As part of championship week, this is the first time the NWSL’s End-of-the-Year awards will be a live event and will also a broadcast on ESPN2.
The preliminary breakdown for this round is Players (50%), Board/GM’s/Head Coaches (25%), Media (25%).
For the final round, the Fan Vote (10%) will open on Tuesday, November 10 with Players (40%), Board/GM’s/Head Coaches (25%), and Media (25%). For the preliminary round, the voting asked for the top three for rookies, goalkeepers, and coaches. For MVP, midfielders,
and defenders, it was a top five.
After a lot of back and forth, days of deliberation, and tons of considerations…
This is how my preliminary ballot looked:
Rookie of the Year
Did I have each of my top three No. 1 in my ROTY rankings at one point? Absolutely.
Lilly Reale: After coming from UCLA as an elite center back, she has made the transition over to left back. Yes, you read that correctly, from CB to LB. Reale has been absolutely stellar for the NWSL’s second best defense and has even earned caps with the USWNT.
She leads NJ/NY Gotham FC in interceptions (36), second in tackles (54), and is 12th in the league for crosses (69). This is just the start for the rookie defensive ace.
Honorable Mentions: Riley Tiernan, Sarah Schupansky | Shoutouts: Maddie Dahlien, Jordyn Bugg
Goalkeeper of the Year
Claudia Dickey: Where would the Seattle Reign be without her? That’s how dominant she’s been.
The elite shot stopper led the way in goals prevented by a considerable margin – depending on your data source, it is likely double the next GK – highlighting how incredible she was all season long.
She is one of the five NWSL Iron Women to play every single minute of the season.
Also, Claudia Dickey led the league in saves with 88. Her future is as bright as anyone in the league.
Honorable Mentions: Lorena, Ann-Katrin Berger| Shoutout: Aubrey Kingsbury
Defender of the Year
Izzy Rodriguez: What a terrific season fullback who was tied for the league-lead in assists with 6. She also led all defenders in chances created (39) and crosses (147). Rodriguez was also 10th in interceptions (39).
No defender gets it done in defense and attack the way she has during the 2025 season.
Honorable Mentions: Tara McKeown, Reyna Reyes, Avery Patterson, Kayla Sharples| Shoutouts: Kate Del Fava, Gisele Thompson
Midfielder of the Year
Did I go back and forth with this for three days before the ballot was due? Yes.
Olivia Moultrie, Manaka Matsukubo, and Taylor Flint all had massive statement seasons and deserve to be recognized for what they contributed to their clubs. Any of them could win this award. At the end of the day, it’s just up to your preference.
Olivia Moultrie: The Portland Thorns could have completely missed the playoffs without her contributions down the stretch. Instead, they are now the third seed, with her leading the way. In the team’s last eight goals, she played a major role in six of them.
She led the NWSL in shot-creating actions with 132 and on a similar note… chances created with 54. Moultrie was also top 10 in the league in xA, progressive carries, shots, and many more key metrics.
Even with the amount of injuries, especially to the frontline, she still produced big time.
Honorable Mentions: Manaka Matsukubo, Taylor Flint, Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton | Shoutouts: Kenza Dali, Debinha
Coach of the Year
Bev Yanez: Prior to the season, they were not considered a playoff team by any media, experts, and pundits.
However, that didn’t matter one bit for the player or coaches.
What a historic season for Racing Louisville.
Under Bev Yanez, they have found an identity. They are tough, tenacious, and go all-out every single second on the field – just like their coach used to do as a player. When you have full buy-in and each player embodies their head coach on the pitch, that team culture will only continue to get better.
For the first time in the club’s history… they have made the playoffs, won 10 matches (most ever), and earned 37 points (most ever).
Honorable Mentions: Rob Gale, Vlatko Andonovski | Shoutouts: Jonas Eidevall, Laura Harvey
Most Valuable Player
Temwa Chawinga: What else is there to say? Temwa Chawinga is inevitable.
One of the best goalscorers on the planet right now – In her first two NWSL seasons, has already won the Golden Boot twice and on pace to repeat as MVP.
By the time Chawinga is done with NWSL, the league will likely have her name alone at the top for a long time, if not forever.
Honorable Mentions: Esther González, Emma Sears, Delphine Cascarino, Olivia Moultrie | Shoutouts: Manaka Matsukubo, Sam Coffey
