Temwa Chawinga Leads NWSL Best XI for May as Utah Royals Shine

The NWSL’s form chart in May had a clear theme: if you were playing Utah Royals FC or trying to stop Kansas City Current’s front line, you were probably in trouble.

On Wednesday, the league confirmed what most watchers already knew. Temwa Chawinga, the two-time reigning MVP and runaway Player of the Month, leads the NWSL Best XI of the Month for May, a lineup drawn from eight different clubs and dominated by an unbeaten Utah side that also delivered Coach of the Month honors to Jimmy Coenraets.

Chawinga and Banda light up the league

Up front, the numbers from Chawinga are ruthless. Seven goals in six games for Kansas City Current in May, a striker in full command of her craft and the tempo of matches. She didn’t just finish chances; she bent games to her will.

Alongside her in the forward line, Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda matched her own kind of perfection. Six games, six goals. A one-to-one ratio that underlines how quickly the Zambian star has become one of the league’s most feared finishers.

The third piece of the attacking trio comes from the league’s hottest team. Mina Tanaka’s two goals and three assists powered Utah’s unbeaten month and showcased the depth of the Royals’ attack. Eight different players scored for Utah in May, but Tanaka sat at the heart of it, stitching moves together and punishing defenses that focused too heavily on one threat.

Utah’s backbone earns its recognition

Utah’s dominance wasn’t just about goals. It was built from the back.

Goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn anchors the Best XI between the posts after steering the Royals to three clean sheets in six games. Behind every unbeaten run there’s usually a keeper who solves problems before they become highlights, and McGlynn did exactly that.

In front of her, center back Kate Del Fava’s inclusion feels inevitable. Sixteen tackles, six interceptions, six matches. She also hit her 63rd consecutive start for the club, a streak stretching back to the Royals’ 2024 relaunch and a symbol of the stability that underpins Utah’s rise.

Tanaka completes a Utah trio in the XI, but the recognition for Coenraets as Coach of the Month underlines the larger story: a rebuilt club, back in the league and suddenly setting the standard for consistency.

Defensive steel from coast to coast

Utah weren’t the only ones shutting things down.

Denver’s Janine Sonis forced her way into the Best XI not just with defending but with production. The Canadian fullback hit braces in back-to-back games in the middle of the month, a rare scoring burst from wide that changed the tone of Denver’s attack and turned her into a constant overlapping threat.

Portland Thorns FC’s Sam Hiatt slots into the back line after helping orchestrate three clean sheets in May. She has become a key cog in a Thorns defense that, when locked in, still looks like one of the most organized units in the league.

At Gotham FC, captain Tierna Davidson led a back line that kept three clean sheets in four matches. That alone would usually be enough for a nod. She added something extra: her first goal since 2019, a moment that spoke to both her longevity and her growing influence at both ends of the pitch.

Midfield maestros drive the tempo

The midfield three in this Best XI covers almost every shade of influence.

North Carolina’s Manaka Matsukubo put up attacking-midfielder numbers that jump off the page: three goals and two assists in six games. She dictated rhythm, broke lines, and kept appearing in the right pockets at the right time.

At just 18, San Diego Wave’s Kimmi Ascanio announced herself with the kind of all-action month coaches crave. Thirteen tackles across six matches, plus her first goal of the season. She didn’t just break up play; she used those interventions to launch San Diego the other way.

Then there’s Croix Bethune, the 2024 Midfielder of the Year, who reminded everyone why that title sits next to her name. One goal, three assists in May for Kansas City, and a constant creative presence behind Chawinga. When the Current flowed, Bethune was usually the one opening the tap.

A monthly snapshot of a shifting league

The NWSL Best XI of the Month, chosen by the NWSL Media Association, often reads like a snapshot of where the power lies at a given moment. May’s version tells a clear story: Utah Royals are no longer a project; they’re a problem for the rest of the league. Kansas City’s attack is as relentless as ever. Gotham, Portland, North Carolina, Orlando, Denver, and San Diego all supplied standouts who shaped matches, not just filled roles.

The names change month to month. The stakes won’t. If this is what May looked like, what happens when these players carry this form into the heart of the season?