Sophia Smith missed three games in the last five weeks of the season, and played limited minutes in the final two, but in the end it didn’t matter. Her 11 goals were enough to secure her the 2023 NWSL Golden Boot.

The 23-year-old forward becomes the first Portland Thorns player to win the Boot after finishing second in the race last year. Her total is tied for the second-lowest to win the scoring title in NWSL history.

Even still, it was an impressive performance for Smith, who scored her 11 goals in just 17 matches. She had two hat tricks during the regular season, becoming just the third player in the league to have two in one season.

With those hat tricks, she solidified her spot atop the rankings. Her second three-goal performance came amid a scoring streak, during which she scored five goals in four matches. She became the third player in league history to have multiple scoring streaks of four or more matches in her career.

Smith stands in second place on Portland’s all-time scoring list. She also is the first player in club history to have double-digit goals in back-to-back seasons after scoring a franchise-record 14 goals in 2022.

She did it all while missing more than 40 days with an MCL sprain. And even then, she maintained her place atop some of the NWSL’s most important statistical categories, leading the league in goals, goals per 90, goals and assists, shots on target and shots on target per 90.

The 2023 Golden Boot race is nearing the finish line, with Portland Thorns forward Sophia Smith holding a one-goal lead over her nearest competitor.

Still, North Carolina Courage forward Kerolin (10 goals) would need a brace to overtake Smith (11 goals), as the reigning league MVP holds the tiebreaker. The final day of the 2023 regular season will decide the playoff and Golden Boot races.

Ahead of decision day, Just Women’s Sports takes a look back at the history of NWSL Golden Boot winners.

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(Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

2022: Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave, 15 goals

In San Diego’s inaugural season in the NWSL, Morgan put on a show, tallying 15 goals in 17 games. A career-best for the star forward, the total included three braces, plus four goals in one game to tie an NWSL record.

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(Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

2021: Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit, 10 goals

Hatch earned the 2021 Golden Boot with just 10 goals in 20 games, the lowest total needed to earn the award in league history. Her 10 goals were a career best, which Hatch has nearly matched with nine goals in 2023.

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(Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

2019: Sam Kerr, Chicago Red Stars, 18 goals

In 2019, Kerr broke her own single-season goal scoring record with 18 goals, a mark that still stands. She also won her third consecutive scoring title; no other player has won more than once. Kerr still stands alone atop the NWSL with 77 career goals, despite departing for the Women’s Super League after the 2019 season.

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(Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

2018: Sam Kerr, Chicago Red Stars, 16 goals

Kerr also won the scoring title in 2018, along the way becoming the first player to reach 50 goals in NWSL history. She finished the season with 59.

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(Rich Barnes/Getty Images)

2017: Sam Kerr, Sky Blue FC, 17 goals

For Kerr’s first of three scoring titles, the Australian phenom set a single-season record that she broke herself two years later. Kerr scored 17 goals in 22 games, none of them on penalty kicks. She also became the first player in NWSL history to reach 50 career points.

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(Lewis Gettier/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

2016: Lynn Williams, Western New York Flash, 11 goals

Lynn Williams capped her second NWSL season with the Golden Boot. For the first time in league history, two players atop the goals leaderboard, as Williams and Kealia Ohai Watt both finished with 11. But Williams held the tiebreaker, with five assists to Watt’s four.

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(Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

2015: Crystal Dunn, Washington Spirit, 15 goals

Dunn had a standout 2015 season, scoring 15 goals to take home the Golden Boot. At 23 years old, she also became the youngest player in league history to take home the league MVP award, a milestone eclipsed by Smith in 2022.

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(Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

2014: Kim Little, Seattle Reign FC, 16 goals

With 16 goals in 23 games, Little went on scoring tear. From May through June, Little scored a goal in six consecutive games. She had a goal against each NWSL team that season, including five against the Dash.

 

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(Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

2013: Lauren Holiday, FC Kansas City, 12 goals

The future Hall of Famer won the inaugural NWSL scoring title with 12 goals for FC Kansas City. She also ranked fourth in shots and shots on goal, registering a goal or an assist in 10 consecutive games. Holiday also was named league MVP in 2013.

Sophia Smith returned to NWSL play over the weekend. And while she didn’t score a goal to extend her lead in the NWSL Golden Boot race, nobody within striking distance of her 11-goal tally did either.

There’s just one game remaining in the regular season, meaning that Kerolin would need to score a brace in order to secure the Golden Boot. Both Ashley Hatch and Debinha would need a hat trick, as Smith’s five assists still put her ahead in the tiebreak.

The Portland Thorns star entered her team’s 1-0 win over Gotham FC on Saturday in the 83rd minute, marking her first NWSL appearance in 41 days after suffering a mild MCL sprain on Aug. 28. And she’s returned in a good place, with Portland atop the NWSL rankings and her atop the Golden Boot race.

Add a point: Debinha

Debinha was one of six players to get in on the scoring onslaught for Kansas City in their 6-3 win over Chicago on Saturday. Debinha’s goal was the team’s fourth of the match and came just after halftime. It was also the ninth of the season for the Brazilian star, pulling her into a tie for third with Hatch.

No other Golden Boot leaders scored over the weekend, making the race for the award a bit clearer as the NWSL heads into the final games of the regular season.

One for the future: Alyssa Thompson

While 18-year-old Jaedyn Shaw leads all teenagers this season in scoring, another 18-year-old provided an immediate and much-needed boost for Angel City in their 2-1 comeback win on Sunday night. Thompson’s goal in the 68th minute, coming not long after after she entered the game as a substitute, pulled Angel City level and set them up to keep their playoff hopes alive.

It also added to a record-breaking season for teenagers in the league, with players 18 and younger scoring 13 total goals in 2023, more than the goals scored by that age group in 10 years combined. Shaw leads them all with five, but Thompson now has four — which also makes her Angel City’s scoring leader this season.

NWSL leaderboard

  • 11 goals
    • Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
  • 10 goals
    • Kerolin, North Carolina Courage
  • 9 goals
    • Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit
    • Debinha, Kansas City Current
  • 7 goals
    • Lynn Williams, Gotham FC
    • Morgan Weaver, Portland Thorns
  • 6 goals
    • Messiah Bright, Orlando Pride
    • Bethany Balcer, OL Reign
    • Adriana, Orlando Pride
    • Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave
  • 5 goals
    • Savannah DeMelo, Racing Louisville
    • Crystal Dunn, Portland Thorns
    • Cece Kizer, Kansas City Current
    • Tyler Lussi, North Carolina Courage
    • Ashley Sanchez, Washington Spirit
    • Jordyn Huitema, OL Reign
    • Jaedyn Shaw, San Diego Wave

Messiah Bright is in the conversation for the NWSL Golden Boot in her first professional season, showing off the scoring touch that made her a top college player.

The race for the scoring title tightened over the weekend, with North Carolina’s Kerolin (10) pulling within one goal of Portland’s Sophia Smith (11). While the top stars are pulling away from the pack, Bright leads all rookies with six goals, so she could have a different award — Rookie of the Year — on lock.

After scoring 50 goals across five seasons at TCU, Bright saw her stock drop on draft day. Projected as a first-round pick by many prognosticators, she dropped to No. 21 overall, which has turned out to be quite the steal for the Orlando Pride.

The 23-year-old forward has started in 14 of her 20 regular-season appearances for Orlando, and she has been scoring goals from all over the place. One of her goals came off her left foot, three off her right and two from headers.

She has 12 total shots on target this season, meaning that her conversion rate on shots on target sits at 50% and ranks sixth in the league. Bright’s efficiency in goalscoring has put her in the top 10 in the league in goals (T-7th), goals per 90 (5th), xG (6th), xG/90 (4th), non-penalty goals (4th), non-penalty goals/90 (3rd) and goals per shot on target (6th).

Bright is good on aerials, too, having won 37, which puts her ninth in the league. And has had 27 successful take-ons, which also ranks ninth in the league.

All together, that’s not a bad rookie season for Bright, especially on a team in Orlando that has struggled offensively. But the Pride are trending upward, having won three of their last five. With two matches to go, they sit within striking distance of the NWSL playoffs — and if they do make it, Bright will have been a huge part of that turnaround.

And the Pride will be able to grow with their young star, as she signed a three-year deal with the club ahead of the 2023 season.

“I am beyond excited to be able to stay in purple and call Orlando home for the next few years,” Bright said at the time. “It’s always been a dream of mine to play professional soccer, and I finally get to do that with such an amazing team.”

Kerolin pulled within one goal of Sophia Smith for the top spot in the NWSL Golden Boot race in the latest match week, setting up for an exciting end to the season.

With just two games remaining in the regular season, Kerolin could overtake the injured Smith if she scores in each of the North Carolina Courages’s final two contests. But Smith has been back in training with the Portland Thorns, and she could make a surprise return before the playoffs.

And while it’s likely too late for Alex Morgan to take the title, she did get her first goal in four months, bringing an end to her scoring drought. Several other players joined her in scoring their sixth goals on the season, with Adriana and Bethany Balcer also finding the back of the net over the weekend.

Trending upward: Kerolin, North Carolina Courage

Kerolin’s goal against OL Reign provided the game-saver the Courage needed to stay in the running for the NWSL Shield. Her goal in the 1-1 draw assured her team of a crucial standings point. It also marked her second in the last three games, so the 23-year-old is peaking at the right time.

With just two games left in the regular season, the Brazilian forward will need to stay hot to overtake Smith for the Golden Boot. She needs two goals to do so, as the tiebreaker would go to the Thorns forward.

Things we love to see: An Alex Morgan goal

Entering the most recent NWSL weekend, it had been far too long since Alex Morgan scored a goal – for club or country. A four-month drought is not something we’re accustomed to seeing from the star striker, so to have her score in the San Diego Wave’s 2-0 win over the Portland Thorns – a key win in the race for the Shield – was like taking that first sip of ice-cold water on a hot summer’s day.

The goal was nothing to sneeze at, either, with Morgan heading the ball from 10 yards out on a cross from Christen Westphal. And with a new head coach coming soon to the USWNT, one can only hope that the goal-scoring extends to the international level.

NWSL leaderboard

  • 11 goals
    • Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
  • 10 goals
    • Kerolin, North Carolina Courage
  • 9 goals
    • Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit
  • 8 goals
    • Debinha, Kansas City Current
  • 7 goals
    • Lynn Williams, Gotham FC
    • Morgan Weaver, Portland Thorns
  • 6 goals
    • Messiah Bright, Orlando Pride
    • Bethany Balcer, OL Reign
    • Adriana, Orlando Pride
    • Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave
  • 5 goals
    • Savannah DeMelo, Racing Louisville
    • Crystal Dunn, Portland Thorns
    • Cece Kizer, Kansas City Current
    • Tyler Lussi, North Carolina Courage
    • Ashley Sanchez, Washington Spirit
    • Jordyn Huitema, OL Reign
    • Jaedyn Shaw, San Diego Wave

Sophia Smith may be out with an injury, but so far nobody has come close to touching the Portland Thorns star in the NWSL Golden Boot race.

While it’s tight atop the table, with just four goals separating six players, Smith has retained the lead despite missing two consecutive matchweeks with an MCL sprain. She leads the way with 11 goals, while Ashley Hatch and Kerolin have nine, and neither of them found the back of the net this weekend.

So what makes the 23-year-old forward the front-runner for the Golden Boot, even with her injury keeping her off the pitch?

Simply put: Other players have failed to step up. Her Thorns teammate Morgan Weaver is the only player to have been consistent in her scoring over the last three weeks, tallying three goals in three games to bring herself within four goals of Smith. Weaver is tied with Debinha of the Kansas City Current and Lynn Williams of Gotham FC with seven on the season.

Yet with three games left in the regular season, the idea that Weaver, Debinha or Williams could tie or overcome Smith is a stretch.

Looking at the two players just two goals behind to Smith, Hatch has two goals in her last five games for the Washington Spirit. And while she had not gone more than one regular-season match without scoring since June, that changed in September, as she has not scored in each of Washington’s last two games.

While Hatch could get two goals in the next three games to close out the season, that would be a big ask against Kansas City, OL Reign and the North Carolina Courage. Both the Reign and the Courage have been defensively sound this season.

Additionally, Hatch hasn’t scored against Kansas City or OL Reign yet in the 2023 regular season, and she scored just once against North Carolina all the way back in April.

Kerolin’s output has been similar, with two goals in the last five games for the Courage. Her stats are buoyed by a hat trick scored against Chicago in June. And with games against OL Reign, the San Diego Wave and the Spirit coming up, it could be difficult for her to close the gap with Smith. The 23-year-old forward failed to score in North Carolina’s first game against the Reign and scored one each against San Diego and Washington.

And even if either Kerolin or Hatch were to match Smith’s 11 goals, Smith holds the edge in the tiebreaker with five assists, which sits second in the league behind teammate Sam Coffey. Kerolin has just three assists, while Hatch has two. So both players more than likely would need to surpass the 11-goal threshold to beat Smith, which would mean scoring at least a goal in each of their final three games.

While not statistically impossible, that does mean Smith still holds the best odds to take home the Golden Boot for the 2023 NWSL season. The reigning league MVP scored six goals in June ahead of the World Cup, and that surge could propel her to the trophy even as she remains sidelined week-to-week with her knee injury.

Morgan Weaver and Debinha moved into a tie for third in the 2023 NWSL Golden Boot race over the weekend.

Weaver’s goal, which helped Portland to a 2-0 win over OL Reign in the Cascadia Cup rivalry, was her seventh of the season. She is tied with North Carolina’s Debinha and Gotham’s Lynn Williams for third in the standings. Thorns star forward Sophia Smith continues to retain the top spot with 11 goals as she continues to nurse a week-to-week MCL sprain.

Also, while it’s unlikely she finds herself in the running for the Golden Boot, recent NWSL addition Esther González got her first two goals in a Gotham FC uniform over the weekend.

Trending upward: Morgan Weaver

Saturday’s goal marked Weaver’s third in as many games, with the Thorns midfielder gaining ground on the league leaders in recent weeks. If anyone in the league has a hot foot, it’s Weaver.

She has continued to put shots on goal, averaging two per game over the last three games and 1.5 shots on goal over the last 10 games. Her goals per 90 puts her ninth this season, but her shots average (3.92) puts her at third in the league. She also ranks first in key passes and expected assists, meaning that any time she’s on the field, the chances of a goal being scored are high.

She also ranks fourth in goal creating actions this season with nine. It would be difficult for the midfielder to overcome Smith, but if Weaver continues at the pace she is with three games left in the season, it’s not impossible.

Needs a goal: Lynn Williams

After starting the season hot, Williams has gone stagnant in her three games since returning from the World Cup. A good sign for her, however, is an assist in each of her last two games.

Her shot production, though, has decreased. In the three games before leaving for the World Cup, Williams had six, seven and eight shots, respectively, with an average of 3.67 shots on target over those three games. Since returning, she’s averaged three shots in the last three games and had just one shot on target in that timespan.

NWSL leaderboard

  • 11 goals
    • Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
  • 9 goals
    • Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit
    • Kerolin, North Carolina Courage
  • 7 goals
    • Lynn Williams, Gotham FC
    • Debinha, Kansas City Current
    • Morgan Weaver, Portland Thorns
  • 6 goals
    • Messiah Bright, Orlando Pride
  • 5 goals
    • Bethany Balcer, OL Reign
    • Savannah DeMelo, Racing Louisville
    • Crystal Dunn, Portland Thorns
    • Cece Kizer, Kansas City Current
    • Tyler Lussi, North Carolina Courage
    • Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave
    • Ashley Sanchez, Washington Spirit
    • Jordyn Huitema, OL Reign
    • Jaedyn Shaw, San Diego Wave
    • Adriana, Orlando Pride

Two rising stars made the biggest moves in the NWSL Golden Boot race over the weekend. North Carolina Courage forward Kerolin moved into a tie with Ashley Hatch for second place with her ninth goal, while Portland Thorns forward Morgan Weaver added to her tally.

Weaver now has six goals on the season, tying her with Messiah Bright and Debinha, while Lynn Williams remains behind Hatch and Kerolin with seven goals. Sophia Smith holds onto the top spot with 11 goals, though she may lose ground as she continues to nurse a week-to-week MCL sprain.

Jaedyn Shaw and Jordyn Huitema also scored over the weekend, bringing their season totals to five goals each.

Trending upward: Kerolin (9 goals)

At one point this season, Kerolin was neck-and-neck with Smith for the Golden Boot award, and she appears to be heading back in that direction after scoring in North Carolina’s 3-3 draw with Gotham on Saturday. After an outstanding June in the NWSL, the 23-year-old Brazilian has returned from the World Cup in form.

Kerolin has been particularly efficient in front of net, with her nine goals coming on just 40 shots and 15 on target. That gives her a 60 percent success rate on converting shots on target into goals. In comparison, Smith has converted 29 percent of her 38 shots on target. If Kerolin continues to make the most of her chances, she could overtake Smith in the final four games of the regular season.

Staying put: Sophia Smith (11 goals)

The good news is that Smith avoided a worst-case scenario, and instead is considered week-to-week with a mild MCL sprain in her right knee.

But there’s no clear timetable for Smith’s return. With four games remaining, including Portland’s rivalry match against OL Reign on Sept. 16, Smith’s injury has come at a less-than-ideal time for both her and the Thorns.

NWSL leaderboard

  • 11 goals
    • Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
  • 9 goals
    • Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit
    • Kerolin, North Carolina Courage
  • 7 goals
    • Lynn Williams, Gotham FC
  • 6 goals
    • Messiah Bright, Orlando Pride
    • Debinha, Kansas City Current
    • Morgan Weaver, Portland Thorns
  • 5 goals
    • Bethany Balcer, OL Reign
    • Savannah DeMelo, Racing Louisville
    • Crystal Dunn, Portland Thorns
    • Cece Kizer, Kansas City Current
    • Tyler Lussi, North Carolina Courage
    • Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave
    • Ashley Sanchez, Washington Spirit
    • Jordyn Huitema, OL Reign
    • Jaedyn Shaw, San Diego Wave

The NWSL Golden Boot race is tightening, with Ashley Hatch closing in on league leader Sophia Smith.

While Smith scored her 11th goal of the season for the Portland Thorns last week to extend her lead, Washington Spirit forward Ashley Hatch made up ground this week. That, combined with the fact that Smith went down with an injury in the Thorns’ 1-1 draw with the Spirit, means the race could tighten even further in the coming weeks.

Trending upward: Ashley Hatch (9 goals)

Hatch hasn’t slowed down since the NWSL returned from the World Cup break. As a matter of fact, she didn’t slow down during the break, as the USWNT snub had a great showing in the Challenge Cup — but those goals don’t count toward the Golden Boot.

The 28-year-old forward helped the Spirit avoid the loss Sunday, pulling the team level with a penalty kick goal in stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw.

The 2021 Golden Boot winner already has matched her career-high for goals in a season, and she is trending upward as we head into the final five games of the season.

Dark horse: Lynn Williams (7 goals)

Williams’ total puts her four goals off the lead, but she still is producing at an elite level for Gotham FC. Her .45 goals per 90 (xG) is good for fourth in the league, and she has recorded 65 shots, 29 of them on target, which puts her second in the league in both categories. She also is generating 2.17 shots on target per game – one of just two players above 2.0 in the NWSL. Smith is the other at 3.04.

What does Williams need to do in order to push into the center of the Golden Boot conversation? Convert those shots into goals. And that shouldn’t be difficult for the USWNT star as she recalibrates after the international break.

NWSL leaderboard

  • 11 goals
    • Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns
  • 9 goals
    •  Ashley Hatch, Washington Spirit
  •  8 goals
    • Kerolin, North Carolina Courage
  • 7 goals
    • Lynn Williams, Gotham FC
  • 6 goals
    • Messiah Bright, Orlando Pride
    • Debinha, Kansas City Current
  • 5 goals
    • Bethany Balcer, OL Reign
    • Savannah DeMelo, Racing Louisville
    • Crystal Dunn, Portland Thorns
    • Cece Kizer, Kansas City Current
    • Tyler Lussi, North Carolina Courage
    • Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave
    • Ashley Sanchez, Washington Spirit
    • Morgan Weaver, Portland Thorns

The NWSL playoffs are less than two months away, and the Golden Boot race is tighter than ever.

Just five goals separate the top five places in the standings. Last year’s league MVP Sophia Smith leads the way with 11 goals, while Ashley Hatch (8), Kerolin (8) and Lynn Williams (7) round out the top four. But who will win? Just Women’s Sports is taking a look at the front-runners. First up: Ashley Hatch.

Hatch won the 2021 Golden Boot with nine goals. She already has matched that total this season with five regular season games left to go. And she just scored on a penalty kick to pull the Spirit level with Portland in the 90th minute of Sunday’s 1-1 draw.

“We knew coming into this game that it was going to be a high-energy day, just with all of our fans and the whole team back together,” Hatch said. “So we wanted to start the game off strong. Maybe if we had put one away earlier it would have helped us, but I’m proud of how the team played today.”

Still, the goal marked her third result-changing penalty in stoppage time in her NWSL career, which puts her ahead of every other player in league history, according to OptaJack.

The goal came after Hatch put on a show during the World Cup break after her USWNT roster snub. The 28-year-old forward scored in the Spirit’s last regular-season match before the break, then scored two in a Challenge Cup match against Gotham FC on July 28. Those Challenge Cup goals don’t count toward her Golden Boot total, but they underline her impressive scoring run this season.

In four consecutive seasons with the Spirit, Hatch has scored at least seven goals. The only player to score more in the NWSL since 2021 is Smith. And this season, Hatch has been right back at her best, with 41 shots and 24 shots on goal, both of which sit third in the league. Her 0.70 expected goals (xG) per game in 2023 ranks as the best in the league, ahead of the Golden Boot leader.

And with Smith facing down a potentially serious knee injury, Hatch could be the favorite for the 2023 Golden Boot title.