The longest NWSL regular season in history is complete. Before the playoffs take center stage and unexpected heroes emerge, it is time to honor players who shone above the rest in the long slog of the league's first 30-game season.
ESPN's NWSL Top 25 is back for one final ranking of the best players of 2026. Who were the best players this season? Here's our take.
How we rank NWSL players, and what to expect
To reiterate from our previous mid-season check-ins: This list is based entirely on 2026 NWSL performance. How players performed for their NWSL clubs from March through November is all that matters.
This is not a list about overall skill, historical greatness, or potential for the future. So, there are plenty of rising stars who will not appear on this list.
Also absent are plenty of veteran players who should be considered among the NWSL's elite when healthy or fully available. Some, like Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie and Gotham defender Emily Sonnett, suffered season-ending knee injuries in the middle of the season.
Others, like Denver Summit midfielder Lindsey Heaps, joined their teams in the summer and don't have a full season of work that could justifiably rank above those who played full seasons. (Heaps tallied seven goals and three assists in 13 games since joining in the summer, which was exceptional but too small of a sample size.)
Mallory Swanson, who proved her class again with a recent goal for the USWNT against Spain, worked their way back from maternity leave on a wretched Chicago Stars team that only scored 17 games.
With that, below is our ranking of the top 25 players of the NWSL season. Twelve different teams are represented. This isn't necessarily a pair of Best XI teams positionally, because the NWSL is a league that favors goalscorers: 15 players scored 10 or more goals, triple that of any previous season.
Still, we are looking beyond just goals. These rankings are based on a combination of tireless game viewing by yours truly and analysis of advanced data. This is neither purely numbers driven nor merely opinion. (Note: All data is provided by ESPN Global Research unless otherwise noted.)
Who were the best players this NWSL season? Vamos!
25. Alba Caño, central midfielder, Boston Legacy FC
Boston endured a rough start to its existence as an expansion team, but the Legacy eventually became a team that gave almost every opponent trouble, picking up points against most teams this year.
Yes, Aïssata Traoré and Amanda Gutierres led the charge as goalscorers, and they are viable shouts for the back end of this list. Caño, however, created those opportunities in midfield: She finished eighth in the entire league in chances created (49). Keep an eye on her in the future.
24. Maddie Mercado, forward, Seattle Reign FC
Mercado scored 10 goals this year, the first Reign player to cross that threshold since Megan Rapinoe in 2017. Seattle squeaked into the playoffs on Decision Day, and that would not have been possible without Mercado.
Four of her 10 goals were game-winners -- and two of those came against second-place San Diego Wave FC. Seattle scored the third-fewest goals in the league (37) and got by with gritty defensive performances (33 goals against) led by center-back duo Jordyn Bugg and Phoebe McClernon. Mercado was the clutch scorer, with eight of 10 goals coming inside 12 yards and five of them as headers.
23. Mimi Van Zanten, fullback, San Diego Wave FC
The NWSL Rookie of the Year race is wide open, with Van Zanten and Gotham FC forward Jordynn Dudley (who just fell out of our final Top 25). Each player was a full-season starter for one of the two best teams in the league. Van Zanten gets the nod here to recognize her play on both sides of the ball for one of the league's elite teams.
She was a solid, shutdown defender, including in a recent 1-v-1 head-to-head with Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga, who was limited to one hopeful shot from outside the penalty area in that game. Van Zanten is also statistically one of the most accurate passers in the final third among fullbacks in the league.
22. Sarah Gorden, centerback, Angel City FC
Angel City ended the regular season on a 10-game unbeaten streak, the best form in the league. They thrived offensively and tied for the most goals scored in the league (we'll get to that), but their back four was also a major part of that equation.
The praise should be collective for Emily Sams, Savy King and Evelyn Shores (whose four goals and eight assists at fullback, combined with defensive duties, make her a worthy contender for this list) also made her a contender for this list. Gorden is the anchor to that unit, often making a last-ditch effort to save a goal.
She and the back line have made occasional errors in possession as they try to build out, but they've been rock-solid defensively with 32 goals conceded in 30 games (fourth best in the league). Gorden sets the tone for the entire team and leads the group statistically with 317 defensive interventions (a combined metric tracking six major defensive actions), which ranks seventh in the NWSL.
21. Jessie Fleming, central midfielder, Portland Thorns FC
Like last year, the Thorns' success has been driven by high-ceiling individuals in their front six. Fleming has once again quietly stepped up, especially in the absence of midfielder Olivia Moultrie, who was in MVP form before tearing her ACL in August.
Fleming ranks third in the NWSL in chances created despite shouldering significant defensive responsibilities in Portland's midfield setup. She was one of eight players in the NWSL to play every minute.
20. Maiara Niehues, attacking midfielder/forward, Angel City FC
Maiara did it all for Angel City this year, scoring in starting roles and off the bench. Her nine goals were second on the team to the 10 from Sveindís Jónsdóttir (another player who just missed our Top 25), but Maiara gets the nod for consistency and an X-factor that Angel City has long needed.
She scored in five straight games in the middle off the season and delivered important goals in September that included the opening strike in a 3-3 draw with the Denver Summit (in what was a six-point playoff stakes game at the time) and a stunning upper-90 game-winner away against the Washington Spirit. She is also the NWSL leader in the ranking of players who have "got that dawg in them." (See our xDAWG rankings.)
19. Kate Del Fava, centerback, Utah Royals FC
The Royals are the surprise story of the season even with their minor late-season slip to the No. 7 seed. Del Fava is the anchor of their defensive unit and the captain who embodies the collective success of the Royals. She played every minute for the third straight season (since Utah returned to the league).
Del Fava ranks ninth in the NWSL in defensive interventions and seventh in aerial duels (almost seven times more than Gorden, for comparison). Del Fava has steadily improved even throughout this season and was rewarded with a first call-up to and cap for the United States. She came on late and provided the hockey assist for the equalizer in a 2-2 draw with Spain, and she is clearly on USWNT head coach Emma Hayes' radar.
18. Trinity Byars, forward, San Diego Wave FC
Byars scored 11 goals for San Diego this year in a breakout season. She is effectively a rookie but not eligible for Rookie of the Year because she played a whopping 19 minutes in a playoff quarterfinal last year after recovering from an injury sustained in college.
Her goals this year have been clutch: braces against the Kansas City Curren, Utah Royals and Racing Louisville, plus big-game goals against Gotham, the Washington Spirit and the North Carolina Courage. Byars can stretch back lines and get behind, and she is a precise finisher. That, too, has caught Hayes' eye with a recent call-up.
17. Tara Rudd, centerback, Washington Spirit
Rudd's story of converting from a forward to a defender will always live in NWSL lore (and might lead to a World Cup roster spot in 2027).
The Washington Spirit only conceded 28 goals this year, the second fewest in the NWSL. Yes, goalkeeper Sandy MacIver stepped up in a big and unexpected way. Yes, centerback partner Esme Morgan is the other half of this reliable duo. But Rudd is still a menace defensively, leading the league in defensive interventions, ranking second in clearances and top 10 in interceptions and shots blocked.
Critics will fairly point to a pair of high-profile mistakes this year, but they were anomalies to the big picture of a solid defender in a scoring-happy league. Rudd is still a total-package centerback who can also play out of the back.
16. Gisele Thompson, fullback/wide midfielder, Angel City FC
Thompson's role with Angel City evolved this year from an attack-minded fullback to a full-on wide midfielder in the final stretch of the season. It was the perfect balance for her and the team once King was back to full fitness and able to play right fullback. Thompson started all 30 games -- showing a durability that Hayes asked for at the international level early this year -- and contributed five goals and four assists for Angel City.
She tied for 11th in the league in chances created (with Shores, among others). Thompson is exceptional at cutting inside from wide areas to assist and be a playmaker. She can do that with more freedom in her wide midfield role.
15. Kennedy Wesley, centerback, San Diego Wave FC
So much of the Wave's success is about consistency in their possession-based identity, and that starts in the back with Wesley and veteran centerback partner Kristen McNabb. Wesley ranks third in the league in touches and fourth in passes completed (and attempted).
She ranks fifth in the NWSL in clearances and sixth in blocked shots. Wesley has been a picture of consistency for San Diego, leading to an increased role with the USWNT. The NWSL isn't a league that has ever been deep in truly great centerbacks. Wesley is part of the new generation setting that standard.
14. Ann-Katrin Berger, goalkeeper, Gotham FC
Berger leads the NWSL in save percentage (80.2%) and ranks second in clean sheets (11) despite missing three matches. She is now 36 years old and still one of the best goalkeepers in the world not just because of her shot-stopping ability, but because of the unique and aggressive way that she plays when her team is in possession.
Still, her shot-stopping is literally game-changing. Gotham used 31 players -- more than any other team --and there was significant rotation within the team's back four in part due to Emily Sonnett's season-ending knee injury in July. Berger was the constant in it all.
13. Mina Tanaka, attacking midfielder, Utah Royals FC
Tanaka was the engine of Utah's collective success this year, the player who brought a touch of world-class finishing and vision to a Royals team that shocked the league. Tanaka is a magician on the ball, and she does it subtly.
Her nine goals and five assists were all crucial for the Royals, and her importance to the team can be measured by how Utah performed in her absence. The Royals lost five and picked up tied once in six games without Tanaka this season.
12. Janine Sonis, fullback, Denver Summit FC
Sonis put in a season that we'd never seen before from a fullback, and we will probably never see again: 12 goals and eight assists, leading the team in both categories. The 32-year-old's career year simply cannot be ignored. Those combined 20 goal contributions leave Sonis tied for third in the NWSL alongside a bunch of world-class forwards who are still to come on this countdown.
Sonis scored from open play, the penalty spot and free kicks. She assisted from the wings and on set pieces. In 20 years, we can all tell our kids about that time a fullback nearly contributed more goals than any other player. This season's Defender of the Year award could be a split vote between those weighing defensive duties and offensive production from fullbacks like Sonis.
11. Jaedyn Shaw, midfielder/forward, Gotham FC
Shaw's production this year speaks for itself: 11 goals (team lead) and five assists for 16 goal contributions (double that of any teammate). Gotham won the NWSL Shield despite scoring only 39 goals this year, and Shaw's magisterial, often audacious play around the goal was a difference maker.
She played multiple positions across the front line and midfield as needed due to the constant changes and injuries at Gotham, but none of that affected her production. Shaw is the rare player who can be a forward or attacking midfielder -- or who can play centrally or wide -- and make it all look like her natural position.
10. Pietra Tordin, attacking midfielder, Portland Thorns FC
Tordin's surprise MVP campaign may have cooled off slightly in the back half of the season, but we are looking at the total body of work. She ranks seventh in goal contributions (eight goals and nine assists for 17 total) and, like a few others in this ranking, has a flair or creativity that can make fans jump out of their seats.
She ranks sixth in the league in chances created, and she is a player who can pop up in the right place at the right time. The Thorns were smart to sign her to a multi-year extension (through 2029) this summer, because her future is bright. Her present -- the 2026 season -- was among the best in the NWSL.
9. Rose Lavelle, attacking midfielder, Gotham FC
Lavelle is a world-class player who could, more than anyone in the USWNT player pool or perhaps the NWSL, seamlessly fit into the style of play at FC Barcelona or with Spain's national team. Her game is part creativity and entertainment, part production and final product.
Her four goals and three assist won't jump off the page statistically, but Lavelle is the engine and focal point of the league's best team. She is tied for 20th in the NWSL in chances created this season. Lavelle is also increasingly clutch in her veteran years, including the game-winning goal in last year's NWSL Championship.
8. Cloé Lacasse, winger, Utah Royals FC
Only Lacasse (and maybe Utah coach Jimmy Coenraets) could have predicted this kind of renaissance season for the 33-year-old Canadian, but wow, has it been fun to watch. Lacasse ended the year with eight goals and 10 assists, leading Utah in goal contributions and nearly matching the new record for assists in a season (we'll get to that soon).
Equally impressive is what Lacasse did in moments that won't show up in simple statistics: Utah was most effective this season when its high press worked and created opportunities deep in opponents' territory. Lacasse led that effort.
7. Temwa Chawinga, winger, Kansas City Current
To the folks in the back shouting about sample sizes and games played: Please sit down. Yes, Chawinga only played in 19 games due to an early-season recovery from injury and load management, including in August after leading Malawi to a stunning World Cup berth for the first time. She still logged 12 goals and four assists; her 0.78 goals per 90 ranks second in the league.
As ever, games with and without Chawinga are distinctly different, and she changes everything for Kansas City. She is the world's most credible threat to get behind back lines (at times this season literally outrunning people from inside her own half with and without the ball).
She has improved her finishing and decision-making in front of goal. And she is a tireless worker on the wings defensively. If she had played a full season, she might have won her third straight MVP and Golden Boot awards. (Shoutout to teammate Haley Hopkins, whose 12 goals matched Chawinga and carried Kansas City through some tough stretches.)
6. Kenza Dali, defensive midfielder, San Diego Wave FC
What is San Diego without Dali? Not an NWSL Shield contender, and probably not the ball-hungry, precise and efficient squad that has a legitimate shot at winning the NWSL Championship.
Dali leads the entire NWSL in chances created as a defensive midfielder. She also leads the NWSL in expected assists, suggesting the Wave could have been even more efficient in the final third. Dali's one goal and four assist hardly tell the story. She is the focal point and calming presence for everything that San Diego does as they build out from the back and strike quickly when opportunities arise.
Dali's vision for the game and the line-breaking pass is elite, next-level stuff -- Marta level from a deeper position. In a different year without so many high-scoring players (think 2021, when Jess Fishlock won MVP as a central midfielder), Dali would be the league's MVP.
5. Croix Bethune, attacking midfielder, Kansas City Current
Bethune returned from a hip injury in September in time to set a new single-season assists record (11), breaking the old mark that she shared with Tobin Heath. Bethune's final pass is elite. She is one of the most unpredictable players with the ball at her feet, and she manages to put just the right texture on a pass even with the outside of her foot.
This was Bethune's most consistent year yet, and Kansas City's $1 million transfer bet on her has already paid off. This is a totally different Current team without Bethune in midfield (considering the subsequent loss of Claire Hutton earlier this year). Bethune has been so exceptional that she has pushed an in-form Debinha to the bench of late as Kansas City finds the right balance in midfield.
4. Trinity Rodman, winger, Washington Spirit
Rodman consistently delivered this year after signing her record-breaking contract in the offseason and the Spirit needed her. Washington dealt with several personnel changes and injuries that affected the team, but Rodman played and started all 30 games, which is a serious feat for her given the injuries that limited her in recent years.
Her 12 goals and eight assists are twice as many as the next most productive Spirit player. Rodman remains electric with the ball and one of the most fun players to watch in the entire league. Crucially, she has finished her chances and added more of the end product to that on-ball skill. She has a legitimate case in the MVP race.
3. Barbra Banda, forward, Orlando Pride
Banda legitimately could have (maybe even would have) won the Golden Boot had she not missed Orlando's final three matches of the season due to CDC restrictions keeping her out of the country. Banda scored 17 goals and added four assists in only 23 games. For most of the season, she literally accounted for half of the Pride's goals (they finished with 39).
Banda was doing peak Banda things for most of the season despite often being stuck on an island as a forward without enough support, and despite the Pride's overall struggles. All of that speaks to her individual talent as a goalscorer who can get behind defenses and beat players on the dribble.
2. Sophia Wilson, forward, Portland Thorns FC
Simply incredible: That would be one way to describe Wilson's 2026. She scored a career-high 15 goals to finish third in the NWSL Golden Boot race. She led the league in expected goals. And once again, Wilson bailed out Portland in times of need and is the singular reason the Thorns have a shot at another title in this year's playoffs, because any game with Wilson is a game that could flip quickly.
Yes, Wilson can get in behind defenders and run onto outlet balls, but that is only part of her game. She is an exceptional dribbler in tight spaces, and she can shake defenders with even the slightest deke moves. Wilson has also become phenomenal with her back to goal at the club and international level (just ask Spain recently; Wilson was a bright spot despite the USWNT's struggles). There might not be anybody better at spinning a defender beside Banda.
Oh, and in case you forgot -- because her production this year would absolutely make you forget -- Wilson did all this while returning from maternity leave in March. Wilson is better than ever.
1. Ashley Sanchez, winger, North Carolina Courage
Sanchez tied the NWSL single-season scoring record with 20 goals this season, more than she scored in her first five NWSL seasons combined. It was the type of year that nobody could have predicted, and perhaps nobody will ever match. The 20 goals tied Chawinga's 2024 mark for the best in a single NWSL season.
Yes, there are caveats to nitpick: Sanchez went scoreless in her final four games with the opportunity to break the record, and the Courage hit a skid down the stretch and missed the playoffs. The latter is a team issue. The former is hardly a blemish considering the magnitude of what Sanchez did over the full season.
No, goalscoring should not automatically equate to MVP awards. And no, this is not to say that Sanchez would be the first name off the board if a team could sign any player on this list. But this ranking is only about the 2026 body of work, and what Sanchez did this year was historic. Nothing will take that away from her. Her 20 goals and five assists make her a worthy No. 1 in the 2026 full-season rankings.