Gotham FC's Rose Lavelle named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year after championship season

Entering her 10th year with the USWNT, Lavelle overcame a delayed start to the season following ankle surgery to reestablish herself as one of the most influential players in the world. She returned to international action in late June, immediately making an impact by scoring and assisting in her first match back against Ireland. In total, she appeared in six matches for the national team in 2025, contributing to the scoresheet in every game she started.

At the club level, Lavelle’s influence proved decisive for Gotham FC. After finding her rhythm late in the regular season, she helped Gotham secure the final playoff spot before delivering when it mattered most. Lavelle scored the lone goal in the 2025 NWSL Championship, a 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit, earning Championship MVP honors and delivering Gotham its second league title.

Her title-winning strike added another milestone to an already historic resume. Lavelle is now the only player to have scored in two NWSL Championship finals and a FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, having famously netted in the 2019 World Cup final against the Netherlands.

Lavelle received 29.2 percent of the weighted vote, finishing ahead of Sam Coffey and Catarina Macario. With the honor, she becomes the 22nd different player to win U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year, an award first introduced in 1985.