NWSL Announces Winners of 2023 Mastercard Best XI Awards

06 November 2023By: NWSL Editor

NEW YORK (November 6, 2023) -

The National Women’s Soccer League announced today the recipients of the 2023 Best XI First Team and Best XI Second Team awards, presented by Mastercard. The recognition honors the top 22 players in the league. The Best XI First Team and Best XI Second Team are based on weighted voting scale comprised of players (40%), owners/GMs/coaches (25%), media (25%) and fans (10%). 2023 NWSL Best XI First Team Goalkeeper: Jane Campbell (HOU) Defenders: Naomi Girma (SD), Ali Krieger (NJNY), Sarah Gorden (LA), Sam Staab (WAS) Midfielders and Forwards: Sam Coffey (POR), Debinha (KCC), Jaedyn Shaw (SD), Kerolin (NCC), Sophia Smith (POR), Lynn Williams (NJNY) 2023 NWSL Best XI Second Team Goalkeeper: Kailen Sheridan (SD) Defenders: Emily Fox (NCC), Kaleigh Kurtz (NCC), Jenna Nighswonger (NJNY), M.A. Vignola (LA) Midfielders and Forwards: Savannah DeMelo (LOU), Savannah McCaskill (LA), Denise O’Sullivan (NCC), Ashley Hatch (WAS), Alex Morgan (SD), Trinity Rodman (WAS) Each athlete will receive a cash bonus for their achievements this season as part of Mastercard’s celebration of the Best XI First Team and Best XI Second Team. “It is an honor to recognize the 22 remarkable players named to this year’s Best XI teams,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. “The Best XI distinction is a testament to the talent, grit and dedication with which each of these athletes competed all season long, and the NWSL, alongside our partners at Mastercard, congratulates them on achieving this incredible feat.” About the 2023 Best XI First Team GK – Jane Campbell: Making her Best XI debut, Campbell led all keepers in saves (91), least goals conceded (18) and goals against average (0.83), tallying career highs in all three categories. She logged the third-most clean sheets (8) and shots on target faced (108) and the second highest save percentage (83.33%). D – Naomi Girma: Girma was among the top five players in the league in completed passes (948) and passing accuracy (88.68%). An anchor of San Diego Wave FC’s defense, the reigning Defender of the Year finished the season with 15 blocks, 18 interceptions and 80 clearances. Girma conceded just four fouls on the season, tied for the fewest in the league among defenders who played at least half the season. D – Ali Krieger: In her final NWSL season, Krieger led Gotham FC back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The captain led her club in blocks (10), interceptions (30) and completed passes (565), while finishing second on the team with 132 possessions won. This is her fourth time on the Best XI list. D – Sarah Gorden: Recording her second ironwoman season and first with Angel City FC, Gorden led the club in successful passes (799) and blocks (11), and recorded 180 possessions won and 20 interceptions. Behind Gorden’s defense, Angel City allowed just six goals during an eight-game unbeaten streak, boosting the club to its first playoff appearance. D – Sam Staab: In her third ironwoman season, Staab finished in the top five in the league in blocks (21) and clearances (84) and ranked ninth in the league with 852 completed passes. Staab was one of just two players to notch over 20 blocks and 20 interceptions. This is her first year on the Best XI list. M – Sam Coffey: Leading the league with eight assists, Coffey was the only player to record multiple assists in more than one game in 2023. Coffey was second in the league in tackles won (44), fifth in possessions won (187) and tied for 10th in interceptions (32). She is also a finalist for Most Valuable Player, presented by Bud Light. M – Debinha: The Brazilian midfielder scored in bunches for the Kansas City Current, finishing third in the Golden Boot race with nine goals. Earning monthly Best XI honors three times this season, Debinha recorded two separate three-game scoring streaks and logged two assists. She was perfect from the penalty spot (2 for 2). M/F – Jaedyn Shaw: Shaw ranked second in goals (6) and third in assists (3) on the Shield-winning San Diego Wave this season. Bringing her career total to nine regular season goals, the 18-year-old set a record for most goals by a teenager in the NWSL, and is also the youngest player to earn a Best XI selection. F – Kerolin: The Brazilian forward was masterful in her second season in NWSL, finishing second in the Golden Boot race with 10 goals. Earning monthly Best XI honors twice this season, Kerolin scored a goal in consecutive matches on two separate occasions, including netting her first NWSL hat trick in Week 11 against the Chicago Red Stars. F – Sophia Smith: Smith followed up her 2022 MVP campaign with her first Golden Boot in 2023, recording a league-leading 11 goals in 17 matches. Her impressive scoring included two hat tricks plus a five-game scoring streak. Smith also logged five assists, tied for second best in the league. F – Lynn Williams: Williams led Gotham in scoring in her first year with the club with seven goals. She notched four game-winners, tied for second most in the league, including the game-winning goal in Gotham FC’s regular season opener. Williams finished the season with a league-leading 62 shots as well as 36 shots on goal, ranked second overall. About the 2023 Best XI Second Team GK – Kailen Sheridan: Sheridan led the NWSL with nine clean sheets, including a Decision Day shutout to secure San Diego’s first NWSL Shield with the club’s 11th win. Across 19 matches played, the reigning Goalkeeper of the Year recorded 63 saves and conceded just 18 goals for a goals against average of 0.95. D – Emily Fox: Fox ranked seventh in the league with 890 passes completed, also finishing third on the North Carolina Courage with 40 clearances. Fox also recorded 28 interceptions and 135 possessions won across 18 matches. She also assisted two goals. D – Kaleigh Kurtz: Recording her second consecutive ironwoman season for the Courage, Kurtz led the league in successful passes (1376), recording a passing accuracy of 83.34%. Kurtz ranked second among all players in the league with 22 blocks, and also recorded 76 clearances, the most on the Courage. D – Jenna Nighswonger : An impressive rookie campaign saw Nighswonger record 35 tackles won, seventh in the league. The two-time Rookie of the Month winner recorded 107 possessions won and 78 duels won, third among Gotham players in both categories, earning a spot as a finalist for Rookie of the Year, presented by Ally. D – M.A. Vignola: Vignola recorded 20 tackles won, 79 possessions won, plus three goals and an assist in 18 matches for Angel City. The newly-capped USWNT defender recorded a goal and an assist in Angel City’s Decision Day win to secure the club’s first playoff appearance, earning her second Best XI selection of the season in September/October. M – Savannah DeMelo: The World Cup midfielder led Racing Louisville FC in goals (5) and assists (2) across 18 matches in 2023, including two games where she recorded both a goal and an assist, while logging 125 duels won, second on her club and seventh in the league. DeMelo earned two monthly Best XI selections in 2023 and was named Player of the Month, presented by EA Sports, in May. M – Savannah McCaskill: McCaskill led Angel City in scoring with four goals, tied with rookie midfielder Alyssa Thompson, and also tied for second on the team with two assists. McCaskill scored in both of the club’s last two regular season matches, earning her second Player of the Month honors. Her late game-winner at Houston kept Angel City’s playoffs hopes alive. M – Denise O’Sullivan: O’Sullivan ranked second in the league with 195 possessions won, and was second on the club in passing accuracy at 86.52%. North Carolina’s captain logged a goal and an assist, and also set a new club record for regular-season appearances. F – Ashley Hatch: Hatch was electric this year, starting every game for the Spirit and scoring nine goals, tied for third in the Golden Boot race. Hatch converted on all five of her penalty kick attempts, finishing one shy of the NWSL’s single-season PK goals record. F – Alex Morgan: Morgan tied for fourth in the 2023 Golden Boot race, finishing with seven goals. Morgan also led the Wave with five assists, notably recording a goal and an assist in San Diego’s regular season finale to help secure the NWSL Shield. She ranked fourth in the league in shots on goal (27). F – Trinity Rodman: Rodman tied for second on the Spirit in goals (5) and assists (2), while finishing second across the league with 163 duels won in 19 games played. Rodman had a hot start to the season, recording two goals and an assist in Washington’s first three regular season matches, leading her club to a seven-game unbeaten streak to start the year. Mastercard believes that we live in a world where Priceless possibilities should be available to everyone. Today, though, inequality and exclusion still hold women back. Often, the data we rely on to create the future doesn’t capture women’s experiences, and we fail to identify the barriers that prevent women from seizing the possibilities we create. We’re tackling this problem head on. After all, connecting people to possibilities is fundamental to Mastercard. It’s what Priceless is all about – unlocking the potential in every person across all parts of their life. Because a world that works better for women creates limitless possibilities for us all. It’s a world that gives everyone the chance to unleash their potential, pursue their passions and make extraordinary things happen. ABOUT THE MASTERCARD BEST XI AWARDS Mastercard and the NWSL launched the Best XI of the Month awards platform with the First Team and Second Team honors for the 22 top players of the league after the 2021 season. Mastercard believes that our world is full of brilliant possibilities and unlocking the potential in every person across all parts of their life is what Priceless is all about. The development of the Best XI is a further commitment from the company to connect NWSL fans to the league and the athletes they love.