{
  "id": 12926570,
  "title": "Six favorites for the NWSL Defender of the Year award",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/six-favorites-for-the-nwsl-defender-of-the-year-award",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-08T18:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/six-favorites-nwsl-defender-award-183000111.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Six soccer defenders are vying for the NWSL Defender of the Year award as the playoffs approach. To determine who is leading the pack, American Soccer Analysis and FotMob analyzed their standout stats.\n\nTierna Davidson from Gotham is leading the defense with Gotham conceding only 21 goals, thanks to her exceptional performance. Her xGA is 30.99, indicating that Gotham has conceded around 10 fewer goals when she's on the field. Davidson isn't just strong defensively; she's also an attacking threat, scoring twice and providing an assist. Her contributions have earned her a spot in the August Best XI.\n\nTara Rudd from Washington Spirit has been an iron woman with 2,430 minutes played this season. She has scored three goals and assisted twice, registered 45 interceptions, and won 24 tackles, contributing to the Spirit conceding just 26 goals while keeping 10 clean sheets. Rudd's high touch share of 12.4% and her ability to read the play, block shots, and clean up danger make her a formidable center back. Her 242 defensive contributions per 90 minutes are the most among the center backs listed here, and she was included in the July Best XI after Washington conceded only three goals that month.\n\nJanine Sonis from Denver has been an attacking fullback, with an xA p96 of 0.16, which is outstanding for a fullback. She's created chances from wide areas, scored 12 goals, and added six assists in 26 starts this season. Her goal contributions are impressive, coming from a 5.39 xG, meaning she's outperforming her expected scoring output. Sonis was selected in the Best XI for July and August due to her performances.\n\nKennedy Wesley from San Diego has played every minute of their 27 matches and helped the team rank third in fewest goals conceded this season (28). Wesley's disciplined play, high possession (137 clearances), and blocking abilities (1.12 blocks per 90) make her a crucial leader for the team. Her strong performances have earned her call-ups to the USWNT.\n\nPerle Morroni from San Diego, a French left-back, has maintained her form throughout the year and helped San Diego's defense become the third-best in the league (28 goals against). Morroni focuses on recovering the ball to disrupt attacks rather than clearing it, operating high on the pitch to prevent counter-attacks. Her impressive stats include 72 tackles (2.97 per 90) and 38 interceptions. She's won possession 12 times in the final third (145 total), supporting her proactive approach.",
  "summary": "As the sun sets on the 2026 NWSL season, it’s time to update our picks for Defender of the Year.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "SB Nation",
        "title": "Six favorites for the NWSL Defender of the Year award",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/six-favorites-for-the-nwsl-defender-of-the-year-award-12935150",
        "published": "2026-10-08T18:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}