Two Gotham FC players are picking up in 2026 where they left off in 2025 – winning awards.

The U.S. Soccer Federation named Rose Lavelle and Lilly Reale the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year and Young Female Player of the Year, respectively.

Both Lavelle and Reale helped push Gotham FC from the No. 8 seed to the 2025 NWSL Championship. Lavelle’s efforts and game-winning goal earned her Championship MVP honors while Reale was named the 2025 Rookie of the Year for her locked-down defensive play.

For Lavelle, this honor represents more than just her performance on the field. After being sidelined due to ankle injury for most of the first half of the NWSL season, Lavelle made up for lost time during the back half of the year. From the end of August through the Championship game, Lavelle had eight goal contributions – six goals and two assists.

"When I look at the past year, it feels like a testament to the support system I had, with my family, the medical staff at Gotham and with the National Team, all my teammates, coaches and friends,” Lavelle in a press release. "I wouldn’t have been in the position to even be up for the award without all of the support I received throughout the year just to get back on the field. So, this award is definitely shared with all the people I was lucky enough to have in my corner along the way.”

In addition to her contributions for club, Lavelle scored a goal and earned an assist in her first game back for the U.S. Women’s National Team against the Republic of Ireland. Just two months later, she would wear the USWNT captain’s armband for the very first time.

As a rookie, Reale stepped in and made an immediate impact, starting 24 games and playing in all 26 regular season matches. The U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year award comes with a $10,000 donation to the winner’s charity of choice, and Reale selected the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston to support their efforts in her native Massachusetts.