The Washington Spirit won 18 games during the regular season, tying the NWSL single-season record with the Orlando Pride. Beginning their playoff run last weekend versus Bay FC, this was the Spirit’s first playoff appearance since they won the championship in 2021. The Spirit finished on top, but they had to make a comeback push with an 85th minute goal to send it into overtime.
A win is a win, and the Spirit are very happy to advance. But they also recognize where their game was messy. A winning team is constantly looking for where they can be better, and in post-game interviews with forward Trinity Rodman and goal keeper Aubrey Kingsbury, they discuss this growth mentality while they prepared for the semifinals.
“That’s Playoffs for you. It’s not Always Pretty.”
Kingsbury says that this part of the year can be very different from regular season play. Playoff season induces a variety of emotions because the season is on the line with every game. Navigating these emotions can be hard in the moment, when there are all types of energy that are generated from each other and the crowd. As a result, expectations don’t always turn into a reality.
The Spirit were the favorite winner for the quarterfinal matchup based on seed, but they didn’t take the lead until overtime. Rodman expresses how playoffs “can get very distracting and very claustrophobic in a way,” and “you can get lost in the momentum of the game.” So, recognizing that what they wanted was slipping away, the team knew that they had to flip a switch. The mentality was “we gotta go now. There is no time to waste. Our season is on the line,” Kingsbury says.
“You saw today this team will fight regardless of what happens.”
The Importance of a Growth Mindset
No matter the direction the game is going, it’s important to understand that a shift in momentum is always possible. “You saw today this team will fight regardless of what happens,” Kingsbury reflects from the quarterfinals. Digging yourselves out of ruts throughout the game teaches the team as a whole many lessons; putting ranking aside, you have to take one game at a time in playoffs, and the Spirit knows this.
“This was a learning experience for sure and I’m glad our rookies got to go through it. Now that they have that under their belt, they get the nerves out and now we can really focus on us,” Rodman says. Despite frustration, the Spirit were fired up for the semifinals and were happy they had this game under their belt as a win.
Grittiness is Unbeatable
The Spirit faced Gotham FC at home on Saturday, November 16 for a semifinal bout, and their growth mindset once again proved to strengthen their mental resilience. Battling with a tight score of 1-1, the game ended in a shoot-out. The Spirit scored all three penalty kicks, while Kingsbury blocked all three from NJ/NY Gotham FC. This result shows how their reflections from the quarterfinals mentally prepared them for the semifinals. If they fought back once, they were able to fight back yet again.
Playoff season can be very unpredictable; the Spirit’s gritty approach to every game highlights how their humble attitude after each win helped them celebrate their successes and reflect on mistakes so that they can enter each game with confidence and mental toughness. No win is a given, and their playoff run so far shows that resilience, reflection, and unity is putting their team on top.
As Kingsbury said, this team will fight no matter what. And they proved just that. For the finals, the Washington Spirit heads to Kansas City, Missouri, on November 23 to face the Orlando Pride. So be sure to tune in to CBS!
