After a dominant season where the NC Courage never sat below second place, the team has reached the NWSL Championship in their first season in Cary. The Courage returned to the championship after a 90th minute goal to beat the Chicago Red Stars for the first time in 2017. The match was a nervy, defensive affair between teams looking to minimize mistakes and give nothing away. In the end, the pressure and crosses from the Courage led to a win and a second consecutive trip to the NWSL Championship.
As for the Portland Thorns, a trip to the title match was booked in a dominant performance against an outmatched Orlando Pride team.