ESPN Announces Latest Original Series Focused on the NWSL

ESPN has unveiled their newest original series, focused on the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), set to debut on various platforms starting on February 25. 

What’s Happening: 

• ESPN has announced their newest ESPN Original Series, NWSL: The Final Third, will premiere on February 25 on the ESPN App, with its linear debut airing March 2 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. 
• The series will also be available to stream on Disney+ on March 2 through March 31.
• Directed by Marie Margolius and produced by Words + Pictures, Omaha Productions and ESPN, the three-episode series follows Angel City FC, Washington Spirit and Kansas City Current as they navigate a defining NWSL season shaped by rising expectations, increased investment, and relentless pressure to win.
• Each of the three teams featured in NWSL: The Final Third enters the season at a pivotal moment, driven by unfinished business, franchise-defining decisions, and the pursuit of sustained success at the highest level of women’s professional soccer.
• Fresh off an appearance in the 2024 NWSL Championship, the Washington Spirit begin the season determined to finish what they started. U.S. Women’s National Team star Trinity Rodman anchors the squad as she battles to return from injury - a journey that becomes one of the series’ emotional throughlines. 
• She is joined by Hal Hershfelt and defender Esme Morgan, fresh off a UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 title with the England Lionesses, as the Spirit enter the year among the league’s top contenders.

• After a late push for the playoffs fell short, Angel City FC turned its attention to winning the offseason. As the NWSL’s most valuable franchise, with investors including Natalie Portman and Billie Jean King, the club faces mounting pressure to replace retiring legends Ali Riley and Christen Press while building a new core around emerging stars, including Rookie of the Year finalist Riley Tiernan and Savy King.
• Meanwhile, the Kansas City Current continues to set the standard for what sustained investment can achieve. In 2021, the club made history by opening the first stadium built exclusively for women’s professional sports—a 12,000-seat symbol of belief in the future of the game. That commitment has already delivered results, including sold-out crowds and a 2025 NWSL Shield for the league’s best regular-season record. Led by captain Lo’eau LaBonta, whose infectious celebrations have become some of the league’s most recognizable moments, Kansas City enters the season as the team to beat.
• From action on the pitch to strategic competition in the boardroom, NWSL: The Final Third offers an intimate look at intense rivalries, unforgettable personalities, and the pressure that defines elite competition in a rapidly evolving league.
• Featured throughout the series are Lo’eau LaBonta (Captain Midfielder, Kansas City Current), Riley Tiernan (Rookie Forward, Angel City FC), Hal Hershfelt (Midfielder, Washington Spirit), Trinity Rodman (Forward, Washington Spirit), and Esme Morgan (Defender, Washington Spirit).

What They’re Saying: 

• Words + Pictures director Marie Margolius: “The three teams we embedded with were navigating very different realities as the 2025 regular season concluded, and the drama that unfolded was incredible to witness. I hope viewers come away feeling inspired by the intensity of the competition on the pitch — but most of all, connected to the players who shoulder the pressure and live with the consequences of every result off of it.”

The Episodes: 

• Episode 1: Hungry Dogs Run Faster
  Lo’eau LaBonta and the KC Current dance to the top of the standings, while the Washington Spirit welcome Trinity Rodman back from injury. Rookie sensation Riley Tiernan and Angel City face playoff elimination.
• Episode 2: No Free Picnics
  Angel City plan their future without recently retired soccer icons Christen Press and Ali Riley. With Trinity Rodman sidelined by injury, Esme Morgan and the Spirit seek playoff redemption. The top seed KC Current are pushed to the limit against 8-seed Gotham FC. 
• Episode 3: No Underdogs Allowed
  All roads lead to the NWSL Championship as the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC deliver an epic finale. Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt reflects on her journey. Kansas City looks to the future after a heartbreaking loss. Angel City’s Riley Tiernan heads to the NWSL Awards as a Rookie of the Year finalist.

The NWSL: 

• The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is the top professional women’s soccer league in the United States. 
• It was founded back in 2012, with play beginning in 2013 and becoming the premiere level of women’s club soccer in the United States. 
• The league features many of the world’s best players, including stars from the U.S. Women’s National Team as well as international teams. 
• The league has grown rapidly in popularity, attendance, media coverage, and expansions, with this new ESPN original series only putting even more attention on the league.