The 2025 NWSL regular season is set to recommence this weekend following a mid-season hiatus, with teams now pushing towards the playoffs. This break accommodated a packed summer of international tournaments, including the 2025 UEFA Women`s Euro, Women`s Afcon, and Copa America Femenina. Many NWSL players competed in these global events and are now returning to league play, often bringing additional honors.
During the month-long break, Esther Gonzalez of Gotham FC, the NWSL Golden Boot leader, secured the top scorer title in the Euros with four goals, as Spain finished runners-up to England. The English squad features NWSL talents like Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Anna Moorehouse (Orlando Pride), and Jess Carter (Gotham FC). Meanwhile, Nigerian internationals Asisat Oshoala (Bay FC) and Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash) celebrated triumphs as Afcon champions, before rejoining their clubs for the domestic grind.
All 14 clubs will resume their regular season schedules this weekend, with matches kicking off on Friday. Currently, Kansas City Current lead the NWSL Shield race and appear formidable with a league-best 11 wins and an impressive six-game winning streak. Last year`s champions, Orlando Pride, are eight points behind, still well within striking distance.
Fans can follow selected NWSL regular season matches across CBS platforms, including CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, and CBS Sports Golazo Network.
As the second half of the season gets underway, it`s a good time to revisit some early predictions for the year. Which teams have shown significant improvement compared to last season? Which clubs are on an upward trajectory, and who has truly stood out, as the buzz for end-of-year awards intensifies?
Let`s look at some updated picks for various individual honors, keeping in mind that these awards are still far from decided:
NWSL Golden Boot
While Esther Gonzalez holds the lead in the Golden Boot race, it remains a tight contest at the season`s midpoint. Gonzalez has 10 goals, but close behind her, tied for second with eight goals each, are Orlando Pride`s Barbra Banda and Kansas City Current`s Temwa Chawinga.
Several factors could influence the outcome of this race, hopefully excluding injuries, but certainly including schedule demands and remaining opponents. Based on scoring trends, it`s challenging to make a definitive call at this stage. However, prioritizing consistent goal-scoring over the current tally might be a wiser approach. Gonzalez`s 10 goals were spread across six games, while Banda`s eight goals came from five matches, and Chawinga`s eight goals were achieved over eight games.
My pick then: Chawinga (KC Current)
My pick now: Chawinga (KC Current)
NWSL MVP
Historically, success in the Golden Boot race often leads to MVP recognition in the NWSL, a trend noted by some experts in their early picks for Banda and Chawinga. This year, however, the MVP race seems wide open, with strong contenders among attackers and other standout performers across the league. Kansas City Current`s Brazilian international attacker Debinha was an early MVP favorite, but an MCL and ankle injury after nine games created an opportunity for others to build their first-half cases.
Alyssa Thompson, Angel City forward, has been crucial to her club`s season and their position might be much lower than eleventh without her contributions. Portland Thorns FC midfielder Sam Coffey is undeniably the most vital player for her team this season. Furthermore, San Diego Wave FC attacker Delphine Cascarino has elevated her game considerably as the France international settles into her second year with the club.
The latter part of the season, including playoff implications and overall team records, will significantly influence this award. Could Debinha`s time off allow her to return in the second half and clinch the MVP title? Or perhaps another Kansas City teammate will step into the spotlight. All these factors, combined with a desire not to jinx my earlier pick, lead me to stick with Chawinga.
My pick then: Chawinga (KC Current)
My pick now: Chawinga (KC Current)
NWSL Defender of the Year
This category presents numerous strong candidates. A group of experts initially favored Orlando Pride`s Emily Sams, while others had their eyes on Gotham FC`s Emily Sonnett or Washington Spirit centerback Tara McKeown. Each player has made a significant impact, providing ample reason to either maintain or alter initial predictions.
Sams, Sonnett, and McKeown remain viable contenders for this individual accolade. McKeown, however, might face competition from her center-back teammate, Rebeca Bernal, who also plays as a defensive midfielder and is also in contention for that end-of-year award, particularly if new coach Adrian Gonzalez continues to deploy her in the midfield.
Several other players across the league are delivering strong defensive performances this season. Notably, top-ranked Kansas City Current has made massive defensive improvements after struggling in the first half of last season. Kayla Sharples has been instrumental, especially following a season-ending injury to Alana Cook. Sharples` elevated play has even sparked quiet whispers of a long-shot MVP candidacy, though no defender has ever won that award in the league`s history to date.
My pick then: Sams (Orlando Pride)
My pick now: Sharples (KC Current)
NWSL Midfielder of the Year
Our experts offered a wide range of choices in this category, from Washington Spirit`s Hal Hershfelt, who recently returned to form just before the midseason break, to Jaedyn Shaw, who transitioned from a starter to an impact substitute for North Carolina Courage this season. Regardless, the initial picks proved off-target. If there`s a player who should be added to the discussion, Attacking Third analyst and former NWSL striker Jess McDonald believes San Diego`s Kenza Dali should be a leading candidate.
`My goodness, the consistency. Her Chef`s kiss of a free kick going into the back of the net, I could just watch on repeat,` McDonald said of Dali`s performances this year. `I can watch the way that she plays and how intelligent she is on and off the ball. I watch her movement sometimes when I watch their games, and I`m like, `look at her` with her soccer knowledge, and I love her experience that she brings to the game and her full-on understanding of it … she`s just one of a kind this season.`
My pick then: Leicy Santos (Washington Spirit)
My pick now: Dali (San Diego Wave)
NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year
This was a category where opinions among experts were widely divergent. Six different players were selected among the seven nominations, with Jane Campbell receiving two nods. Campbell has since been relegated to sharing goalkeeping duties with Houston Dash teammate Abby Smith. Another candidate, Alyssa Naeher, was placed on the 45-day injury list, retroactive to May 24. Utah Royals` Mandy McGlynn has endured another challenging season and currently leads the league in goals against (29).
However, much like the initial variety of possibilities for this individual accolade, there`s still an “anything is possible” feeling for keepers who have played at least 10 games this season.
San Diego`s Kailen Sheridan is a past winner of this award, and the Wave`s turnaround could garner her votes as a finalist. Another veteran, Washington Spirit`s Aubrey Kingsbury, leads the league in total saves (45) and crosses faced (234).
Seattle Reign`s Claudia Dickey has been a consistent presence for her team, ranking second in the league in goals prevented (5.76). Kansas City`s Lorena leads the league in clean sheets (six), and Orlando Pride`s Anna Moorehouse boasts the league`s best save percentage (79.2%) among keepers with 13 games played this year.
Keep a close watch on this one, as it could truly come down to the narrowest of margins in votes.
My pick then: Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage)
My pick now: Dickey (Seattle Reign)
NWSL Coach of the Year
At the start of the 2025 season, the clear frontrunner for nearly all our experts was a manager no longer in the league: former Washington Spirit coach Jonatan Giraldez, who moved to OL Lyon. Everyone was eager to see what he could achieve with a full season on the Spirit sideline, but the former Barcelona head coach departed just shy of a year with the team.
As the league resumes, there`s a new leading candidate in Kansas City Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski. However, other analysts believe San Diego Wave FC`s Jonas Eidevall and Racing Louisville FC`s Bev Yanez could emerge as dark horses for the end-of-year award.
`A coach I`ve been really impressed with is Vlatko Andonovski, and it`s easy to say that when you`re halfway through a season and Kansas City is at the top of the table and separating themselves,` said Lisa Carlin on Attacking Third.
`I think Jonas Eidevall at San Diego could be a contender, but to me Andonovski has done such a good job of getting his team on the same page, tightening up on defensively, and going through adversity, and its hard to go back-to-back years where you`re at the top of the table and you are the team everyone is chasing and Andonovski has done that with Kansas City.`
My pick then: Giraldez (formerly of the Washington Spirit)
My pick now: Andonovski (KC Current)
Who Wins It All?
As for who will claim the major titles this year, my predictions remain unchanged. Kansas City Current were selected four times by our seven experts as top contenders to win either the NWSL Shield or the NWSL Championship in 2025. The Washington Spirit were also mentioned as a strong rival competing for the league`s biggest accolades. While anything can happen in the postseason, for now, Kansas City appears to be cruising towards the NWSL Shield.
Awarded to the team with the most points at the end of the regular season, the Current currently hold an eight-point lead over their closest competitor for the trophy, Orlando Pride. The Spirit, winners of the 2025 Challenge Cup, are in fourth place with 23 points, facing a 10-point gap to close. With 13 matchweeks remaining, changes are possible, but for now, we`re sticking with Kansas City as the team to beat.
My picks then: Shield — KC Current; NWSL Championship — Washington Spirit
My picks now: Shield — KC Current; NWSL Championship — Washington Spirit
What`s Next
The NWSL resumes on Friday with Seattle Reign FC vs. Angel City FC at Lumen Field in Seattle, airing on Paramount+ at 10:30 p.m. ET.
