NWSL Power Rankings Update: Orlando Pride Parts Ways with Coach Seb Hines Amid Competitive Season
Quick Look
As the 2026 NWSL regular season nears playoff contention, Orlando Pride parted ways with longtime head coach Seb Hines despite his 2024 double-winning tenure, reflecting the league's competitive nature and narrow margins where results dictate coaching stability, while teams like Boston Legacy and Chicago Stars FC highlight the absence of a true 'rock bottom' in tight standings.
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Why It Matters
The 2026 NWSL regular season is approaching playoff contention with historically narrow margins between teams, increasing the importance of each remaining match.
As the 2026 NWSL regular season inches closer to playoff season, there are fewer opportunities for teams to capitalize on making statements in remaining matches. The season is proving to be one of the most competitive in years, and the margins separating teams are narrower than ever.
That means it's the perfect time to roll out my NWSL Power Rankings. So if you're trying to keep track of where your favorite team lands, here are my previous rankings.
Truthfully speaking, there's only minimal movement this week, and it's really at the bottom half of the rankings. That might change soon, with more intriguing head-to-heads coming up. More playoff-preview matches are on the way that will definitely shift power between clubs.
In the meantime, some clubs are taking things into their own hands, like Orlando Pride, which just parted ways with longtime head coach Seb Hines. Hines was with the club as interim coach since 2022 and had a record-setting year in 2024 when the Pride won the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship.
It's almost like, in the spirit of power rankings, there's also been a shift in expectations. It's as if the concept of a "five-year plan" is nonexistent in this league. If there are no results or improvement, chances are, you're out -- even if you're still mathematically in contention for a playoff spot and 18 months removed from winning the double. It's not quite a ringing endorsement of recruiting top-rated coaches to the league, but that's perhaps a different story for another day.
Orlando's performances have dropped sharply this year, despite Barbra Banda's best efforts, and it's reflected in their steady decline in the power rankings. Thankfully for the Pride, teams like Boston Legacy and Chicago Stars FC exist and keep proving week to week there's no such thing as rock bottom when multiple teams are competing for that spot.
Now, on to the most recent rankings:
Open Questions
- Who will replace Seb Hines as head coach of Orlando Pride?
- How will the coaching change affect Orlando Pride's performance in the remaining matches?
- Which teams will benefit most from the shifting power dynamics in the NWSL playoff race?
