North Carolina Courage forward Lynn Williams has been voted NWSL Player of the Week for Week 19 of the 2018 season by the NWSL Media Association. Williams scored two goals to lead the Courage to a 2-1 win over Portland Thorns FC on Sunday. With the victory, the Courage clinched the 2018 NWSL Shield and are […]

North Carolina Courage forward Lynn Williams has been voted NWSL Player of the Week for Week 19 of the 2018 season by the NWSL Media Association.Williams scored two goals to lead the Courage to a 2-1 win over Portland Thorns FC on Sunday. With the victory, the Courage clinched the 2018 NWSL Shield and are now 15-1-4 (49 pts) overall. Her brace on the night pushed her to the forefront of the Golden Boot race with 10 goals and four assists this season. Williams is also first in the league with shots (77). Against the Thorns, Williams took 10 shots, four on target and made two key passes in 46 touches, according to Opta. The last time that Williams and the Courage faced the Thorns, Williams also scored a brace. It is the third time Williams has been honored as the NWSL Player of the Week in her career, and second time this season. Williams’ first goal in Week 19 came in the 37th minute. Courage midfielder McCall Zerboni won the ball from Thorns forward Christine Sinclair in the box which eventually led to a Courage fast break sparked by Debinha in the middle. Debinha found forward Jess McDonald out wide and McDonald played a service into the box where Williams finished it off one time for her ninth goal of the year. In the 45th minute, defender Merritt Mathias served a ball into the box that eventually deflected to the feet of Williams. Williams tapped it in for her tenth goal of the season. [Youtube oembed has failed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL2OQRvIZak] The NWSL Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by the NWSL Media Association, a collection of writers that cover the league on a consistent basis. For more information on the NWSL Media Association, follow them on Twitter.