Wake Forest Athletics
11/6/2026 6:23:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Playoffs begin tonight, at 10 p.m. ET with the championship match on Nov. 21, 2026.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The 2026 NWSL Playoff teams are set, with five Demon Deacons ready to start their journey.
The playoffs kick off tonight at 10 p.m. ET, with Madison Hammond and the Utah Royals beginning postseason play. Hammond is making her first postseason appearance with the Royals, after joining the squad in December 2025. A former captain of the Deacs, she reached 100 regular season appearances in the NWSL in October and has made a great impact in the Royals' midfield.
Bayley Feist and the KC Current follow Hammond on Nov. 7th at 12 p.m. ET against Angel City. Feist has made 10 starts in 21 appearances for the Current, with just under 1,000 minutes played in 2026. She recorded her first point of the season with an assist in the Current's 5-1 victory over Racing Louisville in July. This postseason marks her third with the squad, with her furthest run with the team to the semifinals in 2025.
Ryanne Brown and the Seattle Reign start off the Sunday slate of games, as they take on the No. 1-seed, Gotham FC. Brown has battled an injury that sidelined her for the past two years, and returned to action for the 2026 season on the Reign's backline. The 2018 graduate tallied 1,017 in the outfield, with 21 appearances in the NWSL regular season. Brown is part of a backline that has allowed 33 goals this season, fifth-best in the league.
The Sunday matinee slot features Aubrey Kingsbury (Bledsoe) and the Washington Spirit against Caiya Hanks and the Portland Thorns. A three-time All-American at Wake Forest, Kingsbury welcomed her first child this past year and will support the Spirit from the sidelines as they embark on their playoff journey. During the 2025 playoffs, she was phenomenal in net, saving two penalty kicks to send the Spirit to the semifinals.
Hanks will be making her first postseason appearance for the Thorns, with an injury preventing her from playing in 2025. The 2024 Mac Hermann Semifinalist made her return to play on Aug. 15, 2026, netting the game-winning goal with just two minutes of stoppage time remaining.
Since her return, Hanks has started six of 11 matches, tallying 10 shots on target and a goal against Bay FC in October.
Upcoming Schedule
The playoffs kick off tonight at 10 p.m. ET, with Madison Hammond and the Utah Royals beginning postseason play. Hammond is making her first postseason appearance with the Royals, after joining the squad in December 2025. A former captain of the Deacs, she reached 100 regular season appearances in the NWSL in October and has made a great impact in the Royals' midfield.
Bayley Feist and the KC Current follow Hammond on Nov. 7th at 12 p.m. ET against Angel City. Feist has made 10 starts in 21 appearances for the Current, with just under 1,000 minutes played in 2026. She recorded her first point of the season with an assist in the Current's 5-1 victory over Racing Louisville in July. This postseason marks her third with the squad, with her furthest run with the team to the semifinals in 2025.
Ryanne Brown and the Seattle Reign start off the Sunday slate of games, as they take on the No. 1-seed, Gotham FC. Brown has battled an injury that sidelined her for the past two years, and returned to action for the 2026 season on the Reign's backline. The 2018 graduate tallied 1,017 in the outfield, with 21 appearances in the NWSL regular season. Brown is part of a backline that has allowed 33 goals this season, fifth-best in the league.
The Sunday matinee slot features Aubrey Kingsbury (Bledsoe) and the Washington Spirit against Caiya Hanks and the Portland Thorns. A three-time All-American at Wake Forest, Kingsbury welcomed her first child this past year and will support the Spirit from the sidelines as they embark on their playoff journey. During the 2025 playoffs, she was phenomenal in net, saving two penalty kicks to send the Spirit to the semifinals.
Hanks will be making her first postseason appearance for the Thorns, with an injury preventing her from playing in 2025. The 2024 Mac Hermann Semifinalist made her return to play on Aug. 15, 2026, netting the game-winning goal with just two minutes of stoppage time remaining.
Since her return, Hanks has started six of 11 matches, tallying 10 shots on target and a goal against Bay FC in October.
Upcoming Schedule
- Madison Hammond - Utah Royals
- Next: Friday, Nov. 6 vs. San Diego Surf (10:00 p.m. ET)
- Bayley Feist - Kansas City Current
- Next: Saturday, Nov. 7 vs. Angel City (12:00 p.m. ET)
- Ryanne Brown - Seattle Reign
- Next: Sunday, Nov. 8 vs. Gotham FC (12:30 p.m. ET)
- Aubrey Kingsbury - Washington Spirit
- Next: Sunday, Nov. 8 vs. Portland Thorns (3:00 p.m. ET)
- Caiya Hanks - Portland Thorns
- Next: Sunday, Nov. 8 vs. Washington Spirit (3:00 p.m. ET)
Wednesday, November 11
Wednesday, November 11
Tuesday, November 10
Monday, November 09