The 2026 NWSL season has officially crossed its halfway point, and the league table has more stories to tell than just who is in playoff standing.
While Gotham FC claimed the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup during the league's summer break in June, there's still the playoff hunt to look forward to for plenty of clubs, along with one of the most intriguing NWSL Shield races in years between Gotham FC, Washington Spirit, Utah Royals, and San Diego Wave. Eight teams will eventually compete in the NWSL Playoffs for a shot at the NWSL Championship, and of course, there are individual honors to chase with end-of-year awards.
With so much left up for grabs, it's a great time to look back at some preseason predictions, poke a little fun, and even present some new candidates for future accolades in the league.
Here's who is leading the races and who I think has a great shot at being a finalist in the second half of the year:
NWSL Shield and Championship
When it comes to picking the teams for the two major titles, I'm proud to have two teams prove me right. Sort of. My picks were Washington Spirit and Gotham FC, but I'll be swapping the prizes where I think they'll end up at the end of the year.
While Gotham may have started off the season a bit slower, they're exactly where many expected them to be, in the upper half of the table and in contention for the postseason. But more than being high on the table, they're sitting in first place at the moment. The NWSL Shield is a piece of hardware missing from their trophy cabinet, and they're in the best position they've ever been in to finally earn one, but I just think they're tailor-made for the playoffs, even with all of the changes they've dealt with in the last month with player and staff departures and injuries.
Washington Spirit are in a similar position. They're in second place on the table after holding onto first for weeks. It'll be a sprint to the shield, which is why I think the Spirit will ultimately take the honors of winning the league. They're a deep roster that will even be getting some pieces back from injury and the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, and have multiple players who will likely be on other end-of-year award candidate lists.
Previous Shield pick: Gotham FC
Midseason Shield pick: Washington Spirit
Previous Championship pick: Washington Spirit
Midseason Championship pick: Gotham FC
MVP
Five players will eventually be named finalists for the MVP award. There's a league-old narrative that the Golden Boot winner often translates to the eventual MVP winner, and more often than not, that's the right call when you look at past dual winners. Sam Kerr, Crystal Dunn, and Temwa Chawinga are all worthy examples.
But every once in a while, you get a season where that might not be the case. Lindsey Heaps in 2018 and Jess Fishlock in 2021 are unique outliers that break that narrative. It's possible, though, to have an MVP separate from the Golden Boot winner, and I think 2026 is due for another season of that remix as well.
I think a lot of factors come into play here in 2026: another year of league expansion, a postponed Women's Africa Cup of Nations, and the overall player profile. Are you marking as well as you rack up goals? Are you a player that any team would disrupt its roster for? Are you a player whose absence would wreck its current roster?
The answer for a lot of these players is yes. I initially chose Barbra Banda to take this honor, and I'm sticking with that, especially considering Orlando's current poor form with Banda on international duty. Though there's some undeniable competition in that category at the midway point of the season.
Previous pick: Barbra Banda
Midseason candidates:
- Barbra Banda
- Trinity Rodman
- Temwa Chawinga
- Mina Tanaka
- Ashley Sanchez
Golden Boot
This is perhaps the most off the mark pick of the way too early predictions. Others and I felt this could be a breakout year for Seattle Reign's Mia Fishel after working her way back from an ACL injury, and while she finally got on the scoreboard in July, and followed that up with another recently, she'd have to go on an unbelievable streak to catch up to those in front of her.
Barbra Banda and Temwa Chawinga are, less shockingly, on my midseason changes. In a pleasant surprise, so is Ashley Sanchez. Banda and Chawinga are away on WAFCON duty, and Sanchez has a chance to shake up the race. The North Carolina forward has sprung to life in a new winger role under new coach Mak Lind. She's playing so out of her mind right now that it's bringing up all sorts of debate about her form among U.S. women's national team conversations.
Sometimes timing is everything, and Sanchez's best career season coming when the World Cup is less than a year away could unfortunately work against her, considering the wingers and forwards in front of her at the moment, two of whom are also somehow dark horses for this race? Sophia Wilson and Trinity Rodman both have eight goals at the moment, with plenty of NWSL games ahead to keep the Golden Boot interesting.
Previous Pick: Mia Fishel
Midseason candidates:
- Barbra Banda
- Temwa Chawinga
- Ashley Sanchez
- Sophia Wilson
- Trinity Rodman
Defender of the Year
Finally, a category where I will not be changing my pick. Gotham FC's most stable and reliable defender is someone coming off a second ACL injury.
Tierna Davidison has been doing the quiet work of owning her role with consistent positional awareness and keeping the backline organized. Her ability to break lines and score on set pieces makes her an important piece of Gotham's roster and one of this season's comeback stories of the year.
Among the midseason pack of defender of the year candidates, they can truly shift from week to week this season, but it's no surprise I'm keeping an eye on some players who happen to be chasing titles this year. I think Kate Del Fava is a direct rival to Davidson in the run towards the end of the year awards season, considering Utah's remarkable turnaround.
San Diego Wave could have champagne problems with potentially more than one option in the category, with centerback Kennedy Wesley and rookie fullback Mimi Van Zanten. Portland Thorn's M.A. Vignola remains a dark horse for me.
Previous Pick: Tierna Davidson
Midseason Candidates:
- Tierna Davidson
- Kate Del Fava
- Kennedy Wesley
- M.A. Vignola
- Mimi Van Zanten
Midfielder of the Year
Speaking of a crowded field, I would not be surprised if there were multiple players from the same team in this category. The midfield talent this year is so off the charts that it makes it difficult to even narrow it down to a hypothetical midseason candidate list.
Like defender, I'm sticking with my original pick in Leicy Santos, but I also feel like Rebeca Bernal and Hal Hershfelt could all be there for the Washington Spirit, splitting votes down the line in a way that could go against them in the awards category.
Bernal's ability to be everywhere while in stealth mode offers more opportunities in the channels for Sofia Cantore, Trinity Rodman, and others. It allows Santos to be more active and creative, and for Hershfelt to be less stealthy and more crunchy if needed.
Whatever happens at the end of the season, it's not moving me from my original position that the Spirit have the best midfield in the league this year.
Utah Royals are challenging that a bit with Mina Tanaka, Narumi Miura, and Ana Tejada. Both teams can rotate and lose little of their tactics. Utah could also have more than one player in this category. Time will tell.
San Diego's Kenza Dali's efforts are elite once again, but might fall short if her teammates continue to fail at picking up what she's producing for them. Other teams have clear standouts too, like Kansas City's Croix Bethune, or Gotham FC's Rose Lavelle, who, if they weren't on their respective rosters, make you wonder how things would be going.
Previous Pick: Leicy Santos
Midseason candidates:
- Leicy Santos
- Rebeca Bernal
- Croix Bethune
- Mina Tanaka
- Rose Lavelle
Goalkeeper of the Year
Claudia Dickey's trajectory in 2025 left little doubt about her promising future. She lost out on the goalkeeper of the year to Kansas City Current's Lorena, so naturally, I picked Dickey to take the award in 2026. I think she still has a shot, but with only three finalists in this category, it'll be harder, and there are multiple goalkeepers who have significant roles this year.
After Aubrey Kingsbury announced her pregnancy and stepped away on maternity leave, Washington Spirit's Sandy MacIver has stepped up and is the co-leader in clean sheets (eight) in the league. The Scottish international is confident and has been a steady presence in goal in a time where there were question marks around filling such a big position from the long-time starter, Kingsbury.
MavIver's cleansheet record is shared alongside Gotham FC's Ann-Katrin Berger. The German international leads the league in save percentage (80%), and despite being sidelined recently, I think it'll come down to the two of them in the end, though I feel MacIver has the edge with more games played through the halfway point of the season.
The third finalist could truly go anywhere, and I've been impressed with Bay FC's Jordan Silkowitz, though North Carolina's Kaelin Sheridan and Portland Thorns Macenzie Arnold could make a late-season push.
Previous Pick: Claudia Dickey
Midseason candidates:
- Sandy Maciver
- Ann-Katrin Berger
- Jordan Silkowitz
Rookie of the Year
The rookie class this year is impressive in that no one rookie has outright dominated. The league's monthly honors have gone to four different rookies through the midway point of the year, which feels like it might be the case moving forward. Another category with only three finalists, the potential for multiple players from the same team remains.
There have been standouts for two teams. Houston Dash, Kat Radler, and Linda Ullmark earned one monthly honor each, which is promising for a team that is trying to figure out how to compete in the upper half of the table again.
While San Diego Wave's better season could mean the duo of Lia Godfrey and Mimi Van Zanten make appearances as finalists. Godfrey has five goals and already has a rookie of the month honor for March, while Van Zanten has been a key piece of the Wave's backline. The fullback has one goal and is constantly getting involved in attacks while tackling defensive responsibilities.
Like most awards of the past, I feel overall season success plays a factor, which is why Chicago's Tessa Dellarose was such an interesting pick for me to make in preseason anyway. It's also why I think Gotham FC rookie Jordynn Dudley will be in the mix if she scores a few more goals.
Previous Pick: Tessa Dellarose
Midseason candidates:
- Mimi Van Zanten
- Lia Godfrey
- Jordyn Dudley
Coach of the Year
I do think that whoever wins the NWSL Shield will ultimately win this end-of-year award. I think my initial pick here, Gotham FC's Juan Carlos Amoros, is outright due for this award, but if he wins it, it'll be a staff award. Amoros and his family welcomed a new baby, and he's been away from the team for paternal leave, also blazing a trail and normalizing fathers using family benefits in the workplace.
Acting head coach Shaun Harris has managed a summer of change in the meantime, and Gotham are currently top of the table. But if the Washington Spirit, Utah Royals, or San Diego Wave managed to pull off the NWSL Shield, this honor could likely go to them.
Adrian Gonzalez is a case study in the interim-to-assistant-to-interim-to-full-time success story with the Spirit, and he's likely in the best position to stake a claim in this race.
Royal's massive turnaround in 2026 is a solid resume for Jimmy Coenraets, and San Diego Wave's Jonas Eidevall's solid season also supports a nod. If North Carolina Courage makes it back after a one-year absence with first-year head coach Mak Lind, watch out.
Previous Pick: Juan Carlos Amoros
Midseason candidates:
- Adrian Gonzalez
- Jimmy Coenraets
- Mak Lind
