The Utah Royals have not lost a game since March 22. Come again? Yes, you read that right. This is the same Utah Royals that finished their inaugural campaign in 11th place in 2024 and their sophomore season in 12th out of 14 teams. The same side that drafted University of North Carolina standout and U.S. women’s national team star Ally Sentnor as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft before trading her to Kansas City last summer. The same roster that was so plagued by injuries it was hard to gauge their true potential.
But fast forward to now, and the narrative has flipped. With 17 points and three matches left before the NWSL’s month-long summer break, Utah is just eight points shy of their total points from each of the past two seasons. More importantly, they’re playing like protagonists—a team that could make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, including the original club that played in 2018 and 2019. So, how did this transformation happen?
Goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, who has returned from injury to notch three shutouts, credits the team’s “process-oriented” mindset. “We’re not expecting an outcome of a win or a shutout,” McGlynn says. “We just go out there, execute the game plan, and give it our full ability.”
Center-back Kaleigh Riehl acknowledges the Royals are exceeding expectations, but like any good underdog, they’ve always believed in themselves. The difference now? That belief is translating into results. After back-to-back losses to the Current and the San Diego Wave, Utah rattled off five wins in their next seven games. That stretch included a seven-point haul in just eight days, with wins over Angel City FC and the Houston Dash, plus a draw with Bay FC on Sunday.
“It’s been so great, especially in this three-game week, that we just focused on us, us, us,” McGlynn adds. “That has been perfect for this process.”
Head coach Jimmy Coenraets is more blunt about the Royals’ rise, but the message is clear: Utah is no longer just a rebuilding project. They’re becoming the NWSL’s new protagonists.