The 2022 NWSL postseason will conclude Saturday as Portland Thorns FC and Kansas City Current square off in the NWSL Championship. Second-place Portland and fifth-place Kansas City will meet on neutral ground at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., and the event will be held in prime time for the first time in the league's 10-year history. You can catch it all on CBS and Paramount+ (Premium). 

This event, arguably the most highly anticipated game in the league's history, has been a decade in the making, and understandably, the players are excited.

Huge exposure for the season's biggest game

As the league commemorates its tenth anniversary, it is doing so in style with a massive game held in the nation's capital on under the lights and fall sky. It's also new territory for the league and its players, with previous finals held on daytime slots across various cable channels. The added flair is providing a different layer of enthusiasm for the final with an expected capacity crowd of 20,000, a targeted number that has only been achieved once (2018) in NWSL Championship history. 

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The moment is being met with a new layer of excitement for players who have been part of previous NWSL Championships. Portland Thorns FC captain and Canadian international Christine Sinclair played in the first-ever NWSL championship in 2013 and believes the event on network CBS adds plenty of excitement and exposure.

"We've both been fortunate to play in some pretty big games in our careers and this added exposure is exactly what the women's game needs," said Sinclair.

"It just adds excitement. I was fortunate to play in the first championship game and I think outside of the people in Portland, no one knew that the game was happening. So I'd say it's what this league, it's what us as players deserve. This, women's sports in general, all they need is a chance. People will watch, people will come if given the opportunity to do so. For this game to be on prime time -- on a major network -- it's just going to continue to grow the game to continue to inspire those youngsters watching. I'm a firm believer that young kids need to be able to see to believe that it can happen. For this game to be in prime time, it's exciting for the future of the game."

U.S. women's national team player and Thorns midfielder Dunn scored the game-winner in the semifinal to push Portland through to a fourth NWSL Championship appearance. Dunn has appeared in three previous finals and spoke on the evolution of the final making it to prime time.

"I think it sets a new standard. This game being on primetime [TV] is incredible. Every year moving forward, that's what you expect," Dunn said.

"We want to celebrate this but I think we would be doing a huge disservice if we don't continue pushing the standard and if we fall back on some kind of level that we were at before, so I think it's incredible ... This is exactly what we wanted women's soccer to be at this at this stage in time. So I think just pushing forward and continuing with the change and help growing the game is amazing, and it being [in] prime time, it's just going to bring back more awareness of this game."

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Viewing info

  • Date: Saturday, October 29 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • Location: Audi Field -- Washington D.C. 
  • TV: CBS
  • Stream: Paramount+ (Premium)
  • Caesars Sportsbook odds: Thorns +100; Draw +250; Current +225