NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Ahead of its television debut on March 2, Angel City Football Club members gathered at the Garland Hotel to preview ESPN’s new docuseries, NWSL: The Final Third. The series, which originally premiered on the ESPN App on February 25, offers an intimate look at the 2025 NWSL season and the unfolding challenges faced by teams vying for victory.
A Closer Look at the Series’ Focus and Featured Teams
Directed by Marie Margolius, this three-part ESPN Original series transports viewers inside the pressure-filled world of professional women’s soccer. The documentary follows the journeys of three clubs—Angel City FC, Kansas City Current FC, and Washington Spirit—highlighting their application of talent, ambition, and determination throughout the season. By capturing the personal and professional lives of notable players, it explores the growing investments and expectations reshaping the league.
Riley Tiernan’s Rookie Season Highlighted
Among the featured athletes is Angel City forward Riley Tiernan, who scored eight goals in her first professional campaign. The docuseries dedicates a section to examining her pathway to the league, including the challenges that arose after the NWSL eliminated the college draft. With trials offered only by Angel City and the Washington Spirit, Tiernan’s opportunity to prove herself was both limited and meaningful.
Seeing myself be vulnerable on screen and be able to share with the world what my experience was. I can only hope that it gives young girls the confidence and motivation that they can achieve their dreams,
Riley Tiernan, Angel City FC forward
Tiernan reflected on her experience viewing the series and the portrayal of her rookie year. She expressed appreciation for the way the narrative dramatizes her season, making it engaging in a way she had not anticipated just a few years ago.
Coming from my position, and not being a part of the league and getting the opportunity to come in and try out for the team and prove myself was a great opportunity,
Riley Tiernan
Being able to watch my rookie year like that was really cool. I think to just see everything kind of dramatized and a bit more entertaining was really cool to watch, and not something I would have expected a couple of years ago or even last year.
Washington Spirit’s Trinity Rodman and Other Standouts in Focus
The series also highlights the journey of Trinity Rodman from the Washington Spirit, who faced a significant setback due to a back injury that sidelined her for nearly four months. In addition to Rodman, other prominent players such as Lo’eau LaBonta, Hal Hershfelt, and Esme Morgan receive attention for their contributions on and off the field.
Director Marie Margolius Brings Athletic Insight to the Project
Margolius, who previously directed the 2024 NWSL docuseries For The Win for Prime Video, utilized her background as a former collegiate soccer player to capture the emotional and physical rigors athletes endure. She emphasized the immense preparation and psychological burden that accompany each game and how these pressures extend beyond the match itself.
What I feel like I intimately understand is everything that goes into preparation for those 90 minutes, and the emotional load and toll of carrying the weight of expectations. If you don’t fulfill those expectations, what does that do to you? What does that do to your relationships? There’s a whole sort of world around what happens on the field, for these players. For me, is the most exciting and interesting part of these stories,
Marie Margolius, director
I think often we ask female athletes to be not just athletes, but to be advocates and to be, you know, examples for the next generation and to be all of these things that are outside of their job description. Their job is to perform on the field at the highest level,
Marie Margolius
I hope that viewers will understand just how much goes into competing at this level in the NWSL, the best league in the world, the most competitive place to play day in and day out. I hope viewers are compelled by that level of competition. There is so much drama that happens on the field. I think this series does a good job of showing that, but also what goes into it off the field.
Growing Visibility for Women’s Sports Through Media Coverage
This docuseries aligns with ESPN’s expanding commitment to women’s sports, exemplified by its recent launch of Women’s Sports Sundays. This programming initiative spotlights women’s leagues such as the NWSL and WNBA throughout the summer. Reflecting this surge in interest, the 2025 NWSL season on ESPN experienced a 61% boost in average viewer numbers, and the 2025 Champions League final set a record with 1.184 million viewers.
I think giving them [NWSL players] this platform and a series like this highlights the moment that we’re in in the media landscape and just the general interest in women’s sports is higher than ever and is gonna continue to grow,
Marie Margolius
Angel City FC Sees the Docuseries as a Growth Opportunity
For Angel City FC, participation in the series represents a chance to expand both its fan base and influence. President and co-founder Julie Uhrman emphasized the dual benefit for the club and the league, tying increased visibility to potential financial growth that can benefit broader community initiatives.
No matter where you are in the world, we want you to have a favorite player, a favorite season. Not only does it grow Angel City’s brand and ultimately allow us to monetize it, putting that money back into our impact work, but it also grows the league,
Julie Uhrman, Angel City FC president and co-founder
For us, it’s about growing Angel City, growing the NWSL, growing women’s sports. Hopefully, that’ll bring more investment into the sport, which we can then put into our community, into our products, into our players.
Upcoming Season and Series Availability
As the 2026 regular season begins on March 13, viewers can anticipate following the stories introduced last year as they continue to unfold. Margolius expressed hope that audiences will not only enjoy the series but also develop a stronger connection with the players and teams they will watch this season.
I just hope people enjoy it, and I hope they learn something new, and they feel more connected to the players and the teams that they’ll watch this season on the field,
Marie Margolius
The docuseries includes three episodes titled Hungry Dogs Run Faster, No Free Picnics, and No Underdogs Allowed. Available now on the ESPN App, the series will air on ESPN2 on March 2 at 9 p.m. ET and will be accessible for streaming on Disney+ through March 31. This release schedule provides fans multiple opportunities to engage with the stories behind the league’s competitive drive and personal triumphs.
Three clubs. Three different seasons. One goal. ⚡️
NWSL: The Final Third, an ESPN Original Series, premieres on February 25 on the ESPN App. Learn more: https://t.co/4tiswgGRRE pic.twitter.com/4CrXulZ8RN
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) February 23, 2026
