Kansas City Current honored with five finalists for 2024 NWSL Awards

KANSAS CITY (Nov. 12, 2024) –– The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) today named the finalists for the 2024 NWSL Awards, including five members of the Kansas City Current. Beginning today, fans can start voting for Temwa Chawinga (Most Valuable Player), Vanessa DiBernardo and Lo’eau LaBonta (Midfielder of the Year), Claire Hutton (Rookie of the Year) and Vlatko Andonovski (Coach of the Year).

The 2024 NWSL Awards are voted upon in two rounds, with fans having the opportunity to participate in the final round of the voting process. The final round will also include voting for the 2024 NWSL Best XI, presented by Amazon Prime, honoring a first and second team representing the top 22 players in the league.

Fans wishing to vote on the individual award winners, Best XI First Team and Best XI Second Team can access the voting ballot here.

All votes must be submitted by Friday, November 15, at 2 p.m. CT.

In the preliminary round of voting, players, owners, general managers, coaches and the media voted on individual awards to determine the finalists. The preliminary round used a weighted scale, broken down by players (50%), owners/GMs/coaches (25%) and media (25%).

Most Valuable Player:
Temwa Chawinga – In her first season in the NWSL, Chawinga has etched her name all over the record books. She is the first player in NWSL history to score 20 goals in a single season, score in eight straight games and score a goal against every other team since the league expanded over 10 teams. Additionally, she led all other finalists with Goals from Fast Breaks (5), Shooting Accuracy (73%), Duels (352) and tackles (49).

Midfielder of the Year:
Vanessa DiBernardo – Starting the season off with a historic goal, the first in CPKC Stadium history, set DiBernardo on track for one of the best seasons of her career. She has five goals and six assists as she has led the Current’s midfield throughout the season.

Lo’eau LaBonta – The ‘Celly Queen’, LaBonta has been the backbone of the Current’s success this season. Kansas City’s captain has six goals and an assist despite playing a more defensive role than she has in the past.

Rookie of the Year:
Claire Hutton – Signed just before her 18th birthday, Hutton has shown the poise and skill of a 10-year veteran as she has partnered with LaBonta and DiBernardo in the midfield throughout much of the season.

Coach of the Year:
Vlatko Andonovski – One of the most successful coaches in the world, Andonovski returned to club soccer in his adopted hometown of Kansas City. Since his arrival he has instilled a culture of success and joy that has taken the Current from an 11th-place finish in 2023 to a record-breaking season and fourth seed in the 2024 NWSL Playoffs.

The final round of voting uses a weighted scale of players (40%), owners/GMs/coaches (25%), media (25%) and fans (10%).

Award winners will be announced in the days surrounding the 2024 NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel. The match, set for Saturday, November 23, kicks off at 7 p.m. CT at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and will air live on CBS Television Network and stream on Paramount+.

In addition to the 2024 NWSL Awards, the winner of the Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide, will be announced during the week. The league will also honor the NWSL Championship MVP during a post-match presentation following the conclusion of Saturday’s match.