Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!
Fast Friends brought the party to Kansas City on Thursday, as co-hosts Lisa Leslie and Kelley O'Hara, plus a roster of superstar guests, kicked off the 2024 NWSL Championship Weekend in style.
Retirement, goal cellies, NWSL title predictions, and more dominated conversation as league heavy-hitters Ali Riley, Merritt Mathias, Lo’eau LaBonta, and Kate del Fava — plus reps from each of the two championship contenders, Orlando's Carson Pickett and Washington's Croix Bethune and Ashley Hatch — took to the stage in front of a live audience.
The intrepid hosts also recapped the NWSL semifinals, including a mixup that saw Leslie texting O'Hara at exactly the wrong moment.
"I didn't really understand that they were going to add more time to the clock," Leslie explained, referencing her confusion over Washington's stoppage-time equalizer against O'Hara's Gotham FC.
"I got a text that was like, 'LETS GO!,'" laughed O'Hara. "And I'm like, 'Is she cheering for the Spirit?'"
About Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie
Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
After securing spots on the Best XI First Team on Monday, Kansas City's Temwa Chawinga, Washington's Croix Bethune, and Orlando's Emily Sams picked up even more 2024 NWSL awards this week.
On Friday, KC striker Chawinga added 2024 MVP to her stacked resume, one day after Bethune and Sams snagged their respective position awards.
A striking first NWSL season for KC's Chawinga
It's almost impossible to believe that 2024 was Chawinga's first NWSL season, but the newly minted MVP only joined Kansas City in January.
The Malawi international blasted into the league's history books with 20 goals this year, ousting former NWSL star Sam Kerr from atop the single-season scoring record.
That effort earned the Current star the 2024 Golden Boot. She additionally notched league first along the way, becoming the only player to ever score against all teams in a single season.
Proving herself 2024's leader in capitalizing on opportunities, the 26-year-old took the second-most shots in the league but put the most on target. A menace in the box, her subsequent speed and agility helped Chawinga lead the NWSL with 18 of her 20 goals netted from inside the 18.
"We are so proud of Temwa for earning this award," said KC head coach Vlatko Andonovski on Friday. "Temwa has come so far this season in a short amount of time and is so important to our team, she is the clear MVP of both our team and the league."
Bethune's unmatched NWSL rookie debut
Speaking of history-making first-year NWSL players, Washington standout Bethune became a bonafide league star in her professional debut, one that earned her three end-of-season awards. Along with her Best XI First Team nod, Bethune became the 2024 Rookie of the Year on Tuesday, then capped her individual hardware haul by being named the NWSL's first-ever Midfielder of the Year on Thursday.
As the No. 3 overall pick in the last-ever NWSL Draft, the Georgia alum made her presence on the professional pitch immediately known, snagging Rookie of the Month honors for every month she was eligible. She also became the first rookie to ever notch three assists in a single match.
Bethune, who also won Olympic gold with the USWNT in August, notched five goals and an NWSL record-tying 10 assists in her 2024 campaign. Even more impressively, the Spirit star did so in just 17 games, missing the last nine matches after a late-August injury ended her season.
"I'm so grateful," Bethune told JWS at NWSL Championship Media Day in Kansas City after winning Midfielder of the Year. "Being out a lot of the season with injury [and] being able to achieve goals that I set for myself — thank you to the league and everyone who supports me."
Sams named top NWSL defender
After helping Orlando lead the NWSL with 13 shutouts, fewest goals conceded, and most consecutive minutes without giving up a goal, center back Sams was named 2024 Defender of the Year (DOTY) on Thursday, becoming the first Pride player to earn the honor.
Sams now joins an elite club of seven defenders to ever win the award, including four-time DOTY Becky Sauerbrunn and last year's back-to-back winner Naomi Girma.
Shield-winners Orlando led the NWSL this season, but Sams topped the Pride's backline, leading the club in clearances, blocks, and possessions in the defensive third. Plus, the 25-year-old notched the second-most recoveries on the NWSL's stat sheet with 163, and she'll look to continue shutting down opponents when Orlando faces Washington in Saturday's 2024 NWSL Championship.
Individual numbers aside, Sams was quick to share credit with her teammates on Thursday, saying, "this is literally impossible without all of you guys. Shout out to Anna, Kylie, Bells, Corey and everyone else who played on the backline this year — I can't do what I do without you guys. Lets go win the championship."
2024 NWSL end-of-season awards
- Golden Boot: Temwa Chawinga, KC Current
- MVP: Temwa Chawinga, KC Current
- Rookie of the Year: Croix Bethune, Washington Spirit
- Midfielder of the Year: Croix Bethune, Washington Spirit
- Defender of the Year: Emily Sams, Orlando Pride
- Goalkeeper of the Year: Ann-Katrin Berger, Gotham FC
- Coach of the Year: Seb Hines, Orlando Pride
The NWSL is continuing to roll out end-of-year awards this week, with the league's top performers taking home honors in the lead-up to the 2024 Championship.
Joining Rookie of the Year (ROTY) Croix Bethune and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga in earning 2024 hardware is Gotham's Ann-Katrin Berger. The German international subsequently became the first European player to win Goalkeeper of the Year on Wednesday, snagging the award in her first NWSL season.
In her 22 matches, Berger logged eight clean sheets. She conceded a league-low 16 goals and posted a save percentage above 80%.
Hines wins Coach of the Year
Also earning a trophy is Orlando Pride boss Seb Hines, who became the 2024 Coach of the Year this week.
A former assistant, Hines was elevated to interim coach in June 2022 after Orlando placed former head coach Amanda Cromwell on administrative leave. Now in his second full year as manager, Hines is already Orlando's winningest coach with a career record of 31-30-12.
After steering his team to a record 24-match unbeaten streak and first-ever NWSL Shield win, Hines ended the regular season with an overall record of 18-2-6 en route to the club's first playoff berth since 2017. Adding onto that 2024 campaign, Hines led the Pride to their first-ever postseason wins.
Orlando also set NWSL records with the most single-season points (60), victories (18), and the longest win streak (eight matches) under Hines.
The 36-year-old beat out Kansas City's Vlatko Andonovski and Gotham's 2023 winner Juan Carlos Amorós to take this year's honor.
Three more NWSL end-of-season awards await
Lastly, the final trio of 2024 NWSL awards will drop in the upcoming days, including Defender of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, and MVP. As fans await those announcements, more than a few finalists are gearing up to play in Saturday's Championship.
Pride defenders Emily Sams, Kylie Strom, and Spirit center back Tara McKeown are up for Defender of the Year. Meanwhile, Washington's Rookie of the Year Bethune could double-down as Midfielder of the Year.
On top of that, three of the NWSL's MVP candidates — Spirit winger Trinity Rodman and Orlando attackers Marta and Barbra Banda — will feature on the championship pitch.
In the lead-up to Saturday's 2024 NWSL Championship final, the league is revealing the season's individual award winners, with Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune currently leading the charge.
After earning NWSL Best XI First Team honors on Monday, Bethune was named the 2024 Rookie of the Year (ROTY) on Tuesday.
Record-breaking abbreviated season set Bethune apart
Despite only playing 17 of the NWSL regular season's 26 matches before tearing her meniscus in late August, Bethune's five goals and record-tying, league-leading 10 assists made her the unequivocal ROTY frontrunner.
The 23-year-old Georgia alum also won Rookie of the Month (ROTM) every single month she was eligible. Her season-opening three-month streak made Bethune the first-ever NWSL player to earn the honor in consecutive months. Plus, she returned from the 2024 Olympics with a gold medal just to add a record-setting fourth ROTM title to her debut campaign.
With her 2024 ROTY win, Bethune — who is also nominated for 2024 Midfielder of the Year — joins a star-studded list of past winners that includes Naomi Girma, Jenna Nighswonger, Bethany Balcer, and USWNT legend Julie Ertz.
Washington is also the current home to two previous ROTY winners. Ashley Hatch snagged the award as a North Carolina Courage rookie in 2017, with Trinity Rodman becoming the Spirit's first-ever ROTY in 2021. That same year, Washington, who will battle Orlando for the 2024 NWSL Championship this Saturday, took home it's first-ever league title.
Looking ahead, the ROTY landscape is likely to shift significantly, potentially as soon as next season. The league's latest CBA eliminated drafts, leaving the college-to-pro pipeline that Bethune — the 2024 NWSL Draft's third overall pick — followed in uncharted territory.
2024 NWSL Best XI Teams stacked with playoff standouts
Before Tuesday's ROTY reveal, the NWSL announced 2024's Best XI First and Second Teams on Monday, with a full 10 of the 22 honored players hailing from Saturday's title-contending clubs.
With five players apiece, finalists Orlando and Washington — plus semifinalist Gotham — lead the seven league teams represented across the two squads. NWSL semifinalist Kansas City followed with three athletes, while North Carolina's defense earned a spot on each list.
Additionally, first Team forward Sophia Smith was Portland's sole delegate. Second Team center back Naomi Girma was both San Diego's only selectee and the only non-playoff athlete on either list.
Washington's talented young roster supplied both of the rookies to make the Best XI cut. New ROTY Bethune was the lone debutant on the First Team roster, with the Spirit's star defensive midfielder Hal Hershfelt notching a spot on the Second Team.
While all five MVP nominees unsurprisingly received First Team honors, Monday's lineups did flip the script on Gotham's lack of individual awards. Four omitted NJ/NY field players, including defender Jenna Nighswonger and midfielder Rose Lavelle, joined goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger — Gotham's only position award nominee — in the Best XI.
The 2024 NWSL Best XI First Team
- Goalkeeper: Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC)
- Defenders: Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit), Kaleigh Kurtz (NC Courage), Jenna Nighswonger (Gotham FC)
- Midfielders and Forwards: Temwa Chawinga (KC Current), Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride), Marta (Orlando Pride), Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)
The 2024 NWSL Best XI Second Team
- Goalkeeper: Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride)
- Defenders: Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Kerry Abello (Orlando Pride), Ryan Williams (NC Courage)
- Midfielders and Forwards: Vanessa DiBernardo (KC Current), Lo’eau LaBonta (KC Current), Hal Hershfelt (Washington Spirit), Esther (Gotham FC), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Yazmeen Ryan (Gotham FC)
The NWSL announced the finalists for the 2024 end-of-year awards on Tuesday, with lists showcasing heavy-hitters around the league.
The 2024 MVP award is an all-attacker affair, as the league's top scorers all earned nominations. The Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda and Marta both snagged nods, with Kansas City's Golden Boot-winner Temwa Chawinga, Washington's Trinity Rodman, and Portland's Sophia Smith rounding out the shortlist.
The Rookie of the Year category is similarly stacked, as injured Washington rookie Croix Bethune and her record-tying 10 assists goes up against Utah standout Ally Sentnor and KC Current star Claire Hutton for top honors.
Position players snag share of NWSL awards spotlight
The NWSL's top position players are also vying for solo hardware this season.
In the league's first-ever Midfielder of the Year category, Kansas City's Vanessa DiBernardo and celly queen Lo LaBonta earned nominations, as did Orlando's Marta and North Carolina's Ashley Sanchez. Washington rookie Croix Bethune's short but impressive season also scored her a nod.
Battling in the backline for Defender of the Year are North Carolina's Kaleigh Kurtz and Washington's forward-turned-center back Tara McKeown. Both Iron Women are in the running alongside San Diego’s Naomi Girma and Orlando’s Emily Sams and Kylie Strom.
As the new NWSL single-season shutout leader, Orlando's Anna Moorhouse headlines the Goalkeeper of the Year race, with Gotham's Ann-Katrin Berger and Utah's Mandy Haught in hot pursuit.
Top sideline leaders earn NWSL Coach of the Year nominations
After flipping Orlando from a non-playoff team into 2024’s Shield-winners with a record-setting 23-match undefeated streak, Pride boss Seb Hines is the frontrunner for Coach of the Year (COTY).
However, Hines faces tough competition from Gotham's Juan Carlos Amorós and Kansas City's Vlatko Andonovski.
Andonovski took the Current from a second-to-last 2023 finish to fourth-place on this season's table, while 2023 COTY winner Amorós is one of just two coaches to defeat Orlando this year.
How to vote for the 2024 NWSL individual awards
Fan ballots account for 10% of the final tally, so weigh in by voting online for this season's individual awards, as well as the Best XI First Team and Best XI Second Team. Ballots are due by 3 PM ET on Friday.
After a record-setting season, the 2024 NWSL Playoffs have landed, with the expanded eight-team lineup kicking off the weekend's do-or-die quarterfinals with a clean slate.
No. 1 Orlando, whose Shield-winning year ended in a skid, begins the postseason action on Friday, hosting a No. 8 Chicago side that just barely made the postseason cut. The Pride will notably do so without defender Rafaelle, who landed on the season-ending injury list with a partial quad tendon tear on Tuesday.
Adding another hurdle to Chicago's gargantuan Orlando task is the fact that the Red Stars will be without some key firepower. Striker Ludmila, the club's third-most prolific goal scorer on the season, is serving an extended red card suspension that will keep her sidelined through the semifinals, should the Red Stars advance.
After finishing last season second-to-last on the NWSL table, No. 4 Kansas City earned quarterfinal hosting rights this year. The Current, who scored a league-record 57 goals this season, haven't lost since September 1st, when they fell to the No. 5 North Carolina Courage — the same team they'll face on Saturday.
The biggest question-mark for the Current, however, is the status of 2024 Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga, who was sidelined last weekend after a knock to the knee.
"She’s progressing well," KC coach Vlatko Andonovski said of Chawinga's status on Wednesday. "Hopefully, we have more answers closer to the game."
That said, Andonovski made it clear that expectations won't change regardless of Chawinga's availability. Pointed to KC’s 3-1 win over Chicago last Sunday, he noted that while "the success that this team has enjoyed this season is a team success, and it’s not just the 20 goals that Temwa scored."
Sunday doubleheader will finalize NWSL semis
This Sunday afternoon is all about the NWSL, beginning when No. 7 Bay FC, the winningest expansion team in league history, head to DC to play a No. 2 Spirit squad still bouncing back from injuries.
While Washington has star forward Trinity Rodman and defender Casey Krueger back on the pitch, they'll be without midfielder Andi Sullivan, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear last month. Also missing will be forward Rosemonde Kouassi as she finishes serving her extended red card suspension.
To cap things off, defending champs No. 3 Gotham FC will host perennial contenders Portland. The Thorns snagged their lowest postseason seeding ever at No. 6 after a shaky season put their now eight-straight playoffs streak at risk.
Even so, Portland could be poised to surprise a Gotham side that boasts one of the best defenses in the league. The Thorns' final regular-season match displayed their best attacking performance in NWSL play since May, with prolific scorers Christine Sinclair, Sophia Smith, and Morgan Weaver all finding the back of the net.
NWSL MVP, Rookie of the Year awards come into focus
As the season ends, the NWSL's individual award frontrunners are emerging — and none more so than KC's Chawinga. The Kansas City striker is poised to run away with the league's MVP honors thanks to her speed, technical skill, and record-breaking 20 goals on the season.
Though Orlando’s Barbra Banda made her MVP case by keeping pace with Chawinga in the season's first half, she quieted after the Olympics while Chawinga upheld her unbelievable consistency, blasting eight more goals across nine post-break matches.
Instead, the Pride could likely see Coach of the Year honors after Seb Hines led the Shield-winners on a record-breaking 23-match unbeaten streak this season.
In the Rookie of the Year race, the NWSL’s 2024 class impressed, from Louisville ringer Emma Sears to KC defensive midfielder Claire Hutton to Washington’s absolutely stacked group of six debutants.
That said, Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune tops the competition with five goals and a record-tying 10 assists, despite playing in just 17 matches before a torn meniscus ended her season.
How to watch the 2024 NWSL Playoffs this weekend
Orlando and Chicago kick off at 8 PM ET on Friday, live on Prime, with KC battling NC on Saturday at 12 PM ET on CBS.
On Sunday, Washington hosts Bay FC at 12:30 PM ET before Portland visits Gotham at 3 PM ET, with live coverage on ABC.
The 2024 NWSL Playoffs are officially set, with Portland and Bay FC clinching the final two postseason spots this weekend.
The Thorns punched their ticket with Friday's 3-0 win over Angel City thanks to a trio of first-half goals from attackers Christine Sinclair, Sophia Smith, and Morgan Weaver. The victory officially extends Sinclair's pro career by at least one more match, and saw the soccer legend notch her final goal in front of a Providence Park home crowd in her 200th regular-season game.
Then on Saturday, a brace from forward Racheal Kundananji boosted Bay FC to a 3-2 win over Houston, snagging the 2024 expansion team the postseason's No. 7 seed in the process. Even more, Bay became the winningest first-year team in NWSL history with 11 wins, surpassing 2022 expansion team San Diego's 10 victories.
Top NWSL playoff teams build postseason momentum
The top four playoff-bound teams rolled through their last regular-season matches, with Orlando, Washington, Gotham, and Kansas City securing both victories and important postseason momentum.
Notably, Shield-winners Orlando snapped their two-game skid with Saturday's 3-2 win over Seattle, giving Pride fans hope for some more 2024 hardware.
North Carolina and Chicago, however, floundered in losses. Washington striker Ashley's Hatch's 37th-minute goal was the difference-maker in North Carolina's 1-0 loss on Saturday, the Courage's first home defeat since April 2023, when they also fell to the Spirit on a Hatch game-winner.
Like the Courage, the Red Stars locked up their playoff spot weeks ago, but their 3-1 Sunday loss to KC had arguably the most potent impact on the postseason picture. The combination of Chicago's defeat and victories from Portland and Bay sent the Red Stars down to eighth place on the table, their lowest standing in the league all season.
Chawinga officially clinches NWSL Golden Boot Award
The other big weekend winner was KC's Temwa Chawinga. Chawinga officially took the 2024 Golden Boot title behind her league-record 20 goals and six assists, despite sitting out the Current's Sunday victory with a knee injury.
Also impressing from the injured list this season is Spirit rookie Croix Bethune, who finished as the year's NWSL assist leader. Before her season-ending meniscus tear in August, Bethune notched 10 assists to tie the NWSL record held by Tobin Heath.
How to watch the 2024 NWSL Playoffs
The NWSL's first-ever eight-team bracket is locked up, with the quarterfinals kicking off on Friday.
No. 1 Orlando will face No. 8 Chicago at 8 PM ET on Friday, streaming live on Prime, with No. 4 Kansas City battling No. 5 North Carolina on Saturday at 12 PM ET on CBS.
Sunday's doubleheader will air on ABC, with No. 2 Washington hosting No. 7 Bay FC at 12:30 PM ET before No. 6 Portland visits No. 3 Gotham at 3 PM ET.
With only five regular-season NWSL matchdays left, every point counts as teams jockey for postseason seeding, with this weekend’s lineup potentially shifting the standings.
After Spirit star Trinity Rodman exited last week's match with a back spasm, the forecast for Friday's bout between 10th-place Angel City and second-place Washington went from fairly uneventful to decidedly uncertain.
Rodman's now-confirmed absence, as well as that of teammate Casey Krueger, opens the door for ACFC to capitalize and snatch the three points LA needs to catapult them over the postseason cutoff line.
Two tight top-six tilts are also on deck later this weekend. First, third-place Gotham and fourth-place Kansas City will battle for a possible second-place spot on Saturday afternoon.
Then on Sunday evening, sixth-place Chicago will try to enhance their own playoff security against a North Carolina team whose fifth-place positioning is all but guaranteed.
Golden Boot race leaders headline NWSL MVP buzz
Also catching fire entering the NWSL's final stretch are individual award races, with 2024 Golden Boot race frontrunners Temwa Chawinga and Barbra Banda leading the charge for MVP.
With 16 goals, Chawinga's on pace to lap ex-Red Star Sam Kerr's 2019 single-season scoring record of 18, while Banda's 13 goals has tied Orlando teammate Marta's 2017 franchise best and her six game-winners put her on par with the NWSL’s single-season record.
Even amid Portland's struggles, last year's Golden Boot winner Sophia Smith's 11 goals and six assists on the season can’t be discounted.
MVP race aside, despite her season-ending injury, Washington’s Croix Bethune still seems like a lock for Rookie of the Year with five goals and a league record-tying 10 assists.
Meanwhile, Pride keeper Anna Moorhouse and her single-season record 12 shutouts leads the Goalkeeper of the Year campaign.
Portland's Weaver takes this week’s top NWSL celly
Making her case for this week's top NWSL celly is Thorns striker Morgan Weaver, who capped off her 49th-minute goal with a team-wide "rockabye baby" party in Monday's 2-2 draw with Angel City.
The celebration was well-warranted: Still working back to full fitness after a May knee injury sidelined her for the summer, the goal was Weaver's first since returning to the pitch.
Weaver later told reporters that the celly was a shout out to teammate Bella Bixby's newborn daughter and assistant coach Vytas Andriuškevičius's soon-to-arrive baby.
Much like the league's top teams, individual NWSL MVP contenders continue to make their mark coming out of the Olympic break.
KC Current forward Temwa Chawinga now tops the 2024 Golden Boot race, having scored her season's 13th goal last weekend against the Spirit. In that same game, Washington midfielder Croix Bethune tied Tobin Heath's single-season assist record with her 10th of the year.
Stacked field means big choice for award voters
With so many deserving candidates, 2024's MVP award-winner could come down to whichever factors voters value the most.
Chawinga sits first in the league in goals scored and second in assists this season, finding the back of the net against nine different teams along the way. But Orlando forward Barbra Banda isn't far behind. Banda scored one less goal in four fewer games played than Chawinga, all while guiding the Pride to an unprecedented unbeaten streak.
Bethune likely has Rookie of the Year on lock, but she's also on the MVP watchlist with five goals and 10 assists in her debut season.
USWNT attackers also in the NWSL award hunt
Another steady presence on the leaderboard, 2022 MVP Sophia Smith has racked up 10 goals and six assists for the Thorns so far this season, while USWNT teammate Trinity Rodman has also kept herself award-relevant, registering her season's sixth goal last weekend.
This season's attacking firepower has truly set a new standard, leaving many worthy award candidates likely to garner votes by the time NWSL Championship weekend rolls around.
The NWSL saw a lively return to regular season play as the weekend brought a few shakeups to the standings as teams jockey for playoff positioning.
One of the most significant shifts featured the Kansas City Current, whose hot streak has officially cooled after going undefeated through their first 15 matches this season.
Spirit humbles Current with Sunday victory
Kansas City lost 4-1 to the Washington Spirit in their regular-season return on Sunday, weeks after falling 2-1 to league-leaders Orlando in their last pre-Olympics NWSL match. The final scoreline saw the Spirit leapfrogging KC to take second place while the Current dropped to third.
Four different goal-scorers got the job done for the Spirit, including returning Olympian Trinity Rodman. Also showing out was fellow gold medalist Croix Bethune, who's 10th assist tied Tobin Heath’s 2016 single-season record — one the rookie will likely break with nine matches left on the season.
Striker Temwa Chawinga notched KC's lone goal in the loss, breaking a tie with Orlando’s Barbra Banda to top the Golden Boot race with her 13th contribution this season.
Other noteworthy NWSL action
Earning their 18th victory with Friday's 1-0 win over Houston, Orlando has now laid claim to the longest regular-season undefeated streak in league history. Meanwhile, defending NWSL champs Gotham defeated Portland 2-0 on Friday, putting a seven-point margin between the fifth-place Thorns and the table's top four teams.
With Saturday's 3-1 win over the Red Stars, Racing Louisville moved above the postseason cutoff line into eighth place. Also on Saturday, 19-year-old Alyssa Thompson’s brace — the NWSL's second-ever registered by a teen — secured ninth-place Angel City’s 2-1 win over San Diego.