NWSL MVP Tracker 4.0: Can Rodman catch Banda and Chawinga?

Pumpkin spice lattes and crisp evening temperatures can only mean one thing for American soccer die-hards: It’s nearly awards season.

The NWSL is down to the homestretch with only six rounds of play left in the regular season. As teams jockey for playoff positioning, the race for the Most Valuable Player award has narrowed. So, the fourth and penultimate edition of ESPN’s NWSL MVP Tracker is a shorter list, too.

We named a 15-player short list in each of the first three editions of this tracker, but this time we’ve cut that down to 10. Realistically, this probably is a two-player race, and there are typically five finalists, but there is still time for other players to surge up the rankings with a late-season push.

Here is a closer look at the 10 MVP candidates for the final stretch of the NWSL season.

10. Ann-Katrin Berger, NJ/NY Gotham FC (Previous: 11)

Gotham is interesting right now: third in the table and starting to live up to the expectations of being a “super team” — but despite all that star power, there isn’t necessarily a standout performer. That’s where Berger comes in.

Berger leads the NWSL in post-shot expected goals minus goals against (PSxG-GA) — and the same measurement per 90 — while ranking second to Orlando’s Anna Moorhouse in save percentage and goals against per 90. Like Orlando, Gotham is loaded offensively but thriving on a strong defense. Berger is a big reason for that.

9. Mallory Swanson, Chicago Red Stars (Previous: 6)

The Red Stars continue to operate as the team that holds the league amount of possession in the entire league, and they can get away with that in large part because they have Swanson, the ultimate danger in transition moments.

Swanson’s seven goals and three assists this season remain solid and necessary for the Red Stars, and it’s easy to forget that she’s doing all this — including leading the U.S. women’s national team line for an Olympic gold medal — a year after a major knee injury.

8. Vanessa DiBernardo, Kansas City Current (Previous: 15)

A brief midseason injury slowed a renaissance start to the campaign for the 32-year-old DiBernardo. She continues to prove her value to Kansas City’s entire operation by oscillating between attacking and more defensive midfield roles (see: last week’s scoreless draw at Orlando, when she clogged midfield channels).

The reality as it relates to the MVP race is that she doesn’t play a glamorous position, and she has the league’s leading scorer as a teammate. Still, she’s been quietly phenomenal.

7. Ashley Sanchez, North Carolina Courage (Previous: 9)

Sanchez’s equalizer against Bay FC last week made her the first player to have scored a goal against all 14 active NWSL clubs (including the Courage, who she only joined this offseason). That isn’t a reason alone to be on an MVP list, but what makes Sanchez stand out is what she does for a Courage team that is about to go the entire season searching for goals by committee.

She’s a playmaker and a finisher, and her offseason arrival is a big reason why North Carolina — still yet to feature last year’s MVP, Kerolin — sits fifth in the table.

6. Croix Bethune, Washington Spirit (Previous: 3)

As if this writer needed another reason to not care for baseball, the clear NWSL Rookie of the Year suffered a season-ending injury throwing out a ceremonial first pitch for the Washington Nationals. Bethune had already tossed aside the qualifier of being a “rookie” in the MVP race — age doesn’t matter over quality — and tied the NWSL single-season record for assists (10, set by Tobin Heath in 2016).

She would have likely set that record and been an MVP finalist if she didn’t have her season prematurely ended. Her stellar form had already earned her a trip to France for the Olympics, and a gold medal after being elevated from alternate status. Bethune won’t ultimately win this award due to injury, but she had an incredible season that was cut slightly short.

5. Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns (Previous: 4)

Where would the Thorns be without Sophia Smith? Possibly not in playoff contention, to be blunt.

Smith’s 11 goals and six assists have buoyed a Portland team that otherwise feels like it’s in another late-season freefall. There’s no shortage of talent in Portland, and Smith is the Thorns’ greatest talent. She is the reigning Golden Boot winner and the 2022 MVP for a reason, and she has shown why plenty of times this season. She is sensational in 1-v-1 battles or even when outnumbered, and she frequently makes something of nothing.

She drops down these rankings with only one goal since returning from the Olympics, but much of that struggle is a product of what’s happening around her (Portland has lost a club record four straight).

4. Emily Sams, Orlando Pride (Previous: 7)

If you didn’t trust our rankings from July, you could take it from USWNT head coach Emma Hayes, who days later called Sams “maybe the top performer in the whole league.” Sams’ form earned her a spot on the Olympic roster as an alternate and, ultimately, a gold medal after she made gameday rosters due to Tierna Davidson’s injury.

Orlando’s scoreless draw with Kansas City last week provided ample evidence of how good Sams has been 1-v-1 this year. The Pride lead the league with only 12 goals against in 20 games, and goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse is now tied for the NWSL record with 11 shutouts. All of that speaks to the entire team’s defending, but Sams is the standout among many high performers.

3. Trinity Rodman, Washington Spirit (Previous: 5)

There’s no Olympics bias here, we promise. Yes, Rodman was one pillar of the spectacular “Triple Espresso” threat that helped the USWNT claim an Olympic gold medal last month, and that has her on everyone’s radars globally. She climbs this list for her ongoing superlative work for the Washington Spirit.

Last week’s brilliant goal against the Houston Dash is the highlight-reel example of how she can beat multiple players on her own, but the goal and assist she tallied off the bench the week prior in a 2-1 win over the Thorns was equally important. Rodman has three goals and two assists in four games since the Olympics — and she was already in fine form in the first half of the season.

Rodman’s 43 chances created leads the NWSL, per TruMedia. Add in the defensive work she brings to eight goals and six assists this season, and she’s as well-rounded of a forward as you’ll find. Washington has a shot at chasing down Orlando for the NWSL Shield — the award for the best regular-season record — and Rodman is the protagonist in that quest.

2. Barbra Banda, Orlando Pride (Previous: 1)

It’s harsh to say Banda is in a scoring slump, and everything is relative to her ridiculous pace of 12 goals in her first 12 games in this league, but she hasn’t scored in four starts since returning from the Olympics. That quiet spell has led to Banda dropping off the pace of a tight race for both the Golden Boot, and it affects the MVP award, too.

In reality, Banda is still arguably the best player in the NWSL (three general managers agreed in ESPN’s anonymous survey). She might be the most complete forward in the league, too, one who can beat defenders on the dribble, in the air, or in behind through a ball over the top.

Still, the MVP award season is partly about timing, and right now, that favors her friendly rival…

1. Temwa Chawinga, Kansas City Current (Previous: 2)