Temwa Chawinga Makes History With Back-to-Back NWSL MVPs

Temwa Chawinga, a forward for the Kansas City Current, made history on Wednesday by winning the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the second year in a row. She is the first player in league history to win back-to-back MVP titles. The award was given during the NWSL’s first official awards show, held at the San Jose Civic Center.

Chawinga had another outstanding season. She scored 15 goals, which helped her win the NWSL Golden Boot for the second straight year. Last season, she scored 20 goals and set a new single-season scoring record for the league. Her strong performance once again made her one of the most important players for Kansas City.

After receiving the award, Chawinga thanked her teammates for helping her succeed. She said she could not have achieved this without their support, teamwork, and hard work throughout the season. Her success is seen as a team effort, even though she was the one receiving the honour on stage.

Only one other player, Sam Kerr, has ever won two NWSL MVP awards. Kerr won the awards in 2017 and 2019 and also earned three straight Golden Boots between 2017 and 2019. Chawinga’s back-to-back MVP titles place her among the best players the league has ever seen.

Several talented players were nominated for the 2024 MVP award. Chawinga beat out competitors including her own teammate Bia Zaneratto, San Diego Wave forward Delphine Cascarino, Gotham FC forward Esther González, and North Carolina Courage midfielder Manaka Matsukubo. All these players had strong seasons and were recognized for their contributions.

The MVP winner was chosen using a weighted voting system: players contributed 40% of the vote, coaches and team officials 25%, media members 25%, and fans 10%. This voting method gives a balanced perspective and ensures that the decision reflects the views of different groups in the league.

Bev Yanez, the coach of Racing Louisville, was named NWSL Coach of the Year. She led her team to their best season ever and helped them reach the playoffs. Yanez also became the first former NWSL player to win this coaching award. She thanked her team for believing in her and supporting her throughout the season. She also spoke about self-doubt and how important it is to continue moving forward even when feeling unsure.

Yanez won the award ahead of Vlatko Andonovski, the coach of Kansas City Current, who guided his team to a record-breaking season with 65 points and 21 wins.

Kansas City also won Goalkeeper of the Year through Brazilian international Lorena, who had an impressive season and played a major role in the team’s success.

The league announced several other major awards. Tara McKeown of the Washington Spirit was named Defender of the Year. She originally played as a forward but switched to center-back in 2023 and has since become one of the top defenders in the league. She said the award meant a lot to her because she did not expect such recognition when she changed positions.

Lilly Reale from Gotham FC and the U.S. women’s national team was named Rookie of the Year. At just 22 years old, she played in all 26 regular-season games and started 21 of them. She also started in the playoffs and helped her team reach the NWSL championship match.

Sam Hiatt of the Portland Thorns won the Lauren Holiday Impact Award for her work with the nonprofit Candlelighters Oregon, which supports children with cancer. Because of this award, the organization will receive a $50,000 donation to help families in need.

The awards ceremony marked a special moment for the NWSL. It highlighted the league’s growth, the talent of its players, and the positive impact many of them make both on and off the field. Temwa Chawinga’s historic win stood out as the biggest achievement of the night, showing her incredible consistency and the bright future she continues to build in the sport.