May 3, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Legacy FC celebrates forward Nichelle Prince’s (12) first half goal against Denver Summit FC at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Natalie Reid-Imagn Images
Week 5 saw a fascinating return to play for NWSL. After a newsy week, last year’s finalists came out firing, the Royals quietly moved up the table, and the Wave and Summit played some of the games of the year.
Here are 11 thoughts from the weekend. We’ll do this every Monday following NWSL match weeks. Some points will be factual, some will be opinion based. And some will just be random statements or observations. Let’s dig in!
I. Legacy steal first leg of Expansion Cup ‘26
It has felt like the Legacy have trailed the Summit in all things Expansion 2026, and it felt that way right up until the 90th minute of Sunday’s first leg of the Expansion Derby. That’s when Aissata Traoré leveled the match with a sleek takedown of a Laurel Ansbrow pass followed by a turn and finish. Four minutes later, Traore found an open Bianca St-Georges, who got in one-v-one on Summit keeper Abby Smith, and buried the first game-winning goal in Legacy history.
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