The league is operated by the United States Soccer Federation and receives major financial backing from that body.
[2] The Courage won the NWSL Shield (the regular season), topping the Portland Thorns by two points.
Two teams, the Dash and Reign, do not make their stadiums' entire capacity available for home games, instead restricting ticket sales at a lower level.
Washington Spirit and Boston Breakers were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 18 on August 26, 2017 after losing their respective games.
In one semifinal, the North Carolina Courage defeated the Chicago Red Stars 1–0 on a dramatic 89th-minute goal.
One week later, in the final on October 14, Portland defeated North Carolina 1–0 to claim the NWSL Championship.