The National Women's Soccer League Rookie of the Month is a monthly women's soccer award given to individual players in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) participating in their first season as a professional.
Selection
In 2022, the winner was selected by the NWSL Media Association, an organization of journalists who regularly cover the league. [1] Since 2023, the winner is selected by the NWSL Media Association and the league's broadcast talent. [2]
Winners
2022
| Month | Pos. | Nat. | Player | Club | Statline | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | DF |
USA |
Naomi Girma | San Diego Wave FC | 85% passing, 27 clearances, 4 blocks, 9 interceptions | [1] [3] |
| June | MF |
USA |
Sam Coffey | Portland Thorns FC | 85% passing led league in June; 6 shots, 1 assist | [4] [5] |
| July | MF |
USA |
Savannah DeMelo | Racing Louisville FC | 2 goals; leads all rookies in minutes played through July 31 | [6] |
| August | FW |
MEX |
Diana Ordóñez | North Carolina Courage | 5 goals, including 2 braces | [7] |
| September/ October |
DF |
USA |
Naomi Girma (2) | San Diego Wave FC | Two shutouts, captained team vs. NC | [8] |
2023
| Month | Pos. | Nat. | Player | Club | Statline | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/ April |
FW |
USA |
Alyssa Thompson | Angel City FC | Scored 11' into debut; 2G in 6 matches | [2] |
| May | MF/DF |
USA |
Jenna Nighswonger | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2 goals, 1 assist, 16 duels won | [9] |
| June | MF |
USA |
Paige Metayer | Washington Spirit | 1 goal, 1 assist; tied for league scoring lead among rookies (3) | [10] |
| July | MF/DF |
USA |
Jenna Nighswonger (2) | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2 regular season goals; 2 Challenge Cup goals and assists | [11] |
| August | FW
|
USA
|
Messiah Bright | Orlando Pride | Brace vs. NCC; 3 goals in 4 matches | [12] |
| September/ October | FW
|
USA
|
Alexa Spaanstra | Kansas City Current | 2 goals vs. NJY | [13] |
2024
| Month | Pos. | Nat. | Player | Club | Statline | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/ April |
MF |
USA
|
Croix Bethune | Washington Spirit | 3 goals, 1 assist | [14] |
| May | MF |
USA
|
Croix Bethune (2) | Washington Spirit | 1 goal, 7 assists | [15] |
| June | MF |
USA
|
Croix Bethune (3) | Washington Spirit | 1 goal, 1 assists | [16] |
Multiple winners
- As of July 11, 2024
The below table lists players who have won on more than one occasion.
Bold |
Indicates current NWSL player |
| Rank | N. | Player | Team(s) | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Croix Bethune | Washington Spirit | 3 |
| 2 |
|
Naomi Girma | San Diego Wave FC | 2 |
|
|
Jenna Nighswonger | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
See also
- List of sports awards honoring women
- NWSL Player of the Week
- NWSL Player of the Month
- NWSL Team of the Month
- NWSL awards
- NWSL records and statistics
- Women's soccer in the United States
References
- ^ a b "San Diego Wave FC Defender Naomi Girma Named May Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. June 9, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "Angel City FC Forward Alyssa Thompson Named March/April Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ Alicia Rodriguez (June 9, 2022). "San Diego Wave FC's Naomi Girma voted NWSL Rookie of the Month". LAG Confidential. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ "Portland Thorns FC Midfielder Sam Coffey Named June Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. June 23, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ Lamm, Keeley (June 28, 2022). "Penn State Women's Soccer Alum Sam Coffey Named NWSL Rookie Of The Month". Onward State. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ "Racing Louisville FC Midfielder Savannah DeMelo Named July Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ^ "North Carolina Courage Forward Diana Ordóñez Named August Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- ^ "Wave FC's Girma NWSL Rookie of the Month, on NWSL Team of the Month". LAG Confidential. October 14, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ "NJ/NY Gotham FC Defender/Midfielder Jenna Nighswonger Named May Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ "Washington Spirit Midfielder Paige Metayer Named June Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ "Washington Spirit Midfielder Croix Bethune Named March/April Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally". National Women's Soccer League. May 7, 2024.
- ^ "Washington Spirit Midfielder Croix Bethune Named May Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. June 6, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "Washington Spirit Midfielder Croix Bethune Named June's NWSL Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally". Washington Spirit. July 11, 2024.
| Current teams | |
|---|---|
| Future team |
|
| Former teams |
|
| Seasons | |
| Competition | |
| Personnel | |
| Awards | |
| Related articles | |
The National Women's Soccer League Rookie of the Month is a monthly women's soccer award given to individual players in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) participating in their first season as a professional.
Selection
In 2022, the winner was selected by the NWSL Media Association, an organization of journalists who regularly cover the league. [1] Since 2023, the winner is selected by the NWSL Media Association and the league's broadcast talent. [2]
Winners
2022
| Month | Pos. | Nat. | Player | Club | Statline | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | DF |
USA |
Naomi Girma | San Diego Wave FC | 85% passing, 27 clearances, 4 blocks, 9 interceptions | [1] [3] |
| June | MF |
USA |
Sam Coffey | Portland Thorns FC | 85% passing led league in June; 6 shots, 1 assist | [4] [5] |
| July | MF |
USA |
Savannah DeMelo | Racing Louisville FC | 2 goals; leads all rookies in minutes played through July 31 | [6] |
| August | FW |
MEX |
Diana Ordóñez | North Carolina Courage | 5 goals, including 2 braces | [7] |
| September/ October |
DF |
USA |
Naomi Girma (2) | San Diego Wave FC | Two shutouts, captained team vs. NC | [8] |
2023
| Month | Pos. | Nat. | Player | Club | Statline | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/ April |
FW |
USA |
Alyssa Thompson | Angel City FC | Scored 11' into debut; 2G in 6 matches | [2] |
| May | MF/DF |
USA |
Jenna Nighswonger | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2 goals, 1 assist, 16 duels won | [9] |
| June | MF |
USA |
Paige Metayer | Washington Spirit | 1 goal, 1 assist; tied for league scoring lead among rookies (3) | [10] |
| July | MF/DF |
USA |
Jenna Nighswonger (2) | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2 regular season goals; 2 Challenge Cup goals and assists | [11] |
| August | FW
|
USA
|
Messiah Bright | Orlando Pride | Brace vs. NCC; 3 goals in 4 matches | [12] |
| September/ October | FW
|
USA
|
Alexa Spaanstra | Kansas City Current | 2 goals vs. NJY | [13] |
2024
| Month | Pos. | Nat. | Player | Club | Statline | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March/ April |
MF |
USA
|
Croix Bethune | Washington Spirit | 3 goals, 1 assist | [14] |
| May | MF |
USA
|
Croix Bethune (2) | Washington Spirit | 1 goal, 7 assists | [15] |
| June | MF |
USA
|
Croix Bethune (3) | Washington Spirit | 1 goal, 1 assists | [16] |
Multiple winners
- As of July 11, 2024
The below table lists players who have won on more than one occasion.
Bold |
Indicates current NWSL player |
| Rank | N. | Player | Team(s) | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Croix Bethune | Washington Spirit | 3 |
| 2 |
|
Naomi Girma | San Diego Wave FC | 2 |
|
|
Jenna Nighswonger | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
See also
- List of sports awards honoring women
- NWSL Player of the Week
- NWSL Player of the Month
- NWSL Team of the Month
- NWSL awards
- NWSL records and statistics
- Women's soccer in the United States
References
- ^ a b "San Diego Wave FC Defender Naomi Girma Named May Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. June 9, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "Angel City FC Forward Alyssa Thompson Named March/April Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ Alicia Rodriguez (June 9, 2022). "San Diego Wave FC's Naomi Girma voted NWSL Rookie of the Month". LAG Confidential. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ "Portland Thorns FC Midfielder Sam Coffey Named June Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. June 23, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ Lamm, Keeley (June 28, 2022). "Penn State Women's Soccer Alum Sam Coffey Named NWSL Rookie Of The Month". Onward State. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ "Racing Louisville FC Midfielder Savannah DeMelo Named July Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ^ "North Carolina Courage Forward Diana Ordóñez Named August Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- ^ "Wave FC's Girma NWSL Rookie of the Month, on NWSL Team of the Month". LAG Confidential. October 14, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
- ^ "NJ/NY Gotham FC Defender/Midfielder Jenna Nighswonger Named May Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ "Washington Spirit Midfielder Paige Metayer Named June Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ "Washington Spirit Midfielder Croix Bethune Named March/April Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally". National Women's Soccer League. May 7, 2024.
- ^ "Washington Spirit Midfielder Croix Bethune Named May Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. June 6, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "Washington Spirit Midfielder Croix Bethune Named June's NWSL Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally". Washington Spirit. July 11, 2024.
| Current teams | |
|---|---|
| Future team |
|
| Former teams |
|
| Seasons | |
| Competition | |
| Personnel | |
| Awards | |
| Related articles | |