Portland Thorns FC Striker Sophia Smith Named 2022 NWSL Most Valuable Player, Presented by Budweiser

NEW YORK – The National Women’s Soccer League announced Portland Thorns FC attacker Sophia Smith as the 2022 NWSL Most Valuable Player, presented by Budweiser. At 22 years old, the forward is the youngest player in NWSL history to be named the regular-season MVP.

Smith’s electric season, highlighted by a career best 14 goals in 18 matches, got off to a quick start in April when the forward tallied a goal in the Thorns’ regular-season opener. From there, the Windsor, Colorado native went on to lead her team in scoring, tallying a goal in more than half of Portland’s matches to set a new club record for goals in a single season.

In a year of stellar production for the attacker, Smith notched a league-high four braces, tying the NWSL single-season record for two-goal games. Smith was also perfect from the spot with three penalty-kick goals and served as the tone-setter for Portland with five game-opening tallies.

Additionally, the forward enjoyed a five-game scoring streak spanning from June 8 to August 5 where she tallied eight goals, earning herself June Player of the Month honors in that stretch. Smith was also named to the September/October Best XI of the Month thanks to a productive cycle that saw her record a trio of goals throughout the final two months of the regular season.

Smith also led the league in both shots (76) and shots on goal (49), accounting for nearly a third of the Thorns’ shots on target.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 Draft, Smith’s MVP nod marks the first major league award for the forward. She finished second in the 2022 NWSL Golden Boot race behind San Diego Wave FC attacked Alex Morgan.

In addition to the league’s top accolade, Smith will receive a cash bonus from Budweiser to celebrate her efforts on the pitch this season.

Morgan finished second in MVP voting, while North Carolina Courage forward Debinha was third.

The list of five finalists was decided after a preliminary round of voting by owners, general managers, coaches, players and media. The finalists were then voted on by fans, owners, general managers, coaches, players and media.

Voting Breakdown:

Preliminary Round: Owners/GMs/Coaches (25%), Media (25%) and Players (50%)

Final Round: Players (50%), Owners/GMs/Coaches (20%), Media (20%) and Fans (10%),

Full list of NWSL MVPs

2013: Lauren Holiday, FC Kansas City

2014: Kim Little, Seattle Reign FC

2015: Crystal Dunn, Washington Spirit

2016: Lynn…