ESPN launches NWSL: The Final Third docuseries featuring Angel City FC’s Riley Tiernan

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – In a screening room of the Garland Hotel, members of the Angel City Football Club saw moments of the 2025 NWSL season flash before them in a screening of ESPN’s NWSL: The Final Third docuseries ahead of its television debut on ESPN2 on March 2. The series originally premiered on the ESPN App on February 25.

Directed by Marie Margolius, the ESPN Original three-episode docuseries gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the season and the pressure to win. Each episode showcases the rising expectations, growing investment, and intimate glimpses into the lives of different players from Angel City, Kansas City Current FC, and the Washington Spirit. 

One of those players is none other than Riley Tiernan, who notched eight goals during her first season with Angel City. 

“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,” said Tiernan, watching some of the biggest moments of her rookie year on the big screen. 

Part of the first episode explores Tiernan’s sisterly connection to the league and her journey to signing with Angel City. The NWSL had eliminated the college draft during Tiernan’s senior year at Rutgers University, leaving the forward to seek tryouts for teams. Only two clubs offered her trialist opportunities: Angel City and the Washington Spirit. 

“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,” Tiernan told The Sporting Tribune. “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.”

One of the biggest storylines follows Washington Spirit star Trinity Rodman, as she returns from a back injury that kept her out for nearly four months. Viewers are also introduced to standout players, including Lo’eau LaBonta, Hal Hershfelt, and Esme Morgan. 

NWSL: The Final Third was created in partnership with ESPN, the NWSL, Omaha Productions, and Words + Pictures. Margolius previously directed Prime Video’s For The Win: NWSL docuseries covering the 2024 season. As a former collegiate soccer player, Margolius understands the complexities of being an athlete and navigating the pressures that come with it. 

“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,” Margolius told The Sporting Tribune.

“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,” said 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.”

The series is part of ESPN’s growing coverage of women’s sports. Last week, the multimedia sports brand announced the launch of its Women’s Sports Sundays – a weekly primetime programming franchise placing women’s sports at the center of the summer sports calendar, featuring NWSL and WNBA programming. Viewership of women’s sports is growing. During the 2025 Champions League final, the NWSL drew a record 1.184 million viewers. The 2025 NWSL on ESPN season saw a 61% increase in average viewership for the regular season, according to ESPN.

“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,” said Margolius. 

For Angel City, being featured in the docuseries means an opportunity to grow. “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,” president and co-founder of Angel City FC Julie Uhrman told The Sporting Tribune. 

“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.”

With the 2026 regular season kicking off on March 13, viewers can see how last season’s stories evolve throughout the next one. “ 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,” said Margolius. 

How to watch: 

The names of the three episodes are titled: Hungry Dogs Run Faster, No Free Picnics and No Underdogs Allowed. All three episodes are available in the ESPN App and will debut on ESPN2 on March 2 at 9 p.m. ET. The series will also be available to stream on Disney+ from March 2 through March 31.