Claudia Martínez is quickly becoming the Washington Spirit's secret weapon. For the second straight match, she delivered the game-winning goal, this time lifting her team to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over the Seattle Reign on Sunday.
The winning moment came in the 84th minute, when Gabrielle Carle sent a pinpoint cross into the box. Martínez rose to meet it, and the ball found the back of the net—the only goal the Spirit would need on the day.
Goalkeeper Sandy MacIver was equally clutch, recording three saves to earn her fifth clean sheet of the season. The win extends Washington's unbeaten streak to eight matches and their winning streak to five, improving their record to 5-1-3.
Not everything went smoothly, however. In the 47th minute, the Spirit successfully defended a Reign corner kick, but star forward Trinity Rodman went down favoring her right ankle. Though she briefly returned to the pitch, she was subbed off in the 56th minute—a moment that will have Spirit fans watching closely.
For Seattle, the drought continues. The Reign (3-3-2) have now gone 409 minutes without scoring and are winless in their last four outings.
Elsewhere in the NWSL, Kansas City put on a show, defeating the Chicago Stars 3-0. The star of the match was reigning two-time NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga, who scored the Current's first regular-season hat trick. She opened the scoring in the 22nd minute off a deflection from defender Sam Staab and an assist from Croix Bethune. After a rebound fell to her feet in the 47th minute for the brace, Chawinga completed the hat trick just two minutes later on a short lofted pass from Michelle Cooper. Goalkeeper Lorena made three saves to earn her first clean sheet of the season as the Current improved to 4-4-0. Chicago (2-7-0) has now lost three straight.
In the day's final match, Bay FC and the Utah Royals played to a scoreless draw. Utah extended their shutout streak to five games, thanks in large part to goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, who made a key save to preserve the clean sheet. On the other end, Royals captain Paige Cronin had two breakaway chances in the 68th and 89th minutes, but Bay goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz denied both. The Royals now sit at 5-2-2.