Bear found in the woods. Fork found in kitchen. Temwa Chawinga found breaking NWSL records.
Chawinga’s game-winning goal against the Utah Royals in Week 15 was her 10th goal of the season and her 30th career regular season goal since joining the NWSL. Thanks to her two assists, the 2024 NWSL Golden Boot winner now stands alone atop the 2025 Golden Boot race, tied in goals with Gotham’s Esther González but dethroning her for top spot thanks to her two assists.
Believe it or not, it’s been just 40 games of Chawinga in Kansas City, and her 30 goals in that timeframe makes her the fastest player in league history to reach the milestone. The record was previously held by Christen Press, who scored 30 goals in 51 games.
Her performance with Kansas City has been next level since joining the league, and now it's being celebrated on a global scale. Chawinga was one of five NWSL players to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or Féminin, the most prestigious award in soccer.
"It means a lot to me because it's my first time since I started playing soccer. It means a lot to me because I'm so happy to be included in that position, like [30] players,” Chawinga said, tearing up in a postgame press conference. “It's not a joke, so I’m very happy."
The league-leading Kansas City Current have been on a tear that has shown no signs of slowing in the second half of the season, winning eight straight games. Their offense is well-rounded and lethal, but Chawinga finds ways to elevate it further.
In the team’s winning streak, Chawinga has scored the winning goal a whopping five times, giving her six game winning goals this season. She's the only player to ever have six game-winning goals in two separate seasons, and her next will set a new league record.
Talk about a difference maker.
And that difference-making tenacity is going to be especially useful this weekend when the Current host the 2024 NWSL Champions and the team that kicked them out of the playoffs in the semifinals last year, the Orlando Pride. You can tune in to the next edition of this budding rivalry on Saturday, August 16th at 4PM ET on CBS & Paramount+.