NWSL Opening Weekend: 6 standout players after week one

The wait for the 2023 NWSL season is finally over and with all six teams in action throughout the weekend, there were plenty of players that stood out.

It had been 147 days since the ball was last kicked in the National Women’s Soccer League. The opening weekend of the highly anticipated 2023 season did not disappoint. There were so many standout stars from the opening weekend of NWSL action. Whether it was young playmakers netting show-stopping goals or goalkeepers showing up in big moments for their respective teams, there is so much excellence to recognize in only six matches.

While there was brilliance from players all around the league, here are six players that made their mark right out of the gate in 2023.

Six standout players from the opening week of NWSL action:

1. Trinity Rodman, Washington Spirit

If you put one Trinity Rodman on the field, she’s going to score. This is just as inevitable as gravity on the earth. The Spirit owe their first victory to an excellent shot from just outside the box taken by Rodman.

It was a long time coming, she had been working towards a goal the entire game, forcing the Reign onto their toes at every turn. An exceptional playmaker, this is far from the last time we’ll see Rodman score this season as her persistent attack forces mistakes from defenders, turning chances into valuable points for the Spirit.

2. Lynn Williams, NY/NJ Gotham

In one of the most controversial games of the weekend, Lynn Williams makes her mark with her Gotham debut. While there were many questionable decisions made during this game, there’s no doubt about the wonderfully weighted ball from Williams that found the back of the net to become the game-winner for Gotham.

Williams possesses incredible speed and poise on the ball, and her comeback to the NWSL from injury was well worth the wait. She plays with a ferocity unrivaled by anyone else, coming back into this game with a splint after falling on her arm.

When asked about it afterward, Lynn had this to say: “I need my legs to play soccer, not my arm.”

There is tenacity, and then there is Lynn Williams.

3. Tierna Davidson, Chicago Red Stars

Opening weekend saw many players make triumphant returns from injury, including Tierna Davidson of the Chicago Red Stars. The young defender returns from an ACL injury, and although Chicago didn’t walk away with the win Davidson had an excellent game.

She was instrumental in progressing Chicago’s high press and generated brilliant passes from her place in anchoring the backline. While she earned a yellow card from barely touching Alex Morgan, she was key in the attack and the defense. She managed to play over eighty minutes in the match and keep a cool head against one of the best offenses in the league. Tell a friend to tell a friend, Tierna Davidson is back and better than ever.

— Oliver Hunt, @oliverrhunt