NWSL Defender of the Year

Last updated

2024 winner Emily Sams Emily Sams 2024-01 (cropped).jpg
2024 winner Emily Sams

The NWSL Defender of the Year award is presented annually to the best defensive player in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

Contents

Becky Sauerbrunn won the first three Defender of the Year awards from 2013 to 2015 and added her fourth in 2019. The most recent winner is Emily Sams (2024).

As of 2024, the NWSL's individual end-of-year awards are voted upon in two rounds: in the first round, players (50%), owners/general managers/coaches (25%), and media (25%) vote to determine the nominees; in the second round, players (40%), owners/general managers/coaches (25%), media (25%), and fans (10%) vote among the nominees to determine the winner. [1]

Winners

SeasonPlayerNationalityClubOther finalistsRef.
2013 Becky Sauerbrunn Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States FC Kansas City Christie Rampone, Leigh Ann Robinson [2]
2014 Becky Sauerbrunn (2)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States FC Kansas City Ali Krieger, Julie Johnston [3]
2015 Becky Sauerbrunn (3)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States FC Kansas City Lauren Barnes, Kendall Fletcher, Julie Johnston, Amy LePeilbet [4]
2016 Lauren Barnes Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Seattle Reign FC Arin Gilliland, Julie Johnston, Emily Menges, Becky Sauerbrunn [5]
2017 Abby Dahlkemper Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States North Carolina Courage Steph Catley, Ali Krieger, Becky Sauerbrunn, Casey Short [6]
2018 Abby Erceg Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand North Carolina Courage Abby Dahlkemper, Julie Ertz, Becky Sauerbrunn, Emily Sonnett [7]
2019 Becky Sauerbrunn (4)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Utah Royals FC Casey Short, Lauren Barnes, Abby Erceg, Jaelene Hinkle [8]
2021 Caprice Dydasco Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States NJ/NY Gotham FC Sarah Gorden, Emily Menges, Carson Pickett, Alana Cook [9]
2022 Naomi Girma Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States San Diego Wave FC Alana Cook, Sofia Huerta, Carson Pickett, Becky Sauerbrunn [10]
2023 Naomi Girma (2)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States San Diego Wave FC Sarah Gorden, Ali Krieger, Kaleigh Kurtz, Sam Staab [11]
2024 Emily Sams Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Orlando Pride Kaleigh Kurtz, Tara McKeown, Naomi Girma, Kylie Strom [12]

Wins by team

ClubWins
FC Kansas City 3
North Carolina Courage 2
San Diego Wave FC 2
NJ/NY Gotham FC 1
Orlando Pride 1
Seattle Reign FC 1
Utah Royals 1

Wins by nationality

NationalityWins
Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 10
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 1

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Becky Sauerbrunn</span> American soccer player (born 1985)

Rebecca Elizabeth Sauerbrunn is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for Portland Thorns FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team. She co-captained the national team with Carli Lloyd from 2016 to 2018 and was the captain of the team from 2021 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leigh Ann Brown</span> American former soccer defender

Leigh Ann Brown is an American former soccer defender. She previously played for FC Kansas City of the National Women's Soccer League, FC Gold Pride, Atlanta Beat, and the Philadelphia Independence of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) and earned two caps with the United States women's national soccer team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Women's Soccer League</span> Professional soccer league in the United States

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. Headquartered in New York City, it is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FC Kansas City</span> Soccer team

FC Kansas City was an American professional women's soccer club based in Kansas City, Missouri. The team was one of the eight founding clubs of the National Women's Soccer League in 2012, and began play in 2013. They were two-time NWSL champions, having won titles in 2014 and 2015. After the 2017 season, the NWSL re-acquired owner Elam Baer's membership interest and subsequently ceased the team's operations.

The 2013 National Women's Soccer League season was the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), this was the seventh overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. The league was operated by the United States Soccer Federation and received major financial backing from that body. Further financial backing was provided by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Mexican Football Federation. All three national federations paid the league salaries of many of their respective national team members in an effort to nurture talent in those nations.

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) federation players were players whose salaries for playing in the National Women's Soccer League were paid for by their respective national federations from 2013 to 2021. American federation players were contracted to the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and not to their respective NWSL clubs, whereas Canadian federation players were contracted directly to their respective NWSL clubs. Federation players were sometimes known as allocated players, allocation players, or subsidized players, which occasionally created confusion with players paid using NWSL allocation money, a mechanism introduced before the 2020 NWSL season.

The 2013 season was FC Kansas City's first season of existence, in which they competed in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top division of women's soccer in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Barnes</span> American soccer player (born 1989)

Lauren Kate Barnes is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She previously played for the Philadelphia Independence in the WPS and represented the United States on the under-15, under-20, and under-23 national teams. As of the end of the 2023 season, she has played the most-ever games and minutes of any NWSL player.

The 2015 National Women's Soccer League season was the third season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it was the ninth overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. The league was operated by the United States Soccer Federation and received major financial backing from that body. Further financial backing was provided by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Mexican Football Federation. All three national federations paid the league salaries of many of their respective national team members in an effort to nurture talent in those nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abby Dahlkemper</span> American soccer player (born 1993)

Abigail Lynn Dahlkemper is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for Bay FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carson Pickett</span> American soccer player (born 1993)

Carson Leighann Pickett is an American professional soccer player who plays as a left back for the Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Florida State Seminoles before being drafted by the Seattle Reign in 2016. She received NWSL Best XI honors twice while playing for the North Carolina Courage in 2021 and 2022. She has also played for the NWSL's Racing Louisville FC and the Australian club Brisbane Roar FC. She made two appearances for the United States national team in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Gorden</span> American soccer player (born 1992)

Sarah L. Gorden is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She previously played for the Chicago Red Stars. She has been named to the NWSL Best XI two times.

The 2019 Utah Royals FC season marks the team's second year of existence and its second season in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top division of the American soccer pyramid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alana Cook</span> American soccer player (born 1997)

Alana Simone Cook is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League and the United States national team.

The National Women's Soccer League Players Association Awards are annual awards voted on by the players of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) since 2019. These awards are presented by the National Women's Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA), the trade union representing non-allocated players in the NWSL. They are considered one of the major end-of-season awards for NWSL players alongside the league's own awards. As there are often differences between the league's own awards and the NWSL Players' Awards, many NWSL players consider the NWSL Players' Awards to be more prestigious as they are decided by only players themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naomi Girma</span> American soccer player (born 2000)

Naomi Haile Girma is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team.

The 2022 San Diego Wave FC season was the inaugural season for San Diego Wave FC, a professional women's soccer team based in San Diego, California, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

The National Women's Soccer League Rookie of the Month is a monthly women's soccer award given to individual players in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) participating in their first season as a professional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year</span> National Womens Soccer League award

The NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year award is presented annually to the best goalkeeper in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NWSL Rookie of the Year</span> Annual award in US womens soccer

The NWSL Rookie of the Year award is presented annually to the best rookie in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

References

  1. ↑ "National Women's Soccer League Announces 2024 NWSL Award Finalists, Opens Fan Voting Round". National Women's Soccer League. November 12, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  2. ↑ McDowell, Sam (August 22, 2013). "FC Kansas City's Becky Sauerbrunn is NWSL's defender of the year". The Kansas City Star . Retrieved June 26, 2024.
    "Becky Sauerbrunn Wins NWSL Defender of the Year". FC Kansas City. August 21, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Sauerbrunn named best NWSL defender for 2nd straight year". The Equalizer. August 26, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Sauerbrunn wins 3rd straight Defender of Year award". The Equalizer. September 21, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
    Flatness, Eric (September 9, 2015). "2015 NWSL Awards have arrived". Reign FC . Retrieved July 25, 2024– via Medium.
  5. ↑ "Barnes ends Sauerbrunn's run as top NWSL defender". The Equalizer. October 5, 2016. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  6. ↑ "2017 NWSL Defender of the Year: Abby Dahlkemper". The Equalizer. October 19, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
    "2017 NWSL Awards Finalists Revealed". National Women's Soccer League. October 5, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  7. ↑ Balf, Celia (September 27, 2018). "Defender of the Year: Abby Erceg, North Carolina Courage". National Women's Soccer League . Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  8. ↑ Levine, Matthew (October 30, 2019). "Utah Royals FC defender Becky Sauerbrunn named 2019 NWSL Defender of the Year". National Women's Soccer League. Archived from the original on October 30, 2019.
  9. ↑ Hruby, Emma (November 16, 2021). "Gotham FC's Caprice Dydasco Named NWSL Defender of the Year". Just Women's Sports . Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  10. ↑ Lauletta, Dan (October 27, 2022). "Naomi Girma named 2022 NWSL Defender of the Year". The Equalizer. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  11. ↑ Hruby, Emma (November 8, 2023). "Naomi Girma Wins NWSL Defender of the Year in Back-to-Back Seasons". Just Women's Sports . Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams named 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. November 21, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.