KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Orlando Pride won the 2024 NWSL Championship on Saturday, defeating the Washington Spirit 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from forward Barbra Banda.
The victory capped off a historic season for a Pride franchise that was once the doormat of the NWSL.
Orlando started this season unbeaten through 23 games — a league record — and became the first team since 2019 to win the NWSL Shield for best regular-season record and the championship in the same season.
Here are the big talking points from CPKC Stadium.
Banda leaves her mark again
Banda capped off her historic first season in the NWSL with a goal in the final, her fourth tally of the postseason — a new record.
Banda had 13 goals in the regular season and, after a cold scoring stretch this fall, came alive again in the postseason. Banda scored in all three rounds of the playoffs, a first since the NWSL expanded to a three-round postseason in 2021.
Spirit center backs Esme Morgan and Tara McKeown got too tight to Banda a couple of times in the first half, and it cost Washington in the 37th minute, when Banda spun McKeown around midfield and then beat Morgan on the dribble to score.
Like Golden Boot and MVP winner Temwa Chawinga of the Kansas City Current, Banda…
