NEW YORK (September 7, 2023) -

The National Women’s Soccer League today announced that Kansas City Current forward Kristen Hamilton has been named the 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup Most Valuable Player, presented by Bud Light, by the NWSL Media Association and the NWSL’s on-air broadcast talent.

NEW YORK (September 7, 2023) - The National Women’s Soccer League today announced that Kansas City Current forward Kristen Hamilton has been named the 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup Most Valuable Player, presented by Bud Light, by the NWSL Media Association and the NWSL’s on-air broadcast talent.

To celebrate her efforts on the pitch, Hamilton will receive an additional cash prize from the historic $1.1 million bonus pool from UKG. A veteran forward in her third year with the Current and her 10th in the league, Hamilton scored five goals across six Challenge Cup group play matches, guiding Kansas City to the No. 2 seed in the semifinals with a 4-1-1 record. Hamilton, who set Kansas City’s single-season record for goals across all competitions in 2022 with 13 tallies, gave a spectacular offensive performance throughout the group play, recording both a brace and the first-ever hat trick in Challenge Cup history. Hamilton’s first goal of the Challenge Cup came a minute into first half stoppage time against the Houston Dash on July 22. Three minutes later, the Littleton, Colorado, native notched her second goal of the night before etching her name in the tournament history books and completing her hat trick performance with a third tally in the 68th minute to lead the Current to a 3-1 win. In the club’s final match of the group play on August 5, Hamilton once again led the Current’s scoring effort with a two-goal showing as the team clinched the top spot in the Central Division with a 3-0 win over Racing Louisville FC. The forward was also active as a playmaker throughout the match, completing all 17 of her attempted passes in the win. Thanks to an electric scoring run, Hamilton leads all players in Challenge Cup scoring this season (5G), tying her own record for most Challenge Cup tallies in Kansas City Current history. She is also tied with teammate Debinha for most career Challenge Cup goals in league history (12). The 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup, the first in U.S. women’s soccer history to deliver a record-breaking $1.1 million prize pool, concludes Saturday, September 9, at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina. This historic investment from UKG will benefit all NWSL players competing in the 2023 Challenge Cup, with player bonuses representing an increased focus on challenging the gender wage gap in women’s soccer. Tickets to the match are available here. Match coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. ET on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+. Fans tuning in outside the U.S. can stream the match for free on Watch.NWSLSoccer.com. The 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup All-Tournament Team was selected by the NWSL Media Association, a collection of writers that cover the league on a consistent basis, and the NWSL’s on-air broadcast talent. Criteria for selection was based on player performances throughout group play of the 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup.