2025 NWSL Awards: Kansas City Current’s Temwa Chawinga wins back-to-back MVP; Gotham’s Lilly Reale earns ROY

The National Women’s Soccer League has its first-ever back-to-back MVP winner. Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga was awarded 2025 NWSL MVP on Wednesday through a tiered voting process that included players, coaches and executives, media, and fans. She is only the second player to win two NWSL MVP awards.

The Malawi international was up against four other candidates, including club teammate Bia Zaneratto. Only Sam Kerr has won two MVP awards, in separate years, along with Golden Boot and best XI honors. Chawinga led the league in scoring with 15 goals in 23 regular-season appearances, and six of her goals were game-winners, matching a record she set last season. 

Chawinga walked away on the night with three individual awards: MVP, 2025 Golden Boot, and a spot on the NWSL’s Best XI. She received them during NWSL Championship week in a special event at the San Jose Civic Center. It’s the first-ever NWSL formal awards show and ceremony in its 13-year history. 

The MVP winner told the media after the ceremony that her favorite goal scored this year was her header goal, which was her first header scored in NWSL, and that winning this year feels different with the added special event.

“We didn’t have an event like this. Just sent an email. And last season was like, I didn’t know anything. I just came here like “Okay, we’ll see what type of players [and they’re] great players. So, I’m so grateful that [media] chose me. The players and the coaches.”

Here are the official winners of the NWSL awards with winners in bold:

• Delphine Cascarino (San Diego Wave FC)
• Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current)
• Esther González (Gotham FC)
• Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage)
• Bia Zaneratto (Kansas City Current)

Defender of the Year

• Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC)
• Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit)
• Avery Patterson (Houston Dash)
• Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current)
• Kayla Sharples (Kansas City Current)

Goalkeeper of the Year 

• Lorena (Kansas City Current)
• Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC)
• Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC)

Midfielder of the Year 

• Kenza Dali (San Diego Wave)
• Debinha (Kansas City Current)
• Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current)
• Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage)
• Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC)

Rookie of the Year 

• Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC)
• Lilly Reale (Gotham FC)
• Riley Tiernan (Angel City FC)

Coach of the Year

• Vlatko Andonovski (Kansas City Current)
• Adrian Gonzalez (Washington Spirit)
• Beverly Yanez (Racing Louisville)

Best XI

Goalkeeper: Lorena (Kansas City Current)

Defenders: Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Kayla Sharples (Kansas City Current), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Avery Patterson (Kansas City Current)

Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current)

Forwards: Manaka Matsukubo (NC Courage), Esther Gonzalez (Gotham FC), Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current)