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Sting wishes John Cena the best of luck in his upcoming retirement.

Speaking with Going Ringside, the former WCW Champion wished Cena well ahead of his retirement match this coming weekend at Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event, where he’ll take on Gunther.

“Kudos to John. Heâ€s one of the greatest of all time. I love to see it. Iâ€m rooting for him. Iâ€m hoping it turns out to be phenomenal, Iâ€m sure that it will. Iâ€m always rooting for those older guys, you know. Go Aaron Rodgers,†he said, referring to the NFL star.

Sting got to interact with Cena during his brief run in WWE. On the September 14, 2015 edition of Raw the two teamed up to defeat Seth Rollins and The Big Show in a tag team match. The match was held just days before Night of Champions where Sting suffered a neck injury while wrestling Seth Rollins, which kept him out of action until his AEW debut years later.

At his own retirement match back at AEW Revolution 2024, Sting teamed with Darby Allin to defeat The Young Bucks.

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Bryan Rose is an editor from California that has been covering professional wrestling for well over a decade. He officially joined F4WOnline as an editor in 2017.

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John Cenaâ€s WWE retirement tour is officially underway—and one legend whoâ€s seen it all just gave the 16-time world champion his flowers.

Sting, currently wrapping up his own career with AEW, was asked during an interview on Going Ringside to weigh in on Cenaâ€s decision to hang up his boots. Without hesitation, the wrestling icon showed full support for Cenaâ€s next chapter.

“Kudos to John. Heâ€s—heâ€s one of the greatest of all time. I love to see it. Iâ€m rooting for him. Iâ€m hoping it turns out to be phenomenal. Iâ€m sure that it will.â€

Sting didnâ€t stop there. He made it clear that he always backs veterans who continue to defy expectations. As an example, he compared Cenaâ€s retirement moment to seeing older athletes like Aaron Rodgers still pushing forward.

“Yeah, man. And Iâ€m always rooting for those older guys, you know. Go Aaron Rodgers, you know. Go.â€

Both Cena and Sting are two of the most influential figures in wrestling history, and hearing one endorse the other at this career crossroads is a moment fans wonâ€t forget. Sting knows what itâ€s like to close a chapter—and clearly, he believes Cena is doing it the right way.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.

Do you think John Cenaâ€s retirement tour will top Stingâ€s in terms of emotion and legacy? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

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Ahead of the 2025-26 series, Sports Mole picks up the top 10 greatest moments in Ashes history between England and Australia.

The fierce rivalry between England and Australia has produced some great moments that have been etched in Ashes history.Â

A determination to get one over the old enemy has led to players from both countries pulling off incredible feats, like Ben Stokes‘s match-winning heroics at Headingley in 2019.Â

Stokes’s current group of players will be hoping to achieve more impressive feats when they face Australia in the 2025-26 Ashes series.

Ahead of the five-match affair, Sports Mole delves into the history books to pick out the top 10 greatest moments in history.Â

10. Pratt runs out Ponting (2005)

The impact substitute is usually reserved for sports such as football, but back in 2005, an unknown sub-fielder, Gary Pratt, made his presence known in a big way in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge.Â

Ponting was 48 not out and Australia were 155 for two in the follow-on after being bowled out for 218 in their reply to England’s 477.

With Australia still 104 runs behind, Damien Martyn knocked a delivery from Andrew Flintoff into the offside and quickly called for an ill-judged single.Â

Pratt quickly picked up the ball and threw down the stumps to leave the Australian captain well short of the crease to the delight of the Trent Bridge crowd.

Ponting voiced his displeasure as he made his way off the field, believing that England were using substitute fielders to allow bowlers to take breaks.

England would go on to win the Test by three wickets, which proved decisive in their successful bid to win an Ashes series for the first time since 1986-87.Â

9. Australia’s first triple century in test cricket (1930)

Don Bradman had only played four Test matches when he arrived in England in 1930, but he gained plenty of test batting experience throughout the five-Test series.Â

A 21-year-old Bradman amassed 974 runs across the series, with 334 of those arriving in the third Test at Headingley.Â

Remarkably, Bradman scored 309 runs on the first day, making him the first Australian to hit a test triple century and only the second player to reach that milestone after England’s Andy Sandham had hit 325 against the West Indies in April of that year.

Bradman’s innings was not enough to win the drawn game, but he did go on to rack up 232 crucial runs in the final Test to guide his team to an innings victory and a 2-1 series win.Â

8. Warne reaches major milestone (2006)

Shane Warne’s glittering career could produce its own top ten greatest moments list, which includes his 700th Test wicket in the 2006-07 series.

Warne announced in the lead-up to the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne that he would retire from international cricket at the end of the fifth Test in Sydney.

Just days after his announcement, the game’s greatest spinner took his 700th wicket at his home ground, the MCG, in front of nearly 90,000 people on Boxing Day.

Andrew Strauss attempted to drive a ball that pitched outside off-stump, only for the ball to spin back through the gate and into the middle stump.

As a bewildered Strauss looked hopelessly back at his stumps, Warne wheeled off in celebration and eventually stopped to hold the ball aloft in front of his home crowd.Â

7. Jimmy and Monty salvage unlikely draw (2009)

James Anderson and Monty Panesar were included in the lineup for the first Test of the 2009 series for their bowling attributes.

However, the pair were required to draw upon what little batting skill they had to hold out for a draw on the fifth and final day in Cardiff.Â

England looked set to lose when Paul Collingwood was caught by Michael Clarke off Nathan Hauritz’s bowling, leaving Panesar to join Anderson at the crease with England six behind Australia’s total.

Sensationally, Panesar and Anderson managed to frustrate Australia’s attacking, blocking and scraping together enough runs to put England in the lead, and crucially, take 10 minutes out of the game for the potential change of innings.

However, Australia never got the chance to bat again as the two tailenders survived 69 balls to see out time and salvage an unlikely draw for Andrew Strauss’s side.Â

6. Waugh’s SCG heroics (2003)

Australia had already wrapped up the series and were on the verge of a series whitewash when they arrived in Sydney for the final Test of the 2002-03 series.

Despite overseeing an Ashes win, Australia captain Steve Waugh was under pressure after enduring a tough spell with the bat, leading to speculation that the match would be his final outing as a test cricketer.

Waugh walked out to bat with his team 56 for three in their reply to England’s 362 in the first innings at the SCG.

The Australian skipper rolled back the years to rack up the runs to leave him on 98 with one ball left to go in the day.Â

Waugh carved the final delivery for four before punching the air and holding his bat aloft to his adoring faithful, with the moment immortalised with a statue at the SCG.

5. Broad’s perfect spell (2015)

Broad established himself as one of the Ashes‘ greats during his test career and proved to be a particular thorn in the side of Australian opener David Warner.

So with that in mind, it is quite incredible that Warner avoided being one of Broad’s eight scalps in one of the best spells of test-match bowling on the first day of the fourth Test.

Playing at his home ground of Trent Bridge, Broad got Chris Rogers to nick off to Alastair Cook at first slip to take his 300th Test cricket.

Incredibly, he had 307 under his belt by lunch after taking eight wickets for 15 to bowl out Australia for 60 from just 18.3 overs.

The wicket of Adam Voges will live long in the memory for Stokes’s diving catch at fifth slip, which left Broad in disbelief.Â

4. Jim Laker’s bowling masterclass (1956)

In the 1956 series, Jim Laker achieved something that has never been replicated since, taking 19 out of a possible 20 wickets in a single Test match.

The spin bowler took nine for 37 to skittle Australia out for 84, before he collected all 10 wickets in the subsequent follow-on, guiding England to a mammoth victory by an innings and 170 runs.

Laker finished the match with figures of 19 for 90 runs, helping him reach 46 wickets in the series, which England won by a 2-1 scoreline.Â

3. Botham sparks comeback with century (1981)

Ian Botham gave up the captaincy after the first two matches of the 1981 series, with England trailing 1-0 ahead of the third Test at Headingley.

England appeared to be sliding towards a 2-0 deficit when Botham joined Geoffrey Boycott at the crease with the scoreline 105-5 in the follow-on.

Two more wickets fell to leave the all-rounder with the tail, but rather than be deterred by the situation, Botham rose to the occasion by striking 149 runs from 148 deliveries, including 27 fours and one six.

Botham’s innings gave England a fighting chance before Bob Willis took eight for 43 to dismiss Australia for 111 to ensure that his teammate’s remarkable innings took place in a winning effort.Â

2. Stokes produces magical innings (2019)

Other batters have produced bigger scores, but Stokes’s display in the fourth innings at Headingley has a strong case to be regarded as the best innings in Test-match history.

The all-rounder initially battled hard to get himself in during England’s chase of 359 in the third Test of the 2019 Ashes series.Â

However, he was left with no choice but to let loose when Jack Leach joined him at the crease, with England needing 73 with just one wicket left.Â

Stokes took on the fielders in the deep in a brutal display of batting power and skill to get England close to the total, before he stepped onto the back foot to cut away the winning runs off the bowling of Pat Cummins.

His innings of 135 from 219 deliveries included 11 fours and eight sixes, which, amazingly, is only the third-highest amount of sixes that Stokes has hit in a Test innings.

Unfortunately for Stokes, his heroics were not enough to reclaim the Ashes because Australia went on to win the fourth Test to ensure that they would not lose control of the urn in a series that eventually finished 2-2.Â

1. Ball of the century (1993)

Back in 1993, Warne delved into his box of tricks to unleash a delivery that will have a place in cricket history for all of eternity.

Warne was brought into the attack on the second day of the first Test of the 1993 series, with Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting at the crease in England’s reply to Australia’s 289 first innings score.

The score was 80-1 when Warne got a delivery to drift and pitch comfortably outside of Gatting’s leg stump before it turned sharply to clip the top of off.

Gatting, who was regarded as a strong player of spin, was simply left bamboozled by the delivery, which he later described as “surreal”.

Warne would go on to take four wickets in both innings of a 179-run victory, before continuing to wreak havoc among the England batting lineup to finish the 4-1 series win with 34 wickets to his name.

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Aaron Judge, once again, was undeniable.

For the third time in the past four years, the Yankee captain is the American League MVP. Judge edged out Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh by securing 17 of 30 first-place votes. It was the closest balloting for an MVP award since 2019, when Mike Trout defeated Alex Bregman by the same total voting margin of 355-335. This yearâ€s tight race was a product of Raleighâ€s historic season for a backstop and yet another dominant offensive campaign from Judge.

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In many MLB seasons, Raleigh would have been a runaway winner. The switch-hitting Mariner clocked 60 home runs, 13 more than the previous record for a catcher. He simultaneously helmed a Seattle pitching staff that waded through a fair share of injuries, guiding the club to its first AL West title in over two decades. Raleigh even found time to win the Home Run Derby. By all measures, it was a special year.

But Judge, in the end, was too much for even Raleigh to overcome.

The 33-year-old outfielder is now the third player in MLB history to win three MVP awards in a four-year span, joining Barry Bonds and 2025 NL MVP Shohei Ohtani.

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Judgeâ€s season didnâ€t feature any sexy round numbers, home run chases or significant career milestones. Sure he flirted with a .400 average into June and captured his first career batting title with a .331 mark. But Judgeâ€s 2025 season — ever so slightly worse than his 2024 season — was brilliant for, above all else, its consistency.

On Opening Day against the Milwaukee Brewers, Judge went 1-for-4 with a double, giving him a .250 average and .750 OPS . The next day, against a Brewers pitching staff so depleted that it unleashed the frenzied Torpedo Bat craze, Judge went 4-for-6 with three homers. From that point forward, his batting average never dropped below .300 and his OPS never dropped below 1.000. At no point did he slump as Judge never went three consecutive games without a hit.

Judge finished the year with a preposterous 1.144 OPS, a figure that led the American League by a whopping 185 points over Blue Jays DH George Springer in second place. Besides Raleighâ€s tally of 60 home runs, Judge paced the American League in every significant rate-based statistical category. He was not just the best; he was the best by an overwhelming margin.

[Get more Yankees news: New York team feed]

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The OPS gap between Judge and Springer in second place was the same between Springer and Jarren Duranâ€s .774 OPS all the way down in 33rd in the AL. And for good measure, Judge improved significantly as an outfielder in 2025, according to most advanced defensive metrics. He is running a different race, playing a different game, obliterating the competition at every turn.

And thatâ€s why, despite Raleighâ€s unforgettably singular season, Judge is taking home the hardware for the third time in his career.

This third MVP all but secures Judge a place in Cooperstown. All the other three-time winners are either in the Hall of Fame (Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Joe DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Mike Schmidt), not yet eligible (Shohei Ohtani, Albert Pujols, Mike Trout) or would be first-ballot shoo-ins if not for alleged PED use (Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez).

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There is a strong case to be made that Judge is the single greatest right-handed hitter in the sportâ€s history, or, at the very least, after integration. His 179 OPS+ is the highest career mark for a righty since integration. Only 10 other hitters (Trout, Mark McGwire, Dick Allen, Frank Thomas, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Manny Ramírez, Frank Robinson, Ralph Kiner and DiMaggio) are even above 150.

Put differently, Judge is the type of hitter so unavoidably good that he supersedes seasons like the one Raleigh just put up. Itâ€s yet another data point on Judgeâ€s résumé as one of the best sluggers to ever play the game. There remains a gaping void in his trophy case; that ever-elusive first World Series title. But as this October showed us, one locked-in dynamo cannot carry a franchise alone. Judge dominated this postseason and it made little difference.

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Whether or not his autumn moment ever comes is to be determined. It is, for the most part, beyond Judgeâ€s control. He seems to have come to accept that humbling reality. And instead of stressing about his legacy and the understandably high standards of YankeeLand, Judge has directed that focus and intensity into his craft.

The results are self-evident.

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Honorable Mentions

1 of 11

1997-2017 San Antonio Spurs

For 20 consecutive years, the Spurs won at least 61 percent of their regular-season games, as well as five NBA titles along the way. But there was never even a two-year arc in which they were THE team to beat in the Western Conference, let alone in the entire NBA. Still, two decades as a consistent top-five team in a sport with a salary cap is slightly absurd. They’re definitely the toughest honorable mention to leave out of the top 10.

2000-2003 New Jersey Devils

Thanks to 20 years of net-minding service from Martin Brodeur, the Devils were a strong contender in the Eastern Conference for a bunch of years. The apex of that dominance came in the form of two Stanley Cup wins and one Stanley Cup loss in four years at the beginning of the century. It was a close call to leave them out, but we opted for teams that either won more titles or won them in quicker succession.

2002-08 USC Trojans (CFB)

USC won at least 11 games in seven consecutive seasons, including two national championships. Or at least that’s what most of us remember. However, the NCAA retroactively stripped the Trojans of one of those championships, as well as every win in the 2005 season, because of violations involving Reggie Bush. Since we can’t credit them with those achievements, the Trojans weren’t officially a college football dynasty.

2004-09 North Carolina Tar Heels (CBB)

In the span of five years, UNC earned four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament, played in three Final Fours and won two national championships. Going from Raymond Felton and Sean May to Ty Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough was one heck of a luxury for fans in Chapel Hill. But two titles in five years isn’t much of a dynasty, considering none of the players on the title teams overlapped.

2004-08 Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers won two Super Bowls in four years and went 15-1 the year before the first of those titles. But they failed to defend either crown and didn’t have much postseason success aside from the titles in that span.

2006-09 Florida Gators (CFB)

In Tim Tebow’s four seasons in the Swamp, Florida went 48-7, won two BCS championships and a Heisman. Had they beaten Alabama in the 2009 SEC Championship to reach a third title game in four years, they would have ranked in the top 10 here.

2009-15 Chicago Blackhawks

With three Stanley Cups in the span of six years, the Blackhawks are the NHL team with the best case for a spot in the top 10. However, with the exception of the lockout-shortened 2012-13, they were never anything close to the best team during the regular season. This wasn’t so much a dynasty as a pretty good team that occasionally went on a tear when it mattered most. Speaking of which…

2010-14 San Francisco Giants

Three World Series titles in the span of five years is better than any other franchise can boast since the 1996-2000 New York Yankees. But the even-year Giants missed the postseason in 2011 and 2013 and weren’t even the NL’s No. 1 seed in the three years that they won it all. More so a weird case of sustainable October magic than a dynastic run.

2021-Present Florida Panthers

The Panthers won the Presidents’ Trophy with 122 points in the first year of this run and won the Stanley Cup in both 2024 and 2025 after losing in the Stanley Cup Final in 2023. There are plenty of teams that reach their respective sport’s finals in three consecutive years, though. Doing it once more would give them a fairly unimpeachable case for the best NHL dynasty of the 21st century.

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Sheamus has commented on the possibility of being the final WWE opponent for John Cena in Cenaâ€s retirement match this coming December. Cenaâ€s final match is set for December 13 at WWE Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event in Washington, DC.

On last nightâ€s episode of Raw, the first four men in the 16-man tournament to determine Cenaâ€s opponent were confirmed. Those four men are Rusev, Damian Priest, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Sheamus. This sets up two first-round matches: Rusev vs. Priest and Nakamura vs. Sheamus. These matches are scheduled to take place on the November 10 episode of Monday Night Raw.

Out of the four men announced, Sheamus has the earliest history with John Cena, dating back to late 2009. Sheamus was thrust into the main event scene shortly after his debut and defeated John Cena in a tables match at TLC to become WWE Champion.

On tonightâ€s episode of the official WWE Raw Recap show, Sheamus commented on being included in the tournament and the possibility of being Cenaâ€s last opponent.

“I think itâ€s very meaningful. Obviously you go back to 2009, we had that match at TLC when I shocked the world and became one of the fastest ever WWE World Heavyweight Champions by beating him, putting him through a table. That itself launched my career to a whole new level and put me on the map right away. I remember, it must have been 1000 interviews I did, no-one expected me to win that.â€

Sheamus stated he would love to “repay the favor†by giving Cena a great final match. “Obviously Iâ€d love to repay the favor for what was done for me – the opportunity to face him, beat him – but Iâ€d love to full-circle give him the match he truly deserves on the way out in his last match of his retirement year. I think that would be incredible.â€

“I learned a lot from John, I learned an awful lot really, really quickly. I was lucky to get into that position – when you get in that position, youâ€ve got to make sure you make the best of it, and thatâ€s exactly what I did. We wrestled pretty much every single night at live events, weâ€re on the road five days a week, it really was a baptism of fire. Iâ€ve taken two WWE Titles off John, and what better way for him to send him off with the banger of all bangers. The GOAT of all GOATs goes out with the banger of all bangers. How about that for a line? Just send him off to the sunset with the greatest match heâ€s ever had.â€

Sheamus will first have to get through Shinsuke Nakamura in the opening round of the “The Last Time is Now†tournament on the upcoming November 10 episode of Raw from Cenaâ€s hometown of Boston.

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Sheamus has commented on the possibility of being the final WWE opponent for John Cena in Cenaâ€s retirement match this coming December. Cenaâ€s final match is set for December 13 at WWE Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event in Washington, DC.

On last nightâ€s episode of Raw, the first four men in the 16-man tournament to determine Cenaâ€s opponent were confirmed. Those four men are Rusev, Damian Priest, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Sheamus. This sets up two first-round matches: Rusev vs. Priest and Nakamura vs. Sheamus. These matches are scheduled to take place on the November 10 episode of Monday Night Raw.

Out of the four men announced, Sheamus has the earliest history with John Cena, dating back to late 2009. Sheamus was thrust into the main event scene shortly after his debut and defeated John Cena in a tables match at TLC to become WWE Champion.

On tonightâ€s episode of the official WWE Raw Recap show, Sheamus commented on being included in the tournament and the possibility of being Cenaâ€s last opponent.

“I think itâ€s very meaningful. Obviously you go back to 2009, we had that match at TLC when I shocked the world and became one of the fastest ever WWE World Heavyweight Champions by beating him, putting him through a table. That itself launched my career to a whole new level and put me on the map right away. I remember, it must have been 1000 interviews I did, no-one expected me to win that.â€

Sheamus stated he would love to “repay the favor” by giving Cena a great final match. “Obviously Iâ€d love to repay the favor for what was done for me – the opportunity to face him, beat him – but Iâ€d love to full-circle give him the match he truly deserves on the way out in his last match of his retirement year. I think that would be incredible.”

“I learned a lot from John, I learned an awful lot really, really quickly. I was lucky to get into that position – when you get in that position, youâ€ve got to make sure you make the best of it, and thatâ€s exactly what I did. We wrestled pretty much every single night at live events, weâ€re on the road five days a week, it really was a baptism of fire. Iâ€ve taken two WWE Titles off John, and what better way for him to send him off with the banger of all bangers. The GOAT of all GOATs goes out with the banger of all bangers. How about that for a line? Just send him off to the sunset with the greatest match heâ€s ever had.â€

Sheamus will first have to get through Shinsuke Nakamura in the opening round of the “The Last Time is Now” tournament on the upcoming November 10 episode of Raw from Cena’s hometown of Boston.

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  Jeff KassoufOct 22, 2025, 06:43 AM ET

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  Jeff Kassouf covers women’s soccer for ESPN, focusing on the USWNT and NWSL. In 2009, he founded The Equalizer, a women’s soccer news outlet, and he previously won a Sports Emmy at NBC Sports and Olympics.

This year, the Kansas City Current have put together the best season in NWSL history, statistically speaking. From most points to most wins, most shutouts to the longest shutout streak — the list goes on.

We are likely witnessing the greatest season in NWSL history by the most talented, deepest team in league history. If that just sparked a visceral reaction from you … well, good — it’s time to debate! The operative word is likely, so which other NWSL teams of the past could stake claim to being the best ever?

For the purpose of this exercise, we are looking at past seasons since the 2025 campaign is still ongoing. (The NWSL’s “decision day” is set for Nov. 2 — when every team in the league will face off for a last chance to clinch a playoff spot — live on ESPN and ESPN+.) If the Current can add to this year’s runaway NWSL Shield performance with a championship in next month’s playoffs, there won’t be any doubt about the best team ever.

The NWSL has evolved greatly since its launch in 2013, which makes it difficult to compare eras, but have no fear: That’s why we’re here. Let’s rank the best teams in NWSL history.

– Ranking every NWSL teenager: Who’s the best U-19 player?
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– Can Portland Thorns’ new owners restore former glory?

10. 2017 North Carolina Courage

Record (W-D-L): 16-1-7, 49 points
Trophies: NWSL Shield

The North Carolina Courage could have a few entries on this list from their dominant era, which really began with a 2016 NWSL Championship as the Western New York Flash. That was a scrappy, young team coming into its own as an underdog. By 2017 — the franchise’s first year in North Carolina — it was one of the two favorites alongside a stacked Portland team.

Sam Mewis, Abby Dahlkemper, Lynn Biyendolo and Jaelene Daniels were the draft class that reshaped the trajectory of the organization. Then the Courage added Debinha and rookies Ashley Hatch and Darian Jenkins, and in probably the biggest coup in league history, they claimed midfielder Denise O’Sullivan off waivers after the Houston Dash just dropped her. O’Sullivan is still there today as the longtime captain.

9. 2017 Portland Thorns

Record (W-D-L): 14-5-5, 47 points
Trophies: NWSL Championship

Fresh off a Shield in 2016, this Portland Thorns FC team beat the Courage 1-0 in a brawl of a final. It was one of the uglier finals in league history, injuries included, but that was a product of the game. Portland’s season at large was a successful one.

The Thorns’ five losses were the fewest in the league as they finished just two points behind the Courage. This Thorns team was led by Tobin Heath and Lindsey Horan in their primes (Horan’s NWSL MVP season would follow) and also featured Amandine Henry in midfield.

8. 2013 FC Kansas City

Record (W-D-L): 11-5-6, 38 pts.
Trophies: None

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Ali Krieger, Cristina Alexander and Jeff Kassouf debate the biggest storylines and break down the best highlights from women’s soccer in the Americas. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

Shoutout to the original standard of elegant, productive soccer in the NWSL, set in the league’s inaugural season.

Yes, FC Kansas City missed out on the first NWSL Shield to the Western New York Flash in a three-way tiebreaker. And yes, FCKC lost to the Portland Thorns, the eventual champions, in the semifinals. But with Becky Sauerbrunn and Lauren Holiday in their primes, along with rookie revelation Erika Tymrak, this was a strong team that laid a foundation for championships in 2014 and 2015.

Holiday was the league’s first Golden Boot winner and MVP that year, when Kansas City swept all six year-end awards. Talent was spread out evenly in this inaugural NWSL season, but if there were a time machine pitting teams of different eras against each other, I’d transport this FCKC team into the future.

7. 2024 NJ/NY Gotham FC

Record (W-D-L): 17-5-4, 56 pts.
Trophies: None

Any of last year’s top four teams would have won the Shield in any other NWSL season except for 2018. Let that sink in.

Gotham FC finished third, tied on points with the Washington Spirit, and was buoyed by the late-season arrival of forward Esther González.

Gotham kept up with depth and a tactical system that foiled most opponents, and the core of that team then won the first Concacaf title this spring, clinching the region’s first berths to each of FIFA’s new world club events.

6. 2024 Kansas City Current

Record (W-D-L): 16-7-3, 55 pts.
Trophies: NWSL x Liga MX Cup

The Kansas City Current rode a record 20-goal season from league MVP Temwa Chawinga to a 15-game unbeaten streak to start the season and a record 57 goals. Lo’eau LaBonta had a career year as the team’s engine and heart, and Bia Zaneratto (who battled injuries) was among the many great additions. The biggest change was the arrival of former USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski.

Defensive issues in the first half of the season are really what kept the Current from being the best in the league last season, though they fixed those by overhauling their entire back line and goalkeeper last summer. All of which laid the foundation for this year’s historic romp through the league.

5. 2021 Portland Thorns

Record (W-D-L): 11-5-6, 38 pts.
Trophies: NWSL Shield, NWSL Challenge Cup, Women’s International Champions Cup

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While the Thorns had dominant teams throughout the 2015-2019 era while going toe-to-toe with the North Carolina Courage (including that franchise’s days as the Western New York Flash), when you talk to folks who were around the organization, the 2021 team is the one they mention.

Portland has always been an epicenter for talent. The 2021 team had a young Sophia Wilson (then Smith) torching back lines alongside veterans Christine Sinclair, Becky Sauerbrunn and Lindsey Heaps (then Horan).

Portland conceded only 17 goals that season across 24 regular-season games, tied for a league record (which Kansas City is about to break). The Thorns also beat Lyon (yes, they were in preseason) in an August meeting in the friendly Women’s International Champions Cup.

Portland fell short of winning the NWSL Championship after being eliminated at home in the semifinals, a 2-0 loss to the Chicago Red Stars in arguably the biggest smash-and-grab result in league history.

4. 2024 Washington Spirit

Record (W-D-L): 18-6-2, 56 pts
Trophies: None

Another team from 2024? Is this recency bias? No, it is an acknowledgement that the top four from last season (we’ll get to the other) was head and shoulders better than the rest of the league — there was a 16-point gap from fourth to fifth — and they did so in an era of increased talent in this league. The margin between these teams was one point total and a maximum of five points off the Shield.

Washington, led by Trinity Rodman, tied the Orlando Pride in setting a record with 18 wins last season. The Spirit went toe-to-toe with the Pride both in the regular season and the final.

Rookie midfielders Croix Bethune and Hal Hershfelt were revelations, with Bethune tying Tobin Heath’s single-season assist record (10) in less than a full season. Esme Morgan, Tara McKeown and Casey Krueger helped anchor the defense. Ashley Hatch had a resurgent season, and Ouleye Sarr had a breakout year before injuries.

3. 2024 Orlando Pride

Record (W-D-L): 18-6-2, 60 pts.
Trophies: NWSL Championship, NWSL Shield

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I will confidently say that we might never again see a team start the NWSL season unbeaten through 23 games. Certainly not while the salary cap exists. And for that reason, the Pride probably feel they should be No. 1 on this list.

This was nearly an invincible season, and Orlando’s playoff run was equally impressive as the Pride defeated Kansas City, behind another of Marta’s iconic goals, in the semifinal before holding off Washington in the final.

Orlando earned 13 shutouts and won 18 games, each a record that has been since broken by this year’s Kansas City team. Forgive the writer’s cliché, but this was a season of destiny.

Ranking Orlando at No. 3 takes nothing away from what the team did; Pride fans, could you have imagined even having an entry on this list 18 months ago? But it is an acknowledgement of trying to analyze teams across eras, which includes comparing roster quality player for player.

2. 2014 Seattle Reign FC

Record (W-D-L): 16-6-2, 54 pts.
Trophies: NWSL Shield

I’ll say it again, 11 years later, for what is now a much larger audience: Kim Little was the best player in the world in 2014. (She wasn’t even on the FIFA ballot, but let’s save that rant for another day.) Little scored 16 goals as an attacking midfielder alongside Jess Fishlock (also in her prime) and a defense, anchored by goalkeeper Hope Solo, that conceded only 20 goals in 24 games.

Seattle also had Keelin Winters captaining the midfield, Lauren Barnes in her prime in defense, plus Beverly Yanez (then Goebel) and Sydney Leroux adding scoring threats. Oh, and a Megan Rapinoe and Nahomi Kawasumi in and around their primes, just to top it off.

This Reign team started the season unbeaten through 16 games (13 wins). Like the 2015 Reign team, this squad lost the NWSL Championship to a well-organized FC Kansas City team. Still, Seattle has a strong shout for the No. 1 spot, but player for player, that edge goes to the answer any astute NWSL historian would expect …

1. 2018 North Carolina Courage

Record (W-D-L): 17-6-1, 57 pts.
Trophies: NWSL Championship, NWSL Shield, Women’s International Champions Cup

There’s really no debate right now that this was the best team in NWSL history — at least if and until the Kansas City Current’s 2025 side completes this season and officially enters the chat.

Player for player, Courage 2018 vs. Current 2025 would feel like a Club World Cup final. (Does Debinha get to play for both sides?)

North Carolina lost only one game in all competitions in 2018, conceding to the Utah Royals (of all teams) in stoppage time in June that year. The Courage won 17 games in the regular season, beat both Paris Saint-Germain and European champions Lyon in the WICC (yes, it was preseason for the French squads) and finished the job by dominating the second-place Thorns 3-0 in Portland in the final. (The Courage also had to win their semifinal in Portland due to a hurricane.)

This North Carolina team had the coming together of just about every player in their prime, even when that was a late-blooming situation like that of midfielder McCall Zerboni. Lynn Williams (now Biyendolo) set the pace with 14 goals, two off Sam Kerr’s league-best. Debinha and Crystal Dunn added eight goals each from midfield, and Jess McDonald another seven up top. Abby Erceg was a rock in central defense, and around this time — even if briefly — Abby Dahlkemper had become one of the best defenders in the world, especially in her distribution.

This team was unstoppable and inevitable and will remain one of the best collective squads the NWSL has ever seen.

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SHOW SUMMARY:In our latest episode of Alan4L’s ProWres Paradise, PWTorch columnist Alan4L compares and contrasts the recent big shows in Sumo Hall presented by New Japan and Pro Wrestling Noah featuring a few excellent matches, title changes, interesting (questionable) booking, and some rising stars amidst the usual frustrations that both companies offer. The shows provided a great opportunity to see where the two promotions stand against each other, and we took advantage of it – including an impromptu wrestler draft! From there, Alan gives his analysis on AEW’s tremendous WrestleDream event and how that has formed his initial FSM 50 thoughts. Who are the front runners for the wrestler of the year? Listen and find out! Plus, we go back to April 27, 1987 and what might well be the greatest day in wrestling history as fans in Memphis, Tokyo, and Osaka were treated to some incredible scenes from the likes of Inoki, Lawler, Nagayo, Dump, and more.

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When Shohei Ohtani hit the 50-50 milestone last season in Miami, many thought it was one of the greatest single performances in baseball history. Little did they know, Ohtani would go on to deliver an even more impressive feat in a series-clinching game that sent his Los Angeles Dodgers back to the World Series, just one year after winning the Commissionerâ€s Trophy.

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On this episode of the Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman break down what might be the most impressive game ever played in baseball, in which Ohtani pitched six shutout innings, struck out ten, allowed zero earned runs, and hit three home runs en route to the Dodgers clinching the National League pennant. Then the guys talk about the Milwaukee Brewers†unfortunate showing against a juggernaut like the Dodgers.

Also in this episode, Jake and Jordan preview the upcoming Game 7 that will decide the ALCS between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners. Will the Jays ride the hot bat of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to their first World Series since 1993 or can the Mâ€s win their first-ever American League title and finally reach the Fall Classic? The show wraps up with a discussion about College World Series champion manager Tony Vitello possibly joining the San Francisco Giants next season.

Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images

(Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

1:55 – The Opener: Ohtaniâ€s amazing game

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14:45 – Dodgers win the NL pennant

22:51 – Where we stand in the ALCS

38:39 – Game 7 preview

43:52 – We Need to Talk About: Tony V to MLB?

🖥ï¸Watch this full episode on YouTube

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