Women's Super League Player of the Year: Lauren James, Khadija Shaw, Alessia Russo and GOAL's top 20 for 2025-26 - ranked

It was a weird year for Chelsea, who were hampered by injuries throughout that not only limited their ability to defend their WSL title, but also compete for other trophies across four fronts. Nothing underlines how key some of those absentees were more than the fact that two of them were probably among the Blues' best three players this term.

One of them was Veerle Buurman, who just misses out on making this list. The 20-year-old defender was on the fringes of the squad throughout the first half of the campaign, but started to get her chances in the New Year, as injuries hit her fellow centre-backs, and she was outstanding in her 11 league starts, nine of which came in 2026.

The other is Lauren James, who was often the best player on the pitch on either side when she played. The forward missed most of the first half of the season, only returning in mid-November and did not complete more than an hour of action until January. However, Sonia Bompastor's patience in building James' minutes back up paid off handsomely, leading to the England star being near her mesmerising best towards the end of the campaign.

It was too late to help Chelsea defend their WSL title, but James' magic helped ensure the Blues clinched Champions League football and a League Cup, with her five goals and four assists from 14 league games the second-most in Bompastor's squad, and only bettered by 13 players in the division, with the 24-year-old also ranked 14th in the WSL for key passes despite such a lengthy absence.

After being a key instigator in Chelsea's dominance of English women's football during her nine-year stay in the blue corner of London, Fran Kirby has now taken her talent and experience to a new project, and the mark she has made at Brighton has been huge. The headline achievement this season is the FA Cup final the Seagulls have reached, with them to take on Man City at Wembley later this month, but the impact Kirby has had in the WSL has also been outstanding.

Her two goals and three assists from 17 games, 14 of which have been starts, don't tell the full story in that regard. Only Jelena Cankovic has played more accurate passes in the final third in the Seagulls' squad than Kirby, who also ranks second for key passes and third for shots on target. Her fluid movement and ability to link up so seamlessly with team-mates has been a massive reason why Brighton have enjoyed such a wonderful season, with her leadership role impossible to overlook, too.

There was a spell this season where Jess Park was one of the most in-form forwards in Europe. Following a summer switch from Manchester City, the England international was given a free-roaming role on the right-hand side of Manchester United's attack, and it really helped to maximise her talent, leading to her most productive WSL season to date. Only six players were directly involved in more goals than Park this term, with her six goals and five assists making up 29 per cent of the Red Devils' total goals haul.

Admittedly, there was a bit of a drop-off at the end of the season, with Park failing to register a goal or an assist in her final five games of the campaign. It's why she doesn't rank higher on this list, with United's overall struggles in those final weeks not helping. But where the forward still sits among the rest of the league for those contributions is an indication of just how good she was this season, in her first year in a new role in a new team. It bodes well for the future.

After finishing second in the Ballon d'Or vote in 2025, Mariona Caldentey didn't quite hit those heights in her second season at Arsenal, but it would be criminal to overlook how important she remained as the Gunners finished second. Perhaps it was most obvious when the Spain international wasn't in the team, like in the draw against Brighton earlier this month. The north London side were flat, ineffective and 1-0 down until Caldentey was introduced at half-time. Once she got on the pitch, everything changed for the better.

A big reason why the 30-year-old's season hasn't been as headline-grabbing as the previous one is the different role she occupied. After playing a lot of minutes further forward upon her arrival in England, Caldentey was in a deeper midfield position this time around, so her incisive contributions did not result in the same eye-catching goals and assists tallies.

But look at some of the other numbers and it backs up the eye test, showing how important and brilliant she still was. No one played more accurate passes in the final third this season than Caldentey, who finished more than 200 clear of the player in second, while only Man City winger Lauren Hemp completed more key passes.

One of the many reasons Brighton have had such a splendid season is because they have so many different players who can pop up with big moments, with Chelsea and Manchester United the only teams in the WSL to have more goal-scorers this year. Still, Kiko Seike has shouldered more of that responsibility than any other player, bagging eight goals to sit joint-seventh in the scoring WSL charts.

Add in the Japan international's two assists and she was directly involved in 37% of Brighton's league goals, and that's before discussing everything else she adds to this team. Seike's movement, pressing and ability to be effective in various positions has all been key to the Seagulls' success, allowing the attack to be as fluid and difficult to defend as head coach Dario Vidosic desires.

"I think it’s just confidence," the Brighton boss said last month when asked about Seike's form. "She’s growing, learning, and understanding the experience of last year. Now, in her second year [in this team], she’s familiar with her team-mates and the opponents." Given that, how the 29-year-old fares in her third season in the league next year will be fascinating.

Arsenal had their fare share of injury woes at centre-back this season. Entering it without Leah Williamson, who wouldn't play until December due to a knee issue sustained as England triumphed at Euro 2025, teenager Katie Reid then suffered a devastating ACL injury, just as she was playing so well in Williamson's absence that she earned a first Lionesses call-up.

It was Lotte Wubben-Moy's turn to step up, then, and step up she did. Starting all-but-two of Arsenal's WSL outings from early November until the end of the season, the 27-year-old brought an impressively consistent level to the table to help steady a back line that was seriously hampered. That the Gunners' finished the year with the best defensive record in the league was in no small part down to the England international's performances.

After showing flashes of her quality last season following her January arrival at Tottenham, Olivia Holdt's first full campaign in north London was superb, with the midfielder ending it with eight goals and three assists from 21 games.

The 24-year-old is known especially for her ability to produce the spectacular, with two of those strikes earning nominations for Goal of the Month, but she also has a knack for being decisive. Four of Holdt's goals were winners in 2-1 victories, helping to power Spurs to their best-ever season in the WSL.

It's no wonder Tottenham acted to tie Holdt down to a new long-term contract back in March. "I feel like she has even more levels in her," head coach Martin Ho said at the time; it's easy to see why he believes as much.

When reports emerged in early February to suggest that Arsenal were going to let Katie McCabe leave on a free transfer this summer, it was surprising. As has been the case for most of her 11 years at the club, the Ireland captain had been a key player all season, and she would spend the next few months becoming even more important, filling in at centre-back and even in midfield as the Gunners dealt with absences.

"We asked her to play centre-back at half-time," Arsenal boss Renee Slegers explained in late March, when McCabe moved into that role for the first time. "Both Aaron [D'Antino, assistant] and me went to her and asked if she had any questions about the role or the game plan in that position. [She said], 'No, all good'. So she steps out and just does the role. She's fantastic. She's such an intelligent player."

It was something McCabe would do several times before the end of the season, helping to make up for the absence of Steph Catley, who likely would have been on the list had she not missed a chunk of games due to injury and, before that, her participation at the Asian Cup. Her performances were key in Arsenal maintaining their league-best defensive record.

Ranking inside the WSL's top five for accurate crosses, plus in top three in the Gunners' squad for interceptions, clearances and accurate passes in the final third, it's no wonder the club's hierarchy have reportedly changed their minds about McCabe's future before her departure was eventually confirmed ahead of the final game of the season at Liverpool.

Alyssa Thompson arrived at Chelsea with plenty of pressure on her shoulders after the Blues parted with one of the biggest transfer fees the women's game has ever seen in order to bring her to the club. That responsibility only increased because of the plethora of injuries in Bompastor's squad, meaning Thompson had to deliver right away, despite being just 20 years old, experiencing a first move away from home and sometimes being played out of position.

What she has produced, then, deserves even more credit. With seven goals and three assists from her 20 games, 16 of which have been starts, only the forward's second season at Angel City was more productive when looking at domestic league statistics only - and that was aided by the bigger NWSL allowing her to play 26 games.

There are still kinks for the young winger to iron out, but it's been a really encouraging first WSL campaign for Thompson, who ends it ranking joint-fifth in the division for key passes.

For Kerolin to have started only nine WSL games and still rank as highly as she does in this list speaks to the simply remarkable impact she made even while not being a constant in Man City's starting line-up this season. Despite playing just 895 minutes of league action, the Brazil international racked up nine goals and five assists, averaging a direct goal involvement every 64 minutes. Only three players in the league registered more goals and assists.

She was a little inconsistent at times, which is perhaps no surprise given she was not always named to Andree Jeglertz's XI, but the highs were truly outstanding. Nothing sums that up more than her hat-trick against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium, which helped put City an insurmountable 11 points clear at the top of the standings.

Used more centrally in the latter stages of the season, owing to Vivianne Miedema's absence, it'll be interesting to see what Kerolin's role looks like next year, when City have more fixtures to contend with and rotation, which wasn't a key factor this year, is necessary.

Looking purely at goals and assists, this has been Lauren Hemp's least productive season in the WSL since her first year at Man City some eight years ago. The difference, however, between this term and the last six - in which her total of combined goals and assists hit double figures every year - is that in this one, her contributions helped her win the WSL title for the first time.

There are plenty of other numbers which demonstrate just how important Hemp's play down the left has been, too. No one in the WSL has played more key passes or created more big chances than the England international, whose six assists are also still good enough to rank second in the division.

Hemp's relentless and somewhat classic approach to her wing play has been so effective all season long, while her defensive work rate also deserves plenty of credit. She's a massive reason why City got their hands on that WSL title for the first time in 10 years.

Prior to the season, few would've anticipated that Kirsty Hanson would, for much of the season, be Khadija Shaw's closest competition for the 2025-26 WSL Golden Boot. The Aston Villa forward has, however, enjoyed the best goal-scoring season of her career, netting 12 times in 22 games to finish third in the scoring charts behind only Alessia Russo and perhaps the best striker in the world, Shaw. That's some going.

Making her return all the more impressive is the fact it has come from an expected goals (xG) statistic of just 6.7, with no player in the division over-performing their xG by such a degree. Indeed, of players to have 10 or more shots this season, Hanson's shot conversion rate is the sixth-best in the WSL.

It's the result of a very rewarding positional change. Traditionally an out-and-out winger, the Scotland international has been moved into a centre-forward role this term by Villa boss Natalia Arroyo, and it has worked a treat.

"When Natalia first came in, she had wing-back roles and still does," Hanson explained, speaking to Sky Sports. "I suggested that I can play narrower, I can play a striker role and I don't think she knew that at the time, but since I've been there, I've shown what I can do." It's surely going to stick, with the 28-year-old responsible for 43% of Villa's WSL goals this term.

There have not been many better signings in the WSL this season than that which saw Tottenham bring Toko Koga to the division. Despite arriving in England as a relatively unknown 19-year-old, the Japan international has spent the last nine months showing just why she is regarded as one of the most exciting young talents on the planet.

Koga settled brilliantly into Spurs' back line, forming a wonderful partnership at the heart of it with Australia international Clare Hunt to help this team, which kept only two WSL clean sheets in the entirety of last season, produce five shutouts in their first 12 league outings.

A model of consistency and a player who, despite being so good already, has so much room to improve given her age, Tottenham will be delighted that they have Koga tied down to a contract until 2029, as she looks set to only get better and better.

Another of this season's truly brilliant signings, Jade Rose was a vital part of Man City's first WSL title triumph in 10 years. Experiencing senior club football for the first time, having arrived after four years at Harvard University, the Canada international settled immediately and helped City, who had the worst defensive record among the league's top four last term, improve to concede the second-fewest goals in the division this season.

Speaking after one of Rose's first outings for the club, City boss Jeglertz said: "She’s new to the league, new to professional football and it will take some time, but she’s shown now in the last weeks what a great player she will be. She’ll be a great player for City in the coming years." But the 23-year-old clearly didn't have her sights set on coming good over time; she was ready to make an immediate mark.

After starting just one of City's first four WSL games, Rose returned for the 3-2 win over Arsenal in early October and played every single minute of league action after that. That run coincided with all eight of City's clean sheets, which was certainly no coincidence. Rose will be a great signing for the future, yes, but she has already been a great signing for the present, too.

There was no better goalkeeper in the WSL this past season, and few better players overall, than Chiamaka Nnadozie. Having spent five years in France with Paris FC, and represented Nigeria at one Olympic Games, two World Cups and three editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, the 25-year-old has a lot more experience than her age may suggest. She brought of all that to the table in her first season at Brighton to help them improve drastically at the back.

Last year, despite finishing an impressive fifth in the WSL, the Seagulls conceded 41 times in just 22 matches for the joint-fourth-worst record in the division. This term, that number was reduced to just 28 for the fifth-best record in the league.

While the whole defence and the coaching staff deserve credit for that, Nnadozie is a massive reason for such improvements. Per xG stats, no goalkeeper prevented more goals than the Nigeria star (5.7), while her save percentage (74.7) was also the best in the league, among shot-stoppers to make eight or more saves.

After finishing third in the Ballon d'Or voting last year, Alessia Russo produced even better numbers this past season, racking up a career-best 19 direct goal involvements in the WSL for second-placed Arsenal.

The rate at which Russo completed key passes almost doubled, from 0.8 per 90 minutes last season to 1.5 this past year, with her also over-performing her xG stats in a season of real consistency from the ever-improving 27-year-old.

Only Shaw, the WSL's leading scorer, was involved in more goals in the division than Russo, whose return of six assists was also only bettered by two players, both of whom registered seven. The England international was simply one of the most productive and decisive players in the league this past year, on a more regular basis than ever before, while still maintaining all the great traits in her build-up play and off-the-ball work that makes her so important to Arsenal.

After three seasons of injury-related struggles, it's been a delight to see Vivianne Miedema back playing regularly again. The 29-year-old hit double figures for WSL starts this term for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign, so of course she also hit double figures for goals, netting 10 times while providing five assists in 19 games to help Man City win the title.

Miedema missed the last few weeks due to personal reasons, travelling home to the Netherlands with her mother unwell, and seeing how much City missed her served to further underline her impact this past season. Only three players in the league scored more goals, only three created more big chances and only five provided more assists than the Dutchwoman, whose partnership with Shaw was a key feature of City's title triumph.

Kerstin Casparij has been one of the most consistent full-backs in the WSL for a while now, but this past season saw her go to another level entirely. Aided by the experience gained in her three previous seasons in the division, and stepping up to take more of a leadership role within Man City's group, the 25-year-old was the only defender to hit double figures for direct goal involvements, after registering three goals and seven assists from her right-back role.

Casparij's game is characterised by high energy and the manner in which she was able to support the attack, either by diverting the attention of the opposition or actively getting involved in the final third, helped to make City the top scorers in the division.

However, her defensive work also deserves plenty of recognition. Despite playing for the eventual champions, Casparij ranked among the WSL's top five players for tackles, with Yui Hasegawa the only City player to win more ground duels. Those contributions helped balance the scales and give her team the second-best defensive record in the league, too.

What a year it has been for Yui Hasegawa. After helping Japan to win the Asian Cup back in March, the midfielder then finally ended her wait for a major title at Man City by playing a key role in the club's first WSL triumph since 2016.

Few deserve this success as much as Hasegawa, who has been playing at a world-class level for several years now but has not had the team success to match. However, last summer, new City boss Jeglertz changed the team's system in a way that would suit each member of the midfield a little more in particular. Playing in a two-woman pivot with Laura Blindkilde Brown or Sam Coffey, Hasegawa would be able to dictate play and control games as usual, but also be a little more expressive going forward.

It has helped the 29-year-old stand-out yet again as one of the WSL's most impressive players, ranking second in the division for interceptions, second for passes into the final third and joint-fourth for big chances created. This time, though, she has the deserved silverware to show for her efforts, too.

What more is there to say about Khadija Shaw? The Jamaica international has proven herself as the best striker on the planet this past season, netting another incredible haul of goals for her fourth successive WSL campaign in double figures and a third Golden Boot in a row. Like Hasegawa, though, she has had to be patient in waiting for those individual efforts to result in team success. It finally happened this year, with Shaw and Miedema forming a deadly duo to fire City to that elusive WSL triumph.

It feels like the 29-year-old is in a league of her own in this division, and the numbers back that up. She finished eight goals clear in the Golden Boot race, registered an xG some 10 better than any other player and had at least 23 more shots than everyone else. She is the most prolific, dangerous and devastating forward in the WSL - and arguably the world.

It's what make Man City's decision to let Shaw leave on a free transfer all the more baffling. Everything finally came together for the club this year, and now it looks like their star player will depart to join Chelsea, one of their biggest rivals for silverware.

As a new chapter and a new challenge awaits the WSL's Golden Boot winner, don't expect the goals to dry up. Shaw is, after all, the world's best, something she proved throughout this past season.

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