The 21-year-old became the youngest player to score a hat trick in league history

NEW YORK (November 6, 2025) - The National Women’s Soccer League announced today that North Carolina Courage Midfielder Manaka Matsukubo has been named the Player of the Month, presented by EA SPORTS, for the month of October/November by the NWSL Media Association.

In her third NWSL season, Manaka hit her groove, scoring 11 goals, earning four assists, and finishing third in the 2025 Golden Boot race. She appeared in every game this season, starting all but two.

In October alone, Manaka scored four goals, which included a record-setting performance in Week 25. Manaka became the youngest player in NWSL history to score a hat trick and the youngest player to score 10 goals in a season.

Manaka led the Courage’s late push for the postseason and scored a goal from distance against Gotham on Decision Day. North Carolina just narrowly missed the playoffs, but ended the season on a high note with three straight undefeated games.

The NWSL Player of the Month is selected each month of the regular season by the NWSL Media Association, a collection of writers that cover the league on a consistent basis. Awards for the month of October are based off performances during the regular season matches.