The fourth annual 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup continues as teams battle in group stage matches to position themselves for a run at the crown. OL Reign leads the tournament with seven points and stands alone on top of the West Region group after a 3-0 win against San Diego Wave FC on Wednesday. All 12 clubs have now played at least two group matches. Fans can watch the NWSL Challenge Cup and regular season across CBS Sports platforms including CBS Sports Golazo Network and Paramount+.
Take a look at the format, standings, and more:
Format
The annual competition has gone through different variations over the last three editions, moving from a stand-alone tournament in 2020 to a scheduled competition between preseason and the regular season. The Challenge Cup will now take place throughout the regular season, with 12 clubs divided into three groups playing double round-robin matches.
Three group winners advance to the semifinals, along with the highest-placed runner-up. The final four compete for a spot in the final and a cash prize. The final four teams will compete in the semifinals on Sept. 6, and the two finalists will compete in the NWSL Challenge Cup final on Sept. 9. Winners will claim the cup, bragging rights, and a bonus pool among the players.
Standings and schedule
| East | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
North Carolina Courage | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Washington Spirit | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
Orlando Pride | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 1 |
April 19
Orlando Pride 1, North Carolina Courage 1
NJ/NY Gotham FC 1, Washington Spirit 0
May 3
North Carolina Courage 1, NJ/NY Gotham FC 1
May 10
Washington Spirit 4, Orlando Pride 2
June 7
NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Orlando Pride [Rescheduled to August 9]
June 14
Washington Spirit 1, North Carolina Courage, 2
June 28
Orlando Pride vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC [Rescheduled to July 23]
July 22
North Carolina Courage vs. Washington Spirit, 7 p.m.
July 28
Washington Spirit vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 7 p.m.
July 29
North Carolina Courage vs. Orlando Pride, 7 p.m.
August 4
Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit, 7 p.m.
August 5
NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. North Carolina Courage, 7:30 p.m.
| Central | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Racing Louisville FC | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
Kansas City Current | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
Houston Dash | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 3 |
Chicago Red Stars | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | -8 | 0 |
April 19
Houston Dash 0, Kansas City Current 2
May 3
Houston Dash 2, Chicago Red Stars 0
May 17
Racing Louisville FC 3, Kansas City Current, 2
May 31
Chicago Red Stars 0, Racing Louisville FC, 2
June 14
Kansas City Current 4, Chicago Red Stars, 0
Racing Louisville FC 3, Houston Dash, 0
July 21
Racing Louisville FC vs. Chicago Red Stars, 8 p.m.
July 22
Kansas City Current vs. Houston Dash, 8 p.m.
July 29
Chicago Red Stars vs. Kansas City Current, 8 p.m.
Houston Dash vs. Racing Louisville FC, 8:30 p.m.
August 4
Kansas City Current vs. Racing Louisville FC, 8 p.m.
August 5
Chicago Red Stars vs. Houston Dash, 8 p.m.
| West | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OL Reign | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 10 |
Angel City FC | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 4 |
Portland Thorns FC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
San Diego Wave FC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 3 |
April 19
Angel City FC 0, OL Reign, 2.
San Diego Wave FC 1, Portland Thorns FC 0
May 3
OL Reign 0, Angel City FC 0
May 31
San Diego Wave FC 0, OL Reign, 3
Portland Thorns FC 3, Angel City FC, 2
June 28
Angel City FC 2, San Diego Wave FC, 1
Portland Thorns FC 0, OL Reign, 2
July 21
Portland Thorns FC vs. San Diego Wave FC, 10:30 p.m.
July 28
OL Reign vs. San Diego Wave FC, 10 p.m.
July 29
Angel City FC vs. Portland Thorns FC, 10 p.m.
August 5
San Diego Wave FC vs. Angel City FC, 10 p.m.
August 6
OL Reign vs. Portland Thorns FC, 6 p.m.
What's different this year?
The competition was first introduced in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bubble tournament paved the way for NWSL to be the first fully professional team-contact league to return to play during the height of the pandemic. Since its introduction, the Challenge Cup has evolved over the year.
The previous two years featured the Challenge Cup as a preseason tourney. Teams were divided into three regional groups with each of the four divisional clubs playing double round-robin style matches for points.
The competition format and group regions are unchanged, but this year's edition is the first time the contest will run throughout the NWSL regular season. Tournament sponsor UKG has also bumped up the prize money to a million-dollar pool. The 2022 Challenge Cup awarded $10,000 per player to the champions, while the runners-up received $5,000 per player, and the remaining two semifinalists got $1,500 per player. The four semifinalists in 2023 will split the million-dollar prize.
