San Diego Wave FC captures 2023 NWSL Shield in club’s second year of play

NEW YORK  – With their 2-0 win over Racing Louisville FC on Sunday, San Diego Wave FC have claimed the 2023 NWSL Shield.

The Shield, awarded to the club with the best record at the conclusion of the regular season, marks the first regular season title in the expansion side’s two-year history. Topping this year’s table with an 11-7-4 record, the Wave enter the 2023 NWSL Playoffs with the No. 1 overall seed. This year marks the second consecutive season in which the NWSL Shield winner was decided in the final weekend of play.

As the presenting sponsor of the NWSL Shield, CarMax has committed to raising their investment towards Shield bonuses, increasing this year’s earnings to $15,000 per player.

“Congratulations to San Diego Wave FC on this remarkable achievement,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. “The 2023 regular season featured one of the tightest tables in league history, a testament to the unmatched parity that exists within the NWSL, and I commend the Wave for the grit, determination and skill they showed in their quest to win the regular season title in this incredibly competitive year.”

there’s home-field advantage, and then there’s san diego ? pic.twitter.com/YLuTMe9sMD

— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) October 15, 2023

“We are honored to present this year’s NWSL Shield to the San Diego Wave,” said Sarah Lane, Chief Marketing Officer at CarMax. “The race for the NWSL Shield was incredibly tight and fun to watch this year. We couldn’t be happier to recognize the Wave for their hard work this season. The teams in this league continue to push the degree of excellence and CarMax is proud to continue supporting the league and its players through our partnership and as title sponsor of the NWSL Shield.”

With the No. 1 seed, San Diego has earned both a first-round bye and home field advantage for the semifinals and will await the outcome of the quarterfinals to determine their opponent.

More details regarding the 2023 NWSL Playoffs will be available in the coming days.

The fifth club to win the Shield, the Wave, who led the league with 11 wins this regular season, were stellar on both sides of the pitch throughout the 2023 campaign. The Wave’s two leading scorers, Alex Morgan and 18-year-old Jaedyn Shaw, scored in the club’s Shield-clinching victory on Decision Day, with Shaw’s sixth goal of the season setting a league record for most goals by a teenager. Morgan led the Wave in scoring with seven goals and four assists. Defensively, goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan recorded a league-leading nine clean sheets to keep San Diego’s total goals allowed at 22 for the season, tied for the second-lowest mark in the league.

With today’s result, Casey Stoney earns her first NWSL Shield a year after leading the Wave to the playoffs in their first NWSL season.

CarMax joined the NWSL in July 2022 as the league’s first Official Auto Retailer and presenting sponsor of the NWSL Shield. In addition to their commitment to doubling the Shield bonus pool to support equitable pay for women athletes, CarMax is also assisting in the creation of activations to bolster excitement and engagement for fans at home and onsite at league events, including the 2023 NWSL Championship.