After the 40% increase between 2023 and 2024 season-ending injuries (SEI), the 2025 season only having 25 new 2025 SEIs–including the two players who joined & returned this season—is a trend in the right direction. Below is a detailed breakdown of the season-ending injuries, looking at recent trends on timing, team, and injury type.

Looking at the trends of maternity leaves shows a dramatic increase year-over-year, showing that the NWSL’s collective bargaining agreement is truly making a difference in making players not have to choose between a salary and building a family. After only one in 2023, and six in 2024, the 2025 NWSL season has seen 14 players utilize the available maternity leave – not including Kailen Sherian who was marked as ‘excused’ for the single match she missed to be present for the birth of her daughter.

Compared to 2024, the 2025 season saw barely more preseason long-term injuries, but less in April around that early FIFA window—may have just pushed into early May—less around the summer window, and less toward the tail end of the season. As a reminder, in 2024 July/August had Olympics prep window and the Olympics, while 2025 July had federation tournaments (Euros, Africa Cup of Nations, Copa America, etc). The timing of playoffs around the late October window aligns between the two seasons. 

Team Breakdown


Examining the per team season-ending injuries, Portland topped out the chart with five, while Washington has had no new season-ending injuries in 2025 (they do have two 2024 SEI’s still on the inactive roster). Six of the fourteen clubs only had one season-ending injury—including the two sides who didn’t have a 2024 season-ending injury: North Carolina and San Diego. 

If you break down the impact of the numerous maternity leaves and season-ending injuries, Portland tops out the group with a combined seven players on long-term leave.

Injury Breakdown

Of the 25 season-ending injuries this season, it likely comes as no surprise that the largest bucket that players fall into is the ACL bucket. What is slightly surprising is that the 2024 season only had 11/32 (34%) of its SEI’s as ACL issues, but that even with a reduced number of season-ending injuries, the number of ACL injuries increased overall in 2025.