The 2025 NWSL End-of-Year Awards are stepping into a new era as the league upgrades the pomp and circumstance and presents an inaugural end-of-year awards show. The awards event will kick off NWSL Championship week on Wednesday.
Let’s have some fun with this new era of awards and take a look at the finalists … and my voting ballot.
These particular votes were difficult to make, as some of the candidates I thought would be here in the end were simply not available as selections for me to make in the final round of voting. The biggest and most obvious omission is Portland Thorns midfielder Sam Coffey. So stay through this article to see her name pop up on my Best XI, along with some others who I’m confident had a good seasons but will not end up with any accolades.
This year’s crop of finalists has the NWSL faithful poking holes and pundits discussing omissions in every category. There are at least one or two players in every category that you could make a case for a snub. But never forget, if a finalist is here, they’re deserving.
Here’s all the finalists and who I voted for:
MVP finalists
- Delphine Cascarino (San Diego Wave FC)
- Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current)
- Esther González (Gotham FC)
- Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage)
- Bia Zaneratto (Kansas City Current)
Who I voted for and why: Temwa Chawinga
This was by far a no-brainer for me. She was among my preliminary voting process to name finalists, and she’s my vote for MVP once again. Led the league in goals and is a back-to-back golden boot winner, but in her sophomore season in the league, Chawinga showed off exactly the type of forward NWSL coaches dream of. A striker who is as active off the ball as she is when on it, and sprinting towards the goal.
Chawinga’s goal-scoring no doubt changes games, and may have been Kansas City’s downfall in the playoffs, but it’s her defensive efforts that have been so impressive this year. Her counterpressing, ball tracking, and commitment to possession have fueled attacking sequences all seasonDefender of the Year finalists
- Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC)
- Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit)
- Avery Patterson (Houston Dash)
- Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current)
- Kayla Sharples (Kansas City Current)
Who I voted for and why: Kayla Sharples
This is a particularly wild card category this year, even though I think there is a clear leader in the pack in Kayla Sharples. I have to imagine she’ll split votes with her teammate, Izzy Rodriguez, and if Emily Sonnett were on here, I would’ve voted for her ultimately.
It’s also hard to ignore the season Tara McKeown has had for the Spirit, just remarkably consistent play while getting regular call-ups into the U.S. national team. Unfortunately, even though this is an NWSL regular-season award, things like USWNT notoriety have an effect, just ask Becky Sauerbrunn, who won the award twice in 2015 and 2019 despite not playing nearly as many games as other candidates in World Cup years.
Still, Sharples has been Kansas City’s anchor in the center, especially as her centerback partners have changed constantly throughout the season due to injury. She picked up a small injury down the stretch that kept her out a few games, but was key to the Current’s defensive success.
Goalkeeper of the Year finalists
- Lorena (Kansas City Current)
- Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC)
- Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC)
Who I voted for and why: Lorena
Another difficult category is that every goalkeeper has a case, and as more teams enter the league, there should be more finalists. I mentioned Kansas City’s defensive records this year, and Brazilian international Lorena needed zero time to acclimate to a new league and help set the tone. She led the league in clean sheets (14) and had a seven-game streak of shutouts.
Midfielder of the Year finalists
- Kenza Dali (San Diego Wave)
- Debinha (Kansas City Current)
- Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current)
- Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage)
- Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC)
Who I voted for and why: Claire Hutton
Anyone who makes it to this point is deserving. That said, no Sam Coffey in this category is a tragedy to how players, coaches, executives, and media voted initially. While there’s a case for Olivia Moultrie here, it’s due to her incredible second-half season run. There’s also a case for Racing Louisville’s Taylor Flint, but enough about who isn’t here; I voted for Claire Hutton in the end.
The 19-year-old elevated her game in her second professional season and showed she can compete with the demeanor of a grizzled veteran, somehow. Dispossession of the opposition, combining with teammates, and fearlessness on both sides of the ball.
Rookie of the year finalists
- Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC)
- Lilly Reale (Gotham FC)
- Riley Tiernan (Angel City FC)
Who I voted for and why: Lilly Reale
Not sure there’s been a more impactful player in long stretches of the season than defender Lilly Reale. She was beyond reliable and featured in every regular-season game this year, and earned starts in 22 of them. She’s the prototype of what you want in a fullback: Quick in recovery and unafraid of getting involved in attacks, and can create chances and shut them down.
Coach of the Year
- Vlatko Andonovski (Kansas City Current)
- Adrian Gonzalez (Washington Spirit)
- Beverly Yanez (Racing Louisville)
Who I voted for and why: Vlatko Andonovski
Thrilled to see Beverly Yanez make the finalist cut. She aided Racing Louisville into the long elusive playoffs with fewer resources than others and a seventh place finish. Adrian Gonzalez can also claim similarly, with the Spirit’s lengthy injury list from week one to the semifinals, he’s coached up the players available to second place on the table.
But I voted for Andonovski based on all things accomplished over the course of the regular season. An epic, record-setting regular season etched in history. But because we’re all sheep to recency bias (the voting deadline was Sunday, mid-playoffs), an early playoff exit could hurt his chances. There was never a doubt which way I was voting for this, even if I disagree with how he managed in the quarterfinal.
The team clinched the NWSL Shield in September-nearly two months before the postseason, and set multiple records along the way, from shutout minutes to fewest goals conceded to game-winning streaks, and more. The postseason run ended in a thud, which has resulted in Andonovski leaving his post as head coach and now serving as the sporting director in Kansas City.
Best XI
At the end of ballot voting, voters can only select 11 total players for an end-of-year Best XI, even though the league presents an annual first and second best team. The players who earn enough votes are likely sorted out into the two teams. Here are the 11 players I selected and other players I think should be on a second-best XI, even though we can only vote for 11 of the 22 players who make the lists.
Who I voted for: Lorena, Kayla Sharples, Emily Sonnett, Avery Patterson, Izzy Rodriguez, Sam Coffey, Taylor Flint, Claire Hutton, Kenza Dali, Temwa Chawinga, Delphine Cascarino
Who I think should be on a second Best XI: Claudia Dickey, Sophia Huerta, Jordyn Bugg, Tara McKeown, Lily Reale, Rebeca Bernal, Croix Bethune, Olivia Moultrie, Emma Sears, Manaka Matsukubo, Esther Gonzalez,
