1st-ever NWSL Awards honors back-to-back MVP Temwa Chawinga

Pockets or bust.

Back-to-back MVP Temwa Chawinga headlines NWSL Awards

Kansas City star Temwa Chawinga cleaned up on Wednesday, receiving three different honors — including a second straight MVP nod — at the inaugural NWSL Awards.

• Chawinga followed up her MVP award with back-to-back Golden Boot titles and a spot on the 2025 Best XI, after the Malawi international fueled the Current’s Shield-winning season.

• “I should thank my teammates, without my teammates I know I cannot achieve these things,” she told the crowd. “A lot of great players, so I’m so grateful that [media] chose me, and the players, and the coaches.”

Stacked field: After the most successful season in club history, Kansas City landed five players on this year’s Best XI first team, including Goalkeeper of the Year Lorena.

• Gotham’s Lilly Reale claimed Rookie of the Year, Washington’s Tara McKeown took home Defender of the Year, North Carolina’s Manaka Matsukubo won Midfielder of the Year, and Racing Louisville’s Bev Yanez earned Coach of the Year. (See full awards list)

• “I’m a firm believer that I’m only as good as the people around me,” Yanez said after becoming the first to ever make the NWSL playoffs as both a manager and player. “I’ve been supported not only from a staff perspective, but a player perspective and a club perspective.”

Up next: With the ceremony in the rearview mirror, the league now turns to the final test of the year — Saturday’s star-studded 2025 NWSL Championship.

UConn takes on Michigan in first Top 10 NCAA test

No. 1 UConn is gearing up for their stiffest competition yet, as the defending NCAA champions welcome No. 6 Michigan to Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday.

• Both teams enter the game with undefeated records and a ranked win under their belts, after the Huskies took down No. 21 Louisville in their season-opener before Michigan humbled No. 24 Notre Dame last weekend.

• “Based on what I’ve seen from Michigan they will be, for sure, the best team we play this year by a long shot at this time in the season,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said.

Big picture: While UConn arrives armed with national talents like Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, rising star Michigan will look to prove they can hang with the big dogs.

• “They are all incredibly unselfish — they don’t care who scores,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said of her squad. “The really good teams like UConn and South Carolina are the same way.”

• “Connecticut is really, really good,“ she added. “Our kids want to compete against the best. I always have a stomach ache when those games are on our schedule.”

Tune in: The Huskies take on the Wolverines on Friday at 8 PM ET, live on FOX.

PWHL drops the puck on Season 3 with Friday clash

Reigning PWHL champs Minnesota hit the ice on Friday, opening the 2025/26 season — and their three-peat quest — against Toronto in St. Paul.

• “Right now, we’re not worried about championships,” Frost head coach Ken Klee said ahead of this week’s puck drop. “We’re worried about the process, how we’re going to prepare every day, how we work, how we’re going to get better. To me, that’s how you win.”

• The back-to-back Walter Cup winners have continuity on their side, after protecting captain Kendall Coyne Schofield and alternate Lee Stecklein from the offseason expansion draft benefitting the league’s two new teams.

Big picture: Early points will be key, as the PWHL preps for a late-January regular-season pause to allow international talent to compete at the Winter Olympics.

• The Sceptres are also seeking revenge, starting their season against the team that knocked them out of the 2024/25 playoffs.

• “We’re wanting to win the Walter Cup,” said Toronto GM Gina Kingsbury. “I think every year that has to be the goal. We’re going to play hard for our fans and to represent the city of Toronto.”

Tune in: Minnesota hosts Toronto on Friday at 7 PM ET, live on FDSN and YouTube.

LPGA expands prize money & media coverage in 2026

The LPGA Tour is raising the stakes for pro women’s golf, expanding both player paydays and live broadcast coverage ahead of the 2026 season.

• Next season's total prize money will reach $132 million, a record-high sum after five major tournaments raised their purses by a cumulative $3 million.

• There will be added financial commitment across the board, with 12 events featuring elevated purses and more than 15 guaranteeing a minimum payout for all players — even those who miss the cut.

• The Tour will also see 50% more camera equipment, with most LPGA action airing live on the Golf Channel and CNBC covering some weekend rounds.

Upping the game: “I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built, and even more excited about where we’re headed,” said LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler. “Coming off our 75th anniversary season, we wanted a calendar that gives our athletes great stages, better flow, and even more opportunity — and I think 2026 delivers that.”

Orlando Pride sporting director Haley Carter steps down

Orlando sporting director Haley Carter is stepping down, departing the 2024 NWSL champion Pride to pursue other opportunities, the club announced Tuesday.

• Carter joined the 2024 Shield-winners in January 2023, bringing in top talents like Barbra Banda, Emily Sams, and Lizbeth Ovalle to help the Pride climb the NWSL standings.

• “We’d like to extend our gratitude to Haley for her contributions to the Pride over the past three years,” Orlando owner Mark Wilf said in a statement. “Haley played a key leadership role with our club, positioning the Pride among the NWSL’s and world’s elite clubs.”

Parting words: “I’m beyond thankful to Mark Wilf and the entire ownership group for giving me the opportunity to be part of this club and for their unwavering support throughout my time here,” said Carter.

Quote of the day

Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman
naming her greatest player of all time on the NWSL’s blue carpet last night.