Are the Portland Thorns a dynasty? They have the defining characteristics: multiple championships, at least one generational star player, flagship presence in terms of atmosphere and attendance and overall profile.
Are three championships in 10 years enough? The first star above the crest was the first in the NWSL — the Thorns were the biggest fish in a small pond when the league launched in 2013 and won it that year according to expectations. They won again in 2017 when the NWSL was in its first expansion era, surpassing the three-year survival mark of the preceding leagues WPS and WUSA. And they won in 2022, a decade in, with team valuations skyrocketing and rich investors planting stakes on land across the league. Only in 2015, the one year they did not qualify for the playoffs, and now this year, when they clinched a playoff spot in the final weekend, did the Thorns finish lower than third in the standings.
The Thorns won the first NWSL championship in 2013. (Brett Carlsen, Getty Images)
There have always been certain expectations of the Thorns, another dynasty indicator. They were the poster team of the league for years; the club you could count on to look good on broadcast and drag up the league-wide average attendance. When NWSL needed a last-minute…
