Fan voting now open on NWSLsoccer.com; Ballot closes Oct. 27 at 9am PT.
The National Women's Soccer League today announced the finalists for the 2023 NWSL Awards featuring the Most Valuable Player, presented by Bud Light, Defender of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Rookie of the Year, presented by Ally, and Coach of the Year. Thorns FC midfielder Sam Coffey and forward Sophia Smith were named as finalists for the Most Valuable Player award.
Coffey led the league in assists (8) in 2023, while Smith won the 2023 NWSL Golden Boot with 11 goals and was first in the league in points (11G, 5A, 27pts).
The 2023 NWSL Awards are voted upon in two rounds with fans having the opportunity to participate in the final round of the voting process:
In the preliminary round of voting, players, owners, general managers, coaches and the media voted on individual awards to determine the finalists. The preliminary round used a weighted scale, broken down by players (50%), owners/GMs/coaches (25%) and media (25%).
The finalists for 2023 NWSL Awards are below.
Most Valuable Player, presented by Bud Light
Defender of the Year:
- Naomi Girma (SD)
- Sarah Gorden (LA)
- Ali Krieger (NJNY)
- Kaleigh Kurtz (NCC)
- Sam Staab (WAS)
Goalkeeper of the Year:
- Jane Campbell (HOU)
- Katie Lund (LOU)
- Kailen Sheridan (SD)
Rookie of the Year, presented by Ally:
- Messiah Bright (ORL)
- Jenna Nighswonger (NJNY)
- Alyssa Thompson (LA)
Coach of the Year:
- Juan Carlos Amorós (NJNY)
- Casey Stoney (SD)
- Becki Tweed (LA)
Additional awards to be voted on in the final round include:
Best XI, presented by Mastercard
- Honors a first and second team representing the top 22 players in the league.
Fans wishing to vote on the individual award winners, Best XI and Best XI Second Team can access the voting ballot here. All votes must be submitted by Friday, October 27, at 9am PT. The final round of voting uses a weighted scale of players (40%), owners/GMs/coaches (25%), media (25%) and fans (10%).
Award winners will be announced in the days surrounding the 2023 NWSL Championship match, which is set to kick off Saturday, November 11 at 5pm PT at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California. The contest will air live on CBS Television Network and stream on Paramount+ and internationally on Watch.NWSLSoccer.com.
The league will also announce the Championship MVP, presented by Bud Light, during the on-field post-match presentation.
Tickets for the 2023 NWSL Championship, presented by Bud Light, are available here.
Nationwide Community Impact Award
In addition to the awards listed above, the winner of the third annual Nationwide Community Impact Award will be announced and honored at halftime of the Championship match. Thorns FC midfielder Rocky Rodríguez is nominated for the award and fans can vote throughout the month of October.
