The NWSL's great promise is its parity, a theory the Kansas City Current downright rejected as the runaway winners of the Shield, commanding a 21 point lead between first and second place at the conclusion of the regular season. The Current's surprise elimination by Gotham FC on Sunday, though, means it just might be anyone's game as the postseason reaches its penultimate stage, setting up for an intriguing final batch of games this season.

At this point, the NWSL Championship just might be the Washington Spirit's to lose, partially by default as the highest seed left in the playoffs. It would not be hard to envision a single one of the semifinalists winning the whole thing, each of them heavyweights in their own right – the Orlando Pride, Gotham, the Portland Thorns and the Spirit are

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