Temwa Chawinga Leads NWSL Best XI for May 2024
NEW YORK — May belonged to Temwa Chawinga. The rest of the league just tried to keep up.
The National Women’s Soccer League unveiled its Best XI of the Month for May, and the headline was inevitable: Chawinga, the two-time reigning MVP and relentless spearhead of Kansas City’s attack, sits at the heart of a star‑studded group chosen by the NWSL Media Association.
She earned it the hard way. Seven goals in six games, week after week of defenders left in her wake. This wasn’t a hot streak. It was a reminder of who still sets the standard.
Utah’s unbeaten surge commands respect
If Chawinga took the spotlight, Utah Royals FC quietly claimed the stage around her. Three Royals players forced their way into the Best XI after an undefeated month, and their form also delivered Jimmy Coenraets the Coach of the Month award.
At the back, Mandy McGlynn anchored a Royals defense that refused to crack, collecting three clean sheets in six matches and giving Utah a platform to go unbeaten. In front of her, Kate Del Fava did the dirty work with ruthless consistency: 16 tackles, six interceptions and, perhaps most impressively, her 63rd consecutive start for the club since its 2024 relaunch. Reliability doesn’t usually make headlines. Del Fava’s does.
Higher up the pitch, Mina Tanaka stitched the attack together. Two goals, three assists, and a constant threat in a front line that has already produced eight different goalscorers. Utah aren’t just winning; they’re spreading the damage.
Defenders who do more than defend
The back line in this Best XI reads like a list of players who refuse to be boxed in as “just” defenders.
Janine Sonis delivered one of the month’s most eye‑catching runs from fullback for Denver, scoring braces in back‑to‑back games in the middle of May. A defender with forward’s numbers will always turn heads, and Sonis did it twice in a row.
In Portland, Sam Hiatt quietly held the Thorns together. Three clean sheets in May tell the story of a back line that tightened at the right time, with Hiatt as a key cog in that defensive machine.
Gotham FC captain Tierna Davidson brought both authority and end product. She helped Gotham to three clean sheets in four matches and finally broke a long personal drought with her first goal since 2019. For a player whose game is built on composure and control, that strike felt like a milestone.
Midfield engines and creators
Midfielders drove this Best XI as much as the forwards finished it.
For North Carolina, Manaka Matsukubo put up the kind of all‑action numbers that define a modern playmaker: three goals, two assists across six matches. She didn’t just link play; she decided games.
In San Diego, 18‑year‑old Kimmi Ascanio announced herself. Thirteen tackles in six matches underline her bite in midfield, and her first goal of the season added a new layer to her growing influence. At an age when many are still adjusting to the league’s pace, Ascanio is already imposing hers.
Kansas City’s Croix Bethune, the 2024 Midfielder of the Year, played like a player intent on keeping that crown. One goal, three assists in May, and a constant creative spark behind Chawinga. When Bethune finds space, Kansas City finds chances.
Relentless firepower up front
Around Chawinga, the forward line is stacked with finishers in ruthless form.
Orlando’s Barbra Banda matched a goal to every outing: six games, six goals. A perfect one‑to‑one ratio and the kind of reliability in front of goal that tilts tight contests.
Utah’s Tanaka, already central to the Royals’ story this month, earns her attacking recognition here too. Those two goals and three assists didn’t just pad stats; they underpinned an unbeaten run and showcased a team with multiple ways to hurt opponents.
Put it all together and May’s Best XI paints a clear picture: a league where stars are delivering, new names are breaking through, and Utah’s resurgence is no longer a subplot but a headline.
The NWSL Media Association will do this all again next month, weighing another set of performances, another wave of storylines. If May is any indication, the battle to crack this XI might be almost as fierce as the title race itself.
