With all teams but Angel City FC having played at least 20 National Women’s Soccer League matches, two-thirds of the 2026 regular season is officially in the books. While Gotham is continuing its steady march towards the Shield with a table-topping 44 points, almost all of the league’s 16 teams remain in the hunt for the eight playoff spots.The Utah Royals are steadily making their case for the most improved squad of 2026, sitting in fourth place after finishing 12th among the 14 teams who competed last season. Part of their success comes from a well-rounded offense that has produced a league-leading 37 goals in 21 matches.But each matchweek in the NWSL seems to offer a reminder that the margins between sides are thin and that no result is guaranteed. (Congrats on the 3-2 win last weekend, Chicago!) While defensive performance and some of the unsung work in midfield are crucial too, the 444 goals scored are what we are giving a closer look.Who are the players who have been the best this season at giving their teams that edge in the final third? And who has come up short when they’ve been gifted solid scoring chances? The Athletic takes a deeper dive into the league’s goal scorers.The overperformersThe NWSL doesn’t have a most improved player award. But if it did, the top contender would be North Carolina Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez.The 27-year-old moved to the top of the golden boot race with a brace against the Boston Legacy on Saturday. Her 13 goals in 2026 are more than double her previous single-season highs (five in both 2023 and 2024).What makes Sanchez’s scoring even more impressive, though, is that she has tallied those 13 goals with an expected goal (xG) total of just 8.43, per American Soccer Analysis.Put another way, Sanchez has produced four and a half more goals than would be expected by a player given shot opportunities in similar situations.North Carolina Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez currently leads the NWSL in goals. (Jacob Kupferman / NWSL via Getty Images)“I think being higher up, I obviously am getting a little bit more chances than maybe I have in years past,” Sanchez recently shared on an episode of the “Full Time” podcast. “But I just feel like I’m in a really good spot for what I think I’m best at on the field.”The Denver Summit’s Janine Sonis has been almost equally adept at making the most of her chances, outpacing her 3.50 expected goals to find the net eight times thus far this season.