(Photo credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images)

Temwa Chawinga made history on Wednesday, when the Kansas City Current forward became the first player ever to win consecutive NWSL Most Valuable Player awards.

Chawinga scored a league-high 15 goals in 23 games this year after producing a league-record 20 goals in 25 games during 2024.

The 27-year-old Malawi international joins Sam Kerr (2017, 2019) as the lone two-time MVP honorees in the history of the league, which began play in 2013.

The other nominees for MVP were Kansas City forward Bia Zaneratto, North Carolina Courage midfielder Manaka Matsukubo, Gotham FC forward Esther Gonzalez and San Diego Wave forward Delphine Cascarino.

Chawinga's historic honor was the final award given out in a ceremony at San Jose, where the Washington Spirit will oppose Gotham FC on Saturday in the league's playoff finale.

The league-leading Current picked up another prize when Lorena was chosen goalkeeper of the year after recording an NWSL-best 14 clean sheets.

Racing Louisville's Bev Yanez was honored as the Coach of the Year -- ahead of Kansas City's Vlatko Andonovski, whose side established NWSL records with 21 victories and 65 points. Louisville came in seventh place to make the playoffs for the first time in its five-year history.

Defender of the Year went to Washington's Tara McKeown, and the Midfielder of the Year was Matsukubo.

Gotham's Lilly Reale was chosen as the Rookie of the Year.

Five Kansas City players were part of the NWSL Best XI first team:

GK Lorena, Kansas City Current

CB Tara McKeown, Washington Spirit

CB Kayla Sharples, Kansas City Current

FB Avery Patterson, Houston Dash

FB Izzy Rodriguez, Kansas City Current

MF/F Temwa Chawinga, Kansas City Current

MF/F Manaka Matsukubo, North Carolina Courage

MF/F Ester Gonzalez, Gotham FC

MF/F Sam Coffey, Portland Thorns

MF/F Claire Hutton, Kansas City Current

MF/F Olivia Moultrie, Portland Thorns

Best XI second team

GK Claudia Dickey, Seattle Reign

CB Emily Sonnett, Gotham FC

CB Jordyn Bugg, Seattle Reign

FB Lilly Reale, Gotham FC

FB Hailie Mace, Kansas City Current

MF/F Delphine Cascarino, San Diego Wave

MF/F Bia Zaneratto, Kansas City Current

MF/F Emma Sears, Racing Louisville

MF/F Taylor Flint, Racing Louisville

MF/F Croix Bethune, Washington Spirit

MF/F Kenza Dali, San Diego Wave

--Field Level Media