NWSL Championship: Gotham’s Jaedyn Shaw peaking at right time to put her club on the brink of glory

The underdog label may be a bit of a misnomer for Gotham FC, the 2023 NWSL champions who have reached the semifinals for three years running, but that is not to say 2025 did not come with its own trials and tribulations. Inconsistency saw them slide all the way down to an eighth-place finish in the regular season, much of it down to some major changes in attacking personnel that will likely serve as the team’s biggest point of intrigue in the offseason. As they prepare for Saturday’s NWSL Championship against the Washington Spirit (8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+), though, they have found not only a temporary fix but perhaps the foundation for a long-term refresh – Jaedyn Shaw.

The U.S. women’s national team talent has only nine games under her belt since joining Gotham from the North Carolina Courage in a September trade but her impact has been instant. She has been the star of their upset-laden run to Saturday’s Championship game, scoring at both the Kansas City Current and the Orlando Pride en route to the NWSL’s season finale. In the quote of the postseason so far, Shaw declared after the win in Kansas City that Gotham are not to be underestimated – “Underdog my ass. We’re not an underdog” – but she has almost singlehandedly turned them into a title contender, and at breakneck speed.

Juan Carlos Amoros’ side are rooted in a defensive stability, which has not faded even though center back Tierna Davidson sustained a season-ending ACL injury just three weeks into the 2025 campaign. Their defensive stats, just like their actual back line, have held steady and they remain amongst the league leaders in these categories. They averaged 0.8 goals against and 1.1 expected goals against in 2024, while the team stands at 0.9 goals conceded per game and 1 expected goal against this season.

They, though, have slid down the NWSL’s attacking charts in between last year and this one. End product is down completely – they average 11.4 shots a game, ranking 11th in the league this season, down from last season’s 14.1 shots per game. It has translated to just 1.2 expected goals a game, eighth in the NWSL in 2025, and 1.3 goals scored, while in 2024 their goals scored and expected goals record matched at 1.6 per game.

Comings and goings in the offseason played a sizable role. Yazmeen Ryan left Gotham for the Houston Dash after a five-goal, six-assist season, while Lynn Biyendolo departed for the Seattle Reign after notching four goals and three assists in 2024. New additions Gabi Portillo, with three goals and three assists in 2025, and Geyse, with two goals and two assists, have fallen short of those marks while Midge Purce has just one of each since returning from an ACL injury in April. It has left Gotham overly reliant on MVP nominee Esther Gonzalez this year – the Women’s World Cup winner has 13 goals in 2025, second only to the Current’s Temwa Chawinga with 15. Gonzalez, though, scored roughly 40% of Gotham’s goals during the regular season, almost endangering their playoff hopes since she was an unused substitute against the Current as she dealt with a hip injury.

Shaw has not replaced Ryan and Biyendolo’s end product on her own, nor should she be expected to, but she has stepped into Gotham’s attacking void with ease. While Gonzalez was absent in Kansas City, Shaw took on the role as the team’s game-changing star, easily the most present attacker on the pitch over the course of 120 minutes – the 20-year-old created five chances, took four shots, nabbed the game’s opening goal and notched the assist on Katie Stengel’s last-gasp game-winner.

It helps that Shaw is a more natural tactical fit at Gotham than she was at the Courage, her increased playing time with the New York area team paving the way for a greater impact on the pitch. Her chance creation, shot-taking, assist and goalscoring figures are up this season since her move to Gotham but she has outdone herself in her opening nine games with her new club. Her goalscoring figures are up slightly from 2024, her final season with the San Diego Wave, but over her nine game stretch with Gotham, she’s averaging 2.2 shots per game – up from 2024’s average of 1.7 shots – and generating 1.7 chances per game, posting 1.2 chances per game in 2024.

The U.S. international’s connection with Gonzalez, who returned and started in Gotham’s 1-0 win at Orlando last week, will be of focus on Saturday in San Jose as well as next season, when the pair have more time to work together. There is never a moment too soon for one’s peak, especially with the 2027 Women’s World Cup roughly a year and a half away, but Shaw’s quick start at Gotham means she is well-positioned to play a serious role in just her 10th game for the club – and potentially walk away with a championship in the process.