In a historic night for women’s soccer, Temwa Chawinga, of the Kansas City Current, won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) for the second consecutive season. This unprecedented achievement makes her the first footballer in the history of the league to obtain this recognition two times in a row. The awards ceremony, which marked the first formal gala of the NWSL in its 12 seasons, took place at the San Jose Civic Center.
Chawinga: Court dominance and records
Chawinga, in addition to her MVP, secured the NWSL Golden Boot for the second consecutive year, after scoring 15 goals in the season. The previous year, with 20 goals, she set a new record for goals in a single season. Only Sam Kerr had previously achieved two MVP awards in the NWSL, in 2017 and 2019, and also obtained three consecutive Golden Boots from 2017 to 2019.
Other notable awards
Bev Yanez was named NWSL Coach of the Year, after leading Racing Louisville to their best season and reaching the playoffs, becoming the first former NWSL player to win this award.The Current also took home the Goalkeeper of the Year award, with Brazilian international Lorena. Tara McKeown, from NWSL finalists Washington Spirit, was recognized as Defender of the Year, while Manaka Matsukubo took home the Best Midfielder award. Lilly Reale, defender for Gotham FC and the USWNT, was named Rookie of the Year. Sam Hiatt of Portland Thorns won the Lauren Holiday Impact Award for her work with Candlelighters Oregon.I am very grateful for the team, for believing in me, for trusting me. I couldn’t be up here without them.
Bev Yanez
