With success comes greater expectations, a lesson the Orlando Pride will learn firsthand in 2025 . After winning the NWSL Shield and championship , they’re set on making it two in a row.

The success came ahead of schedule, with the team building for the long haul. Young players such as Emily Sams and Ally Watt took another step forward, and the addition of Barbra Banda alongside the iconic Marta helped led them to glory.

“It’s borderline unprecedented. What they did, the win streak, the unbeaten streak, winning the double, is so infrequent in this league. So what we saw was truly great,” said Prime Video play-by-play commentator Mike Watts. “The thing about this Orlando team is that it was obvious that they were still on an upward trajectory through the entire course of the season, and even a reversion to the mean for this team is likely still a very elite team.”

The core of the Pride’s roster remains relatively young, and it would not be shocking if they were better in some ways than they were in 2024 . That primarily comes down to the defensive mindset that coach Seb Hines, himself a former defender, has established.

“The staff emanates defensive structure as a core principle. I think that no matter what happens on the other end of the field, they won’t allow a drop-off in that area,” Watts added. “It’s as good as any defensive unit that I’ve seen in this league in 10 years covering it.”

Orlando’s defense was anchored by Sams, winning NWSL Defender of the Year in 2024. Despite a historic defensive season for the Pride, Sams thinks the team can improve defensively.

“We tied for the least amount of goals conceded. We could have and should have been not tied. So I think just shoot for that again, to not concede and to not lose at home,” Sams said. “We take a lot of pride in those shutouts. That’s like an unspoken thing, and we’re going to work hard. No matter what position, no matter who’s in there, I think we all have that same mentality.”

One thing that will be different for the Pride is the national attention. The league’s premier games are played Friday nights on Prime Video , and Orlando only had three games in that spotlight last regular season. They will play no fewer than eight this time around.

Teams can find it challenging to handle that pressure, but Orlando does not see it that way. They see it as a privilege and won’t take their status for granted. Hines and his players believe that winning is all that matters, and no amount of outside noise can match their internal standards.

The added challenge that comes with being defending champions requires them to be better. Defender Kylie Nadaner knows the Pride will have to fight for every win, with every opponent aiming to take them down.

“We are very aware that we have a massive target on our back. So every game that we play, people want to beat us, and they’re going to treat it like a final so we have to give 110% every game,” Nadaner said. “That’s a reality, so we’re going to have to raise our game. We’re very aware of that, and we’re ready for it.”

It helps that Orlando brings back most of the same team. Adriana was the only major offseason loss, and new signings Prisca Chilufya and Oihane were the two big additions. Other contenders such as the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC had significant offseason changes, but Orlando is trusting the developmental process by allowing its players to improve instead of shaking up things.

“The stars are already there. You’ve already got the Defensive Player of the Year [Sams]. You’ve already got the player who the vast majority of last season looked like the MVP of the league [Banda]. You’ve got the greatest soccer player in the history of the game [Marta]. You’ve got the England goalkeeper [Anna Moorhouse],” Watts said. “You’re there. Don’t mess with a good thing. And I give [GM] Haley Carter and Seth Hines a lot of credit. They put a lot of trust in the ability to have these players take the next step, and they all pretty much have.”

Orlando kicks off the regular season at home against the Chicago Stars, who it defeated 4-1 in the playoffs last season.

Championship banners will be raised before kickoff, but once the ball starts rolling, this team will focus entirely on winning again in 2025.

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