Defending league champion Orlando Pride to face Washington Spirit in Challenge Cup

The GIST: It’s time for the sixth edition of the NWSL Challenge Cup, the ceremonial season start that’s now celebrated with a one-game showdown between the top two teams from the season prior.

• Sit tight — the regular-season NWSL kickoff is one week away, but tonight’s 8 p.m. ET game is the season appetizer you don’t want to miss. Pass the nachos.

Reigning champ Orlando Pride take on Washington Spirit in 2024 title game rematch: It’s gone through a few iterations, but the Challenge Cup is now played between the defending league champ and the most recent NWSL Shield winner (aka the best regular-season squad). However, the unstoppable Pride won both those accolades in 2024, which is why they’ll play the Spirit, last year’s runners-up, instead.

• And this match couldn’t be spicier, with top-notch Orlando strikers Marta and Barbra Banda playing in front of their home crowd for the first time since clinching the club’s first ’ship in November.

• As for the Spirit, it’s unknown if previously injured stars midfielder Croix Bethune and forward Trinity Rodman will play tonight, though both traveled with the team to Orlando.

Zooming out: The outcome of tonight’s match won’t affect the upcoming season’s standings, but there is a little something to play for: prize money, baby. Each player on the winning squad will take home $3.5K, while the losing players will still walk away with $2.2K apiece. Plus, the game’s MVP earns a cool $2K bonus. All in a night’s work.

• The Challenge Cup is just the beginning of what could be the NWSL’s biggest season ever, fresh off last year’s record-setting viewership and attendance, and the mid-season CBA that revolutionized player experience. It’s a new dawn.