Are San Diego Wave a title threat or a false dawn? – Equalizer Soccer

Photo Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The San Diego Wave currently sit fourth in the National Women’s Soccer League table, a position few fans likely predicted after their 10th-place finish last season. Since this time a year ago, the Wave have lost marquee players like Naomi Girma and Jaedyn Shaw, star striker Alex Morgan has retired, and beloved, Shield-winning coach Casey Stoney was forced out of the club. But it’s a new year, and things are looking up… aren’t they? 

Let’s take a look at what some underlying data say about the sustainability of the Wave’s surprise success.

Points on the board

In 2024, San Diego managed just two wins against teams in the top half of the table (Portland Thorns and Bay FC). In 2025, it’s not looking a whole lot better: they’ve collected just one win from five matches against current top-half teams.