The NWSL Most Valuable Player award is presented annually to the best player in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Lauren Holiday (2013) won the first MVP award in the NWSL's inaugural season. Lindsey Horan (2018) was the first winner not also to win the Golden Boot presented to the NWSL's top goal scorer. [1] Sam Kerr (2017, 2019) is the first player to win multiple MVP awards. [2] Four players born outside the United States have won the award: Kim Little (2014), Kerr, Jess Fishlock (2021), and Kerolin (2023). [3]
As of 2023, [update] the 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 (50%), owners/general managers/coaches (20%), media (20%), and fans (10%) vote among the nominees to determine the winner. [4]
Club | Wins |
---|---|
Portland Thorns FC | 2 |
Seattle Reign FC [a] | 2 |
Chicago Red Stars | 1 |
FC Kansas City | 1 |
North Carolina Courage | 1 |
Sky Blue FC | 1 |
Washington Spirit | 1 |
Western New York Flash | 1 |
Nationality | Wins |
---|---|
United States | 5 |
Australia | 2 |
Brazil | 1 |
Scotland | 1 |
Wales | 1 |
Samantha May Kerr is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a striker for Women's Super League club Chelsea, and the Australia women's national team, which she has captained since 2019. Known for her speed, skill, and tenacity, Kerr is widely considered one of the best strikers in the world, and one of Australia's greatest athletes.
Jessica Anne Fishlock is a Welsh professional footballer and coach who plays as a midfielder for Seattle Reign FC and the Wales national team. She is Wales’s all-time record goal scorer. She previously played for Bristol Academy in England's FA Women's Super League, AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Eredivisie, Glasgow City in the Scottish Women's Premier League, Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City in Australia's W-League, as well as Bundesliga club FFC Frankfurt in Germany.
Lindsey Michelle Horan is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Première Ligue club Lyon and captains the United States national team.
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 National Women's Soccer League Player of the Month is a monthly women's soccer award given to individual players in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The honor is awarded to the player deemed to have put in the best performances over the past month by a panel selected by the league.
The National Women's Soccer League Player of the Week was a weekly soccer award given to individual players in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) from 2013 to 2023. The honor was awarded by popular social media vote to the player deemed to have put in the best performances over the past week. The award was replaced by the Goal of the Week award in 2024.
The 2014 Seattle Reign FC season was the club's second season of play and their second season in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States.
The 2015 Seattle Reign FC season was the club's third season of play and their third season in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. To accommodate the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, the league announced that it would reduce the season to 20 games while extending the calendar length into September and take a two-week break from June 7–19.
The 2017 Seattle Reign FC season was the club's fifth season of play in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top division of women's soccer in the United States.
The 2017 National Women's Soccer League season was the fifth 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 eleventh overall season of FIFA- and USSF-sanctioned top-division women's soccer in the United States. The league is operated by the United States Soccer Federation and receives major financial backing from that body. Further financial backing is provided by the Canadian Soccer Association; both national federations pay the league salaries of many of their respective national team members in an effort to nurture talent in those nations.
The 2018 Seattle Reign FC season was the club's sixth season of play and their sixth season in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. After finishing fifth in the league for two consecutive seasons, the Reign finished third to return to the playoffs, where they lost to Portland Thorns FC in the semi-final.
The 2018 North Carolina Courage season was the team's second season as a professional women's soccer team. North Carolina Courage played in the National Women's Soccer League, the top tier of women's soccer in the United States. On August 5, the Courage clinched the 2018 NWSL Shield for the second consecutive season after a 2–1 win over Portland. The Courage finished the 2018 regular season with only 1 loss and broke the record for most wins in a season (17), most points (57) and most goals (53).
The 2018 Portland Thorns FC season was the team's sixth season of existence. The Thorns played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top division of women's soccer in the United States. The Thorns entered the season as defending NWSL Champions.
The National Women's Soccer League Goal of the Week is a weekly soccer award given to individual players in the National Women's Soccer League. The honor is awarded by popular social media vote to the player deemed to have scored the best goal over the past week. The award was given out during the 2016—2019 seasons and was reintroduced in 2024, in place of the Player of the Week award, which was awarded from 2013—2023.
Tziarra Lanae King is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Seattle Reign. She played college soccer for the NC State Wolfpack and was drafted by the Utah Royals in 2020.
The 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup Championship, the final match of the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup, was contested by North Carolina Courage and Washington Spirit.
The NWSL Defender of the Year award is presented annually to the best defensive player in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
The NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year award is presented annually to the best goalkeeper in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
The NWSL Rookie of the Year award is presented annually to the best rookie in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
The NWSL Coach of the Year award is presented annually to the best head coach in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).