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It's Monday, and another week of NWSL action is in the books, which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings. Our rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal differential), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings and the observations of our writers. Who's climbing the table? Who's in free fall? Our writers and statistical models have ranked all 14 clubs in the league after Matchday 26. Let's dive in.
 4. NJ/NY Gotham FC
Previous ranking: 4 Next match: Sunday vs. Portland Thorns, 3 p.m. ET (stream live on ABC and WatchESPN) The whole season has been an exhibition in Gotham's depth so it was only fitting that a new player took centerstage in the finale. Mandy Freeman was unreal, with a goal, assist and all-around dominant outing on the left flank as Gotham dispatched Utah, 4-1. Toss in a brace from Esther González and the defending champions are heading into the postseason on a high, and with the third seed in hand.  6. Portland Thorns
Previous ranking: 6 Next match: Sunday at NJ/NY Gotham FC, 3 p.m. ET (stream live on ABC and WatchESPN) Christine Sinclair's last regular-season game, and likely last match in Portland, went off without a hitch. The Thorns dispatched Angel City, 3-0, with the Canadian icon celebrating by finding the back of the net, alongside Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver. It was Sinclair's night, but it was also nice to see the club's future join her on the scoresheet. Now the question is whether the Thorns can win a playoff game or two and extend Sinclair's career just a little bit longer.  7. Bay FC
Previous ranking: 7 Next match: Sunday at Washington Spirit, 12:30 p.m. ET (stream live on ABC and WatchESPN) Bay took down the Dash, 3-2, to finish off a phenomenal second half of the season that saw them become just the second expansion team in league history to make the playoffs. They were fabulous on the ball and could have easily scored five or six if not for the heroics of Heather Hinz in goal, but Racheal Kundananji's brace ensured Bay would have enough to book their ticket to the postseason. Plus, the Zambian also had one most audacious plays you will ever see:  8. Chicago Red Stars
Previous ranking: 10 Next match: Friday at Orlando Pride, 8 p.m. ET It's one thing to get torn apart by Kansas City, as many teams have this season, but it's especially rough when you come out to defend and then find yourself down three goals within 33 minutes. That's what happened to the Red Stars, who suffered their third loss in as many matches, all to teams in the league's top four. On one hand, it was impressive that Chicago brought along some young players and made the playoffs this season, but the run-in highlighted the gap between them and the best teams in the league.  9. Utah Royals
Previous ranking: 8 Next match: N/A Utah looked a lot better down the stretch, but they're heading into the offseason on a low after getting rolled over by Gotham, 4-1. It was a tough break for Mandy Haught, who came back from a clean sheet in her first USWNT cap to get peppered all night in a tough end to the Royals' season.  10. Racing Louisville FC
Previous ranking: 9 Next match: N/A Racing entered the weekend with their playoff hopes still alive, but by the time they took the pitch on Sunday afternoon, they had been eliminated from postseason contention. Their first-ever playoff berth will have to wait and Louisville played like a team whose dreams had just been crushed as San Diego walked past them, 3-1.  11. Angel City FC
Previous ranking: 11 Next match: N/A ACFC had nothing to play for in their regular-season finale and they played like it in a 3-0 loss to Portland. They had one foot already in the offseason, and what an important offseason it will be in Los Angeles. Their president and general manager are serving suspensions from NWSL through the rest of the calendar year, Becki Tweed's future is in doubt and the roster needs a serious overhaul. It's time for new ownership to get to work.  12. San Diego Wave FC
Previous ranking: 13 Next match: N/A Jaedyn Shaw's goal was an accident; she hit a cross that nobody got to and bent inside the back post for a goal. María Sánchez's was no accident. It was simply a gorgeous, curling free kick that clipped the inside of the post to clinch a 3-1 win over Racing in a match that was technically a home game, but played in Louisville because Snapdragon Stadium's pitch was deemed unsafe to play. It made for an appropriately bizarre end to a bizarre season in San Diego. ![13. Seattle Reign FC</b></h2><p><strong>Previous ranking:</strong> 12</p><p><strong>Next match: </strong>N/A</p><p>The Reign's disappointing season came to an end with a 3-2 loss in Orlando. It was a fitting end for Seattle, as they showed some moments worthy of excitement and even scored two goals, but even on the rare occasion their attack got going, their defense fell apart. The hope is that the new ownership can chart a new path this winter for a team in need of just that.</p><h2><img a=]()
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