Kansas City Current’s Temwa Chawinga wins second consecutive NWSL MVP

The GIST: The NWSL Championship pitting the Washington Spirit against Gotham FC is set for tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET, but the party’s already begun in San Jose. The league honored its best and brightest during Wednesday’s NWSL Awards, and a little history was made along the way. So gilded.

🏆 Temwa Chawinga wins second consecutive MVP award: The Kansas City Current star and friend of The GIST is the NWSL’s first-ever back-to-back MVP, a fitting end to a campaign which also saw her win her second straight Golden Boot award. Scoring 15 goals? All in a season’s work.

⏱️ Bev Yanez named Coach of the Year: Racing Louisville made the playoffs for the first time in club history this year, a feat that wouldn’t have been possible without Yanez’s leadership. Not to mention, she’s the first former NWSL player to secure a postseason berth as a head coach.

👀 Plus, two award winners will take the pitch in tomorrow’s title game: Defender of the Year Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit) and Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale (Gotham FC) won big on Wednesday, but only one will add a shiny Tiffany NWSL Championship trophy alongside their individual hardware. Can’t wait.