"The Pride, last year's shield and championship winners, finished Week 13 in a strong second place, leading the crowded middle of the pack with a respectable 25 points in total. San Diego was hot on their heels with 24. And those other teams? Doormats, each one of them. The Royals had managed a grand total of five points out of the first half of the season, the Stars got a whole six, and the Dash, only marginally better, eked out 11."
"It's long been clear that the biggest story of the season would be the Kansas City Current's excellence-Vlatko Andonovski's side's formidable defending and relentless attack have put them in a position to clinch the shield this weekend, before any other team has even cemented a playoff slot. Below the Current is where things get interesting. Just 10 points separated second and 12th places when the league went on summer vacation after June 23."
Three low-performing teams—the Utah Royals, Chicago Stars, and Houston Dash—outscored the Orlando Pride and San Diego Wave across the next seven matchweeks despite extremely poor first-half returns. The Pride led midseason with 25 points and San Diego had 24 after Week 13. The Royals, Stars, and Dash had five, six, and 11 points respectively through the first half. The Kansas City Current dominated the season with strong defending and relentless attack, positioned to clinch the shield. The league remained tightly packed below the Current, with only 10 points separating 2nd through 12th.
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