From lightning-fast rookies to strong-footed veterans, the nominees for this year’s NWSL awards all have put up outstanding seasons for their squads.

But who are the front-runners in each category? Just Women’s Sports breaks it down.

MVP: Mallory Pugh

Nominees: Debinha (NC), Naomi Girma (SD), Alex Morgan (SD), Mallory Pugh (CHI), Sophia Smith (POR)

Last year’s runner-up for MVP, Mallory Pugh has followed up her stellar 2021 season with another one in 2022.

She entered the year with 14 goals in her NWSL career, and she nearly doubled that with 11 this season. She showcased her abilities as a runner as well – in one instance taking the ball 90 yards up the field for a goal while nutmegging two players in the process against one of the league’s top teams.

Winning 80 percent of her tackles and passing with 77.3 percent accuracy, Pugh also has been among the best in the game at helping her teammates get on the score sheet. She finished the regular season with a league-leading six assists.

Mal Pugh turned on the 𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙧𝙤 ⚡ to speed things up!

What. A. Goal. 🤯@MalPugh | #CHIvKC pic.twitter.com/oP7YsUdZo0

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 15, 2022

Defender of the Year: Naomi Girma

Nominees: Alana Cook (RGN), Naomi Girma (SD), Sofia Huerta (RGN), Carson Pickett (NC), Becky Sauerbrunn (POR)

From a statistical standpoint, Naomi Girma has been far and above the best defender in the league this season. She started all 19 games she played as a rookie, and she made more clearances and blocks than any other defender in the category. She was also third in interceptions.

The rookie anchored the Wave’s defense en route to a playoff berth — the first for an expansion club in NWSL history. Girma won 70.8 percent of her duels, the most among the nominees. She was also the second-best passer behind Becky Sauerbrunn with an 83 percent success rate.

A case also could be made for Becky Sauerbrunn, who made 55 clearances, 23 interceptions and nine blocks, while also being the best passer with an 88.2 percent success rate.

However, one snub arguably could have risen above the rest: Tatumn Milazzo. The Red Stars defender made 100 clearances, a league-leading 50 interceptions and eight blocks on the season while recording a 78.7 percent success rate on her passes.

Goalkeeper of the Year: Phallon Tullis-Joyce

Nominees: AD Franch (KC), Kailen Sheridan (SD), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (RGN)

Here’s a doozy: Neither AD Franch nor Phallon Tullis-Joyce have been called up to the USWNT this year. And while Alyssa Naeher has undoubtedly earned her spot on the roster, it’s worth wondering why USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski hasn’t given either of these NWSL stars an opportunity as he continues to flesh out his World Cup team.

Tullis-Joyce has been one of the best goaltenders in the league all season long. While it’s her first year as starting goalkeeper for OL Reign, one wouldn’t know that by the way that she’s played. She’s been a force, playing all 1,980 minutes of the season and recording nine clean sheets through 22 games – including in each of the team’s final three matches of the season.

Additionally, the goalkeeper made 65 saves on the season, allowing a league-low 19 goals all season long. (Sheridan allowed just 17 goals, but she played in just 18 games). Tullis-Joyce also ranks first in save percentage (81 percent) and goals against average per 90 minutes (0.86).

Franch and Sheridan also deserve a look in the tight race for this award. As noted above, Sheridan allowed just 17 goals for a Wave team that has exceeded expectations. Franch, meanwhile, has been a brick wall – she’s made 66 saves on the season while allowing just 25 goals through 20 games.

Rookie of the Year: Naomi Girma

Nominees: Sam Coffey (POR), Naomi Girma (SD), Diana Ordóñez (NC)

While Diana Ordóñez and Sam Coffey have both put up incredible rookie campaigns, Naomi Girma has shown that she has what it takes to become the face of the league for years to come. After all, the defender isn’t just nominated for this award — she’s also nominated for NWSL Defender of the Year and MVP, which is indicative of the season she’s had.

The Stanford grad was twice named to the NWSL’s Best XI of the Month and was once named Rookie of the Month. With eight USWNT call-ups under her belt this year, including a start against England, Girma has gained valuable experience and even worn the captain’s armband for San Diego. She’s also passed with 83 percent accuracy, won 68 percent of her duels and made 85 clearances, 12 blocks and 24 interceptions.

In short, no rookie – and perhaps no defender – has had a better year than Girma.

For the second time this season, @naomi_girma is the @ally Rookie of the Month! pic.twitter.com/30Qlb21S9B

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 14, 2022

Coach of the Year: Casey Stoney

Nominees: Laura Harvey (RGN), Matt Potter (KC), Casey Stoney (SD)

Both Laura Harvey and Matt Potter did an outstanding job leading their teams this season, but neither did a better job than Casey Stoney.

Stoney had a tall task managing a first-year expansion club, but she led the Wave to the postseason — making them the first expansion club to achieve that feat. For comparison, Racing Louisville finished ninth in their inaugural season, while the Current finished 10th out of 10 teams. The Orlando Pride finished ninth out of nine teams in their inaugural season in 2016.

The Wave’s fellow expansion team Angel City FC finished eighth this season. San Diego, meanwhile, finished third in the league after topping the table for the first half of the season and amassing a 10-6-6 record.

Through 22 games, the club had nine clean sheets, earning Sheridan a nomination for Goalkeeper of the Year. Forward Alex Morgan has been one of the league’s best scorers, while the team boasts five total nominations for NWSL awards, including three from rookie Naomi Girma.

Sidelined Phoenix Mercury star Satou Sabally is still down for the count, with the 27-year-old set to miss the 2026 season tip-off of Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball as she continues to recover from lingering concussion symptoms.

Sabally suffered the head injury in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the 2025 WNBA Finals on October 8th, requiring assistance in exiting the matchup after visibly swaying upon standing.

The concussion forced Sabally to sit out the remainder of the postseason series against the eventual 2025 WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces.

Both Sabally and Unrivaled planned her return to Phantom BC for the league's second season, with the German national impressing in the offseason venture's debut run by averaging 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.

Sabally is under a multi-year contract with the upstart, with Unrivaled promising that while the forward will be out "indefinitely," medical personnel will reevaluate her fitness "at a later date" as both parties hope to see her on the 3×3 court this season.

In her stead, Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes — who suited up for Unrivaled's Laces BC last season — will join Phantom BC as Sabally's replacement.

The second season of Unrivaled 3x3 Basketball will tip off in Miami on January 5th, 2026.

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese is running it back, with the 23-year-old confirming plans to return to the Windy City for the 2026 WNBA season while participating in a USA Basketball training camp over the weekend.

"I'm under contract, so yes, I plan on returning to the Sky," Reese told reporters. "[I'm] continuing to talk to [head coach] Tyler [Marsh], and building that relationship with [GM] Jeff [Pagliocca] and Tyler."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Her future with the Sky came into question in September, after the front office suspended Reese for half a game for making comments deemed "detrimental to the team" in a Chicago Tribune interview — comments she later apologized for, both publicly and privately.

Drafted by the Sky as the overall No. 7 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, the LSU alum remains under a rookie contract through 2026, with an option to extend through the 2027 season.

After leading the WNBA in both double-doubles (23) rebounds-per-game (12.6) in the 2025 season, Reese's late-season availability waned due to a back injury — though the forward now reports a full recovery from the knock.

"Angel is an ascending young talent in this league who's had two very, very good seasons here in Chicago," said Pagliocca after September's suspension. "Obviously, we went through what we did. I feel like we closed the chapter on it."

Overall No. 1-seed Nebraska's perfect season is officially over, after No. 3-seed Texas A&M volleyball ousted the Huskers in a five-set Elite Eight thriller on Sunday, booking the Aggies a program-first trip to the Final Four.

Undaunted by Nebraska's 33-0 record, the Aggies jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Huskers stormed back to force a fifth-set tiebreaker — which A&M won 15-13, stunning a home crowd that hasn't seen a Cornhusker loss in Lincoln in more than three years.

"A lot of us are seniors, and we've been doing this for a really long time," said Aggie senior opposite Logan Lednicky. "And I think all the newbies came in ready to work, ready to grind."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Though Nebraska boasts five national titles — good for third on the all-time NCAA volleyball championship list — the Huskers haven't won an NCAA volleyball tournament since 2017, falling three times in the final and once in the semifinals in recent years.

With fellow No. 3-seed Wisconsin's Sunday Elite Eight upset win over four-time champ No. 1 Texas, the 2025 Final Four will now feature two squads — A&M and No. 1-seed Pitt — hunting a first-ever title.

Meanwhile, No. 1-seed Kentucky and the Badgers will be aiming for a second national trophy after earning their debut Division I championships in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

How to watch the 2025 NCAA volleyball Final Four

Texas A&M will kick off the 2025 Final Four against Pitt at 6:30 PM ET on Thursday, before Kentucky takes on Wisconsin at 9 PM ET.

Both semifinals will air live on ESPN.

The WSL appears to have a serious 2025/26 title race on its hands, after No. 1 Manchester City cemented their six-point lead on six-time reigning champs No. 2 Chelsea with Sunday's lopsided 6-1 win over No. 8 Aston Villa.

City striker Bunny Shaw scored four times in the victory, bringing her all-time club tally to 103 goals — and becoming the first woman to reach the century scoring mark in the team's modern era.

"Coming into this game, I knew that if I scored it would have been a really good milestone for me," she told BBC Radio.

Manchester City have been perfect since dropping their 2025/26 season opener — a 2-1 loss to six-time champions Chelsea — with the Citizens now carrying a 10-match WSL winning streak into 2026.

While Chelsea and No. 3 Arsenal have ample ground to make up on the WSL table, both managed to keep pace by snagging their own multi-goal wins over the weekend.

After No. 10 Everton snapped the Blues' 34-game WSL unbeaten streak last week, goals by France international Sandy Baltimore and USWNT star Alyssa Thompson shot Chelsea past No. 7 Brighton 3-0 on Sunday.

Arsenal is also back to their winning ways, taking down Everton 3-1 on Saturday to hold off No. 4 Manchester United as captain Leah Williamson returned from injury.

How to watch the WSL in 2026

Now on holiday break, the WSL will return at 7:30 AM ET on January 10th, when Arsenal will kick off 2026 play against Manchester United at Emirates Stadium, airing live on ESPN+.