances and 21 total defensive contributions. Along with right back Laney Rouse, she had the joint-most touches (105). In a game decided by fine margins, Robinson’s contributions were essential to protect the lead and keep a clean sheet.

Not every standout performance ends with a win, and Seattle’s midfielder Ainsley McCammon is a perfect example of that in her team’s narrow loss to the top seed, Gotham.

Despite Seattle’s elimination, McCammon delivered an impressive individual performance, particularly on the defensive side.

In her 84 minutes on the field, she made four tackles, four interceptions, won eight duels and made one key pass. Those numbers highlight her involvement in Seattle’s efforts to disrupt Gotham’s attacking play while they sought an equalizer.

Even though her story doesn’t include a happy ending, her efforts are worth mentioning.

Kayla Sharples put in a 120-minute shift against Angel City to help Kansas City survive until she was involved in the PK that gave them the win.

After helping the Current keep a clean sheet through 90 minutes, she was involved in the decisive moment of the Current’s victory. After the game went to extra time, Sharples went down, following contact near the goal line as her teammate, Izzy Rodríguez, delivered a corner. A penalty was awarded and Michelle Cooper scored from the spot to send the Current through.

The decision sparked controversy, but Sharples’s contribution went beyond that incident, helping to stop an Angel City attack that scored 54 goals in the regular season.