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Here we are once again. The National Women’s Soccer League regular season is over, and the playoffs recently just concluded its first round. However, there’s another issue to address: awards.
What could be better than this year’s awards? While many winners feel like sure things, other categories offer some dark horses that could potentially unseat the favorites. For our of writers (Evan Davis, Dan Lauletta, Blair Newman and Jenna Tonelli) talked it all through together, making their case for the players they thought deserved a bit of individual hardware in 2024.
Most Valuable Player
Evan Davis: Temwa Chawinga, Kansas City Current
Chawinga broke Sam Kerr’s single-season goal record; she produced more xG than anyone else in league history; she averaged a full 90 minutes in every single game this season, an incredible amount of stamina for a winger. She was simply extraordinary.
Here’s something to really underscore the point: when American Soccer Analysis ran their playoff projection model before the quarterfinals began, the Current were the favorites to win the championship, their odds at about 34%. When Chawinga was removed from the lineup, those odds plummeted all the way to 25%, and the Orlando Pride took pole position. The Current may be great up and down the lineup, but only Chawinga has such a singular impact on their success. She’s the 2024 MVP with a bullet.
Dan Lauletta: Chawinga
Her amazing second-half push — she scored goals in 13 of her last 14 regular season appearances — gets her a surprisingly comfortable nod over Banda. If we want to take a contrarian view here, Banda’s arrival in Orlando set the tone for a club with a history of mediocrity putting together one of the best seasons NWSL has ever seen. But Chawinga should walk away with the new trophy and the satisfaction of having put Malawian soccer in the map.
Blair Newman: Temwa Chawinga, Kansas City Current
Goals, goals, some more goals. Every now and then, an assist. Chawinga has well and truly established herself as one of the most dangerous attackers in world soccer today. But perhaps the greatest gift she has given to the game is bringing back the toe-poke finish.
Jenna Tonelli: Temwa Chawinga
This one, to me, is indisputable. Chawinga is a goal machine, a chance creator, nightmare fuel for defenders, and has taken the league by storm. We’re honestly so lucky we get to watch her play here.
Rookie of the Year
ED: Croix Bethune, Washington Spirit
Think about it. Bethune missed the final nine games of the season, and she still managed to tally more assists than anyone else in the league. Her 14 goal contributions doubled the next-best figure among previous RoY winners who were attackers. When she was healthy, she hardly missed a minute. There was substance to the style, too, generating more expected assists per 96 minutes than anyone except for Debinha and Racheal Kundananji. Yes, she had great people like Trinity Rodman and Ouleymata Sarr to pass to, but her chance creation talent was so superlative that her success couldn’t lie solely at Rodman’s and Sarr’s feet. This was a special season from a special player, and an easy Rookie of the Year winner for me.
BN: Croix Bethune, Washington Spirit
Tricky, quick-witted and consistently able to find space for herself in midfield, Bethune packed a punch, too. Time after time she cut open defenses, showing excellent vision, precision and range. Arguably the most impressive season from a rookie in recent memory.
DL: Bethune
Easy choice but let’s not overlook what has been a sensational rookie class including Bethune’s midfield buddy Hal Hershfelt. Ally Sentnor stood out from the start in Utah and was that much better after the Royals added to her supporting cast over the summer. Madison Curry and Zoe Burns were forced into their respective lineups through injuries and showed well for themselves. Jameese Joseph tailed off a bit but is a defensive force while playing high for the Red Stars. And don’t sleep on Maycee Bell once she finds a bit more playing time.
JT: Ally Sentnor
Croix Bethune is the obvious pick for all the reasons stated above and I do truly believe she will and should win this earned accolade. However, I do want to give a mention to Ally Sentnor. The former Tar Heel was the first overall pick in the NWSL College Draft, and for good reason. When she gets on the ball in front of goal, you better believe she’s taking her shot. Over 21 matches, she scored three goals and four assists making her the assist leader and second highest goal sorcerer on the team. It’s no secret that Utah was a team that struggled this year, putting Sentnor at a disadvantage compared to the likes of Bethune or Hershfet on a well coached Spirit side. However, Sentnor was a true bright spot for this team and showed up when her teammates needed her.
Midfielder of the Year
ED: Lo’eau LaBonta, Kansas City Current
A new award to the NWSL’s stable, Midfielder of the Year seeks to honor players who rarely get the MVP spotlight shone on them, and who aren’t eligible for Defender of the Year. But how do you evaluate a great midfielder? Do you reward the attacking wizards, threading through balls and releasing forwards into the box? Do you highlight the two-way threats who shuttle back and forth between winning the ball and playing the ball, with a little goalscoring threat on top? Do you salute the deep-lying destroyers who soak up loads of defensive pressure, and maybe have some key ball progression skills lying around? It’s a tough one.
Attackers are historically over-indexed among MVP winners, so I’ve chosen to recognize LaBonta over the likes of Debinha, Bethune or Rose Lavelle. LaBonta seems to be getting better the deeper she travels through her 30s. LaBonta’s 0.05 Defensive Net g+ per 96 minutes topped all central midfielders in 2024. She wasn’t quite the progression maestro that Sam Coffey or Taylor Flint were, but she more than earned her keep, serving as the link between defense and the attacking hydra flying forward at every opportunity. It’s hard not to agree with her implication on The Offseason that she might be the most underpaid player in the league relative to her production. One hopes that the extension she signed last offseason was finally commensurate with her talents.
DL: Bethune
LaBonta and Denise O’Sullivan are my other Best XI picks here, and if you want to argue that they played the full season where Bethune did not, that’s fine. But Bethune burst on to the scene and immediately made the Spirit midfield one of the best in the league, setting the tone for their early success. She led the league in assists despite her season ending in August, and had a goal or assist in 11 of her 17 appearances. Two of her goals won points for her team — a 95th-minute winner against Bay FC in her second professional match, and a 96th minute equalizer against the Wave in June. The Bay goal was a thing of beauty and precision beyond the capabilities of many veterans in this league. The hope now is that she comes back the same after a freak injury put an early end to her campaign.
BN: Lo’eau LaBonta, Kansas City Current
A midfielder of remarkable energy and spirit, but also possessing quality on the ball. An underrated passer with creativity, and a pretty consistent source of goals considering her position. LaBonta is also a leader, so it’s perhaps not surprising that her younger midfield partner Claire Hutton had such an exceptional debut campaign.
JT: Delanie Sheehan
As the Gotham beat reporter I’m sure this pick comes as no surprise, but Sheehan to me is not only midfielder of the year, but a front runner for Gotham’s own MVP. She has started all but one regular season match, playing 2,098 minutes, and is the true engine of Gotham’s entire system. Without her, the team loses out on her ability to cut through a midfield, progress the ball, take on multiple defenders, and pick out passes like the one that led to Rose Lavelle’s quarterfinal game winner. On top of her work rate, she has scored two goals and notched an assist during the regular season. While she may not be a top goal scorer, she is crucial to Gotham’s entire campaign.
Defender of the Year
ED: Casey Krueger, Washington Spirit
Far be it for me to declare current award favorite Emily Sams undeserving, but I’d like to make the case for Krueger. Though she primarily played left back, we all know her versatility at basically any spot along the backline. Furthermore, her Defensive Net g+ indicates not only solid on-ball defensive production, but excellent off-ball positional discipline, as measured by goals subtracted (g-). Off-ball defensive data can be skewed by teammates and tactical system, but Krueger’s 0.06 figure was best in the league among everyday defenders, and double her Spirit teammates. This tells me that Krueger was a shutdown defender all on her own, preventing opposing right wingers from even getting into their preferred zones in the first place.
What’s more, only one other fullback has ever won Defender of the Year, Caprice Dydasco in 2021. The modern game thinks of fullbacks mostly for their attacking prowess. Their defensive skills are just as critical, especially in a transition-happy league like the NWSL. Krueger just had her best defensive season, and despite strong candidacies from Sams and others, she gets my vote.
BN: Emily Sonnett, NJ/NY Gotham FC
It’s a tough call between Sonnett and Sams for me, but I’ll give Sonnett the nod. Renowned for her versatility, she started this season as a box-to-box midfielder for Gotham—and did a surprisingly solid job there—before slotting into central defense. Quick, tenacious and good on the ball, she is the ideal center-back for Gotham’s aggressive defensive line.
DL: Tara McKeown
Steady, reliable, dependable center back was the backbone of one of the toughest defenses to break down league wide. Her forward roots–she was one just two years ago–also helped her with distribution in the Spirit system. The pick in a year filled with top candidates including Krueger, Sonnet, and Naomi Girma.
JT: Emily Sonnett
Sonnett might appear to have had a quiet year, but Gotham’s league-leading defensive performances don’t happen without Sonnett on the backline. Sonnett appeared in all 26 of the club’s regular season matches, mostly as a center back. Her pass completion rate and ability to progress the ball were crucial to Gotham’s possession-based high press. She even managed an assist this season.
Goalkeeper of the Year
ED: Ann-Katrin Berger, NJ/NY Gotham FC
Berger was the most lethal shot-stopper in the NWSL this season. In fact, she put up one of the best shot-stopping campaigns in league history. Berger only conceded 0.72 goals for every post-shot xG she faced. She let nothing by her.
By goalkeeper possession value, Berger was the only keeper in the league to register positive value in all areas of the position, from claiming crosses and set pieces, to punching and parrying shots, to distributing the ball upfield. They say that defense wins championships; Berger could be a key reason Gotham hoists a second consecutive trophy in a few weeks.
BN: Ann-Katrin Berger
Berger provided an experienced and composed presence behind a high defensive line for Gotham this season. A top class shot-stopper, she also demonstrated solid command of her area and accurate long-range distribution to find teammates in attacking positions.
DL: Ann-Katrin Berger
Best combination of shot-stopping and box-owning of any keeper in NWSL this season and helped Gotham get through the entire regular season without conceding more than two goals in a game. Her aggressive play combined with icy demeanor changed the entire look and feel of Gotham’s defense and has stamped them as a contender to repeat as NWSL champions.
JT: Ann-Katrin Berger
This is a tough one for me as Mandy Haught and Anna Moorehouse also put up top performances this year as shot stoppers. What puts Berger over the edge for me is her complete package as a sweeper keeper. In addition to her shot stopping, she acts as a third center back in Gotham’s formation. You can find her floating high, distributing with precision, and cutting off angles to prevent goals.
Coach of the Year
ED: Albertin Montoya, Bay FC
Given Seb Hines’s open-and-shut case, I’d like to make a pitch for Montoya. The first two months of the season made Montoya seem obnoxiously naïve, with his constant entreaties to beautiful, attacking football, never mind that he was coaching an expansion team in a top-heavy league. Montoya kept rolling out the same players with the same tactics, and while Bay scored plenty of goals, they conceded plenty of ugly ones, too.
Then in June, he found some humility. He rolled out a midfield of positionally disciplined grafters, and suddenly, Bay were hard to break down. Not many coaches have the self-awareness or the humility to admit mistakes, and then address them. For that — and for helping to make Bay the second expansion team in NWSL history to make the postseason — Montoya is my dark horse pick for Coach of the Year.
BN: Vlatko Andonovski, Kansas City Current
No team in the league experienced an uptick in points per game like Kansas City’s 0.94 improvement this year. They went from second-bottom in 2023 to Shield contention in one of the best, most competitive title races in NWSL history. Chawinga has a lot to do with that, but Andonovski did what the really good head coaches do: He didn’t get in her way, and instead sought out an oddly specific role to emphasize the Malawian’s qualities.
Usually playing Chawinga as an inside forward — not quite on the wings, but not directly through the middle up against opposing center-backs — Andonovski put his best attacker in a position to make runs undetected into space behind and make full use of her blistering speed. He effectively built his system around Chawinga, often with one fullback (Hailie Mace) staying back while the other pushed high and allowed Chawinga to play inside. An honorable mention to Seb Hines, who I voted for last year and certainly wouldn’t argue against winning the award this time around.
DL: Seb Hines, Orlando Pride
I was surprised to be third in here and see no one has yet picked Hines. It’s easy to just give this award to the coach that either finished first or had a significant improvement, and Hines certainly fits in those areas. He also coaxed his squad to play the opening 23 games of the regular season without losing. And he did so by mixing and matching on the backline, pulling a renaissance season out of Marta and seamlessly integrating Barbra Banda who immediately made everyone around her better. When Carson Pickett arrived and threatened to upset the rotation, Hines worked her in perfectly and the club hardly missed a beat.
JT: Seb Hines
Dan sums it up perfectly. What Hines has done at Orlando is historic and impressive. At the helm of Orlando, he has created a roster that plays cohesively, with big stars stepping up, younger talent like Emily Sams thriving, and players whose names might not have made headlines having seasons of a lifetime. When Orlando plays, you can sit back and enjoy. With an unbeaten run to the Shield, to me he’s the easy pick.
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