NWSL Week 13: Records Tumble as Chawinga, Kurtz and Niehues Make History

FolioPitch.com – 22 July 2026 | The latest NWSL Stats and Minutiae after Week 13 reveal a flurry of milestones and record-breaking performances across the league. From individual streaks to team feats, the 2026 season continues to produce historic moments that reshape the league’s record books.

In this week’s NWSL Stats and Minutiae after Week 13, defenders and forwards alike etched their names into NWSL lore. North Carolina Courage’s Kaleigh Kurtz extended her league-record streak of consecutive regular-season matches to 128, having played every minute since June 26, 2021—a total of 11,592 minutes. The streak includes a rain-shortened match in 2023 that slightly skews the minute count. Meanwhile, Utah Royals’ Kate Del Fava remains minute-perfect since the expansion team’s inception in 2024, playing all 6,030 minutes over 67 games, setting the record for longest streak from an expansion team’s start.

Coaching milestones also emerged in the NWSL Stats and Minutiae after Week 13. Leif Gunnar Smerud became the fourth coach to win his first two NWSL matches, joining an exclusive group that includes Rob Gale (six straight wins with Thorns in 2024), Casey Stoney (Wave, 2022), and Juan Carlos Amorós (Dash, 2022). All except Stoney were mid-season interim hires, and all ultimately reached the playoffs.

In the Golden Boot race, Temwa Chawinga scored again to reach nine goals, while Barbra Banda remains atop with 12. Ashley Sanchez also sits on nine. Notably, Banda (Zambia) and Chawinga (Malawi) will face off in the Women’s African Cup of Nations group stage on August 5. Chawinga seeks her third straight Golden Boot, matching Sam Kerr’s 2017-2019 run. Trinity Rodman added a goal for the Spirit, now fourth with seven, while Trinity Byars bagged a brace for the Wave to move into fifth with six.

Team accomplishments dominated the NWSL Stats and Minutiae after Week 13. Gotham FC’s win at sold-out Citi Field was their 50th regular-season home victory in club history. On the flip side, the Chicago Stars suffered their 50th home loss across all competitions, a mark spread over five different venues since the club’s inception. Racing Louisville ended a club-record five-game losing streak with a 1-1 draw against the Dash, narrowly avoiding a shutout streak record—Kayla Fischer’s goal snapped a 289-minute goalless drought, just short of the 294-minute club record set in 2023.

Angel City FC posted three consecutive shutouts for the first time in franchise history, with their current streak at 272 minutes. A clean sheet against Racing Louisville on Sunday until the 52nd minute would break the club’s record of 324 minutes set in 2022. Maiara Niehues extended her Angel City record by scoring in her fifth straight game and became the seventh player to net the game-winner in three consecutive matches.

Other notable stats: Esther Gonzalez moved past Sam Kerr on Gotham’s all-time scoring list (30-28) with a brace. Karlie Lema scored in three straight games, tying Bay FC’s record set by Penelope Hocking in 2025. The Reign made unwanted history by becoming the first NWSL team to lead by two goals, win a penalty, and still lose the match.

The NWSL Stats and Minutiae after Week 13 underscore the league’s growing depth and competitiveness. With records falling weekly and players like Kurtz, Del Fava, and Niehues redefining consistency, the second half of the season promises more drama and historic moments. As teams jockey for playoff positions, every match carries extra weight, and the statistical milestones reflect the high level of play across the board.