A number of Kansas City Current Players Named Finalists for 2025 NWSL Awards

KANSAS CITY (Nov. 10, 2025) – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) introduced the finalists for the 2025 NWSL Awards on Monday, and the Kansas City Current is nicely represented after its record-breaking common season which noticed the membership win its first-ever NWSL Shield. Eight of the 24 particular person award finalists up for the league’s prestigious end-of-year honors hail from the Current.

The finalists for Most Valuable Player (MVP), offered by AT&T, embody KC Current forwards Temwa Chawinga and Bia Zaneratto whereas Claire Hutton and Debinha are up for Midfielder of the Year. The closing checklist for Defender of the Year options Izzy Rodriguez and Kayla Sharples, and Lorena is certainly one of three netminders nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year, offered by e.l.f. Additionally, head coach Vlatko Andonovski joins two others vying for Coach of the Year.

Fans wishing to vote on the person award winners, Best XI First Team and Best XI Second Team can now entry the voting poll HERE. The fan vote accounts for 10 p.c of the ultimate tally, with a weighted scale of gamers (40%), house owners/GMs/coaches (25%) and media (25%) rounding it out. Fan voting will conclude Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. CT.

The winners will likely be introduced in the course of the inaugural NWSL Awards, offered by AT&T, which happen Wednesday, Nov. 19, in San Jose, Calif., forward of the NWSL Championship, offered by Google Pixel. The awards present will broadcast dwell on ESPN2 starting at 3:30 p.m. CT (1:30 p.m. PT).

Last yr’s MVP, Chawinga led the league with 15 targets in 2025 en path to being the second multi-time NWSL Golden Boot winner in league historical past. She grew to become the quickest participant to succeed in each 25 and 30 common season targets and was the primary to attain in seven consecutive common season highway matches. Six of her 15 common season targets had been game-winners, which equaled her personal NWSL document. Chawinga was twice named NWSL Player of the Month this yr to convey her profession player-of-the-month accolades as much as 5, probably the most in league historical past.

Zaneratto, who’s broadly thought of top-of-the-line 9s within the league, capped off her second yr within the NWSL with seven targets and three assists. Her third-minute strike on May 11 towards Bay FC was among the many quickest common season targets scored this yr. She recorded a purpose and an help in the identical match thrice this season, together with each matches vs. the Chicago Stars plus the sport with Gotham FC on Oct. 11. Zaneratto’s game-winning help towards the Stars on May 24 earned her NWSL Assist of the Week honors.

A rising star for membership and nation, Hutton was ranked No. 1 on ESPN’s checklist of high Under-19 gamers within the NWSL – and for good cause. In her second yr as a professional, the defensive midfielder led the membership with 39 interceptions, 43 tackles gained, 139 duels gained and 154 possession wins on the conclusion of the common season, additionally rating second on the staff with 11 blocks and 154 recoveries. Hutton appeared in all however one common season match and dished out assists at North Carolina on April 26 and vs. Bay on May 11.

The game-winning purpose that clinched the Current’s first-ever NWSL Shield belonged to none apart from Debinha. That was certainly one of her eight common season targets tallied in 2025, and he or she has scored eight or extra targets in 5 of her eight NWSL common seasons. She is now tied for second all-time in NWSL historical past with 79 targets throughout all competitions and her 55 common season targets ranks sixth. The midfielder was the one Kansas City participant to document a brace this yr in NWSL play and he or she grew to become the primary Brazilian participant to succeed in 150 common season video games performed.

Rodriguez concluded the common season tied for first within the league with six assists, which surpassed the 5 assists she totaled throughout her first three skilled seasons mixed. Not solely did Rodriguez equal the membership single-season document with these six common season assists, however she additionally matched the franchise document for profession common season assists with 11. The defender grew to become the primary participant in membership historical past to play in 26 video games in a single common season, and he or she helped anchor a again line which conceded simply 13 targets throughout the complete common season for a brand new NWSL document.

Like Rodriguez, Sharples performed a pivotal function within the Current’s stalwart defensive unit which set NWSL data for clear sheets (16), consecutive shutout minutes (869), consecutive shutouts (9) and shutouts at dwelling (8). With two targets and an help, she was certainly one of eight defenders within the league who completed the common season with a number of common season targets and no less than one help. The middle again performed 1,890 straight minutes, probably the most consecutive common season minutes in a single season in membership historical past, and her 29 consecutive common season begins set a brand new membership document.

Lorena rewrote the document books throughout her first season within the NWSL by setting new league marks with 690 consecutive shutout minutes and 14 common season clear sheets, the latter which additionally set a brand new membership document for profession shutouts. She was the primary goalkeeper in NWSL historical past to go 5-0-0 in her first 5 league appearances and he or she tied the league mark for quickest netminder to succeed in 10 shutouts, doing so in simply 17 matches. Lorena began 24 video games and logged 2,160 minutes in the course of the common season, ok for membership data in each.

Kansas City set a number of NWSL data below Andonovski’s route, together with wins (21), factors (65), dwelling wins (11), highway wins (10), multi-goal video games (18) and multi-goal wins (15). He grew to become the primary coach in NWSL historical past to document a number of seasons with 50 or extra factors, and he guided the Current to their first Shield in membership historical past – and the primary in his profession. The 2025 marketing campaign additionally noticed Andonovski, who was named NWSL Coach of the Month in three of the 5 months it was awarded, grow to be the second head coach to ever attain 100 profession common season wins.

In addition to the six main awards, the winner of the Lauren Holiday Impact Award (LHIA), offered by Nationwide, will likely be introduced dwell on the 2025 NWSL Awards. Hutton, who was named the LHIA Fan Impact Challenge winner earlier this season, is the Current’s nominee. More details about Hutton’s LHIA nomination might be discovered HERE. 

2025 NWSL Awards Finalists
Most Valuable Player, pres. by AT&T: Delphine Cascarino (SD), Temwa Chawinga (KC), Esther González (GFC), Manaka Matsukubo (NC), Bia Zaneratto (KC)

Defender of the Year: Jordyn Bugg (SEA), Tara McKeown (WAS), Avery Patterson (HOU), Izzy Rodriguez (KC), Kayla Sharples (KC)

Goalkeeper of the Year, pres. by e.l.f.: Ann-Katrin Berger (GFC), Claudia Dickey (SEA), Lorena (KC)

Midfielder of the Year: Kenza Dali (SD), Debinha (KC), Claire Hutton (KC), Manaka Matsukubo (NC), Olivia Moultrie (POR)

Rookie of the Year, pres. by Ally: Maddie Dahlien (SEA), Lilly Reale (GFC), Riley Tiernan (LA)

Coach of the Year: Vlatko Andonovski (KC), Adrian Gonzalez (WAS), Beverly Yanez (LOU)