NWSL Team of the Week: Sam Coffey leads Portland Thorns; Savy King named honorary captain after heart surgery

The NWSL -Regulatory season of 2025 rolls on as clubs to strengthen the margins of the competition after week nine. The competition steadily marches to the half point of the season, and that means that attacking the team of the week of the week is back.

After weekly luminaires during the NWSL campaign of 2025, attacking third analysts select a best XI and a coach based on striking versions at the weekend.

As we say goodbye to week nine, there are numerous new players who have cracked our best XI. Although there have been a few repetitions, the competitive parity has returned because we are far beyond the quarter of the season, and different faces are on the rise for our team of the week. If you keep an eye on who has cracked the best XI, make sure you go to our Week eight team of the week where Christian Press turned back.

There is plenty to look forward to in week ten, and fans can watch selected NWSL -Regular seasonal competitions on CBS platforms, including CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

View our best XI:

Goalkeeper: Lorena (current Kansas City)

The Brazilian keeper signed with Kansas City in the low season and this year has been a reliable presence in the net through nine games. The 28-year-old leads the competition in Shutouts after she picked up her fifth clean magazine of the season against the Orlando Pride. Not an easy task to do against Barbra Banda and Marta, but she was confronted with 11 shots and made four saves to extend the first place of Kansas City at the top of the table.

Defender: Trinity Armstrong (San Diego Wave)

The Rookie defender is strong on the backline for San Diego and still had a big achievement in week nine. With Centerback partner Kennedy Wesley on Red Card Suspension, the 17-year-old was fast to establish chemistry alongside veteran Kristen Mcnabb and helped with the closing of Gotham FC. She was effective in her duels and led the team in success rate (75%).

Defender: Phoebe Mcclernon (Seattle Reign)

While head coach of Seattle Laura Harvey strive for defensive tactics for the schedule that is progressing, McClernon quickly became a leading face of the government’s back line. Reading dangerous attacks before they take place by covering a lot of land with her positioning and led defenders in recovery (two).

Defender: Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit)

Although some players need a full game to make an impact, others only need half and Kreuger delivered a ruthless performance for the mind during a wild draw of six goals against Utah. Krueger’s rest replacement shifted the competition completely, because the outdoor ridge was constantly involved in attacks and attempts by Utah disrupted. Scoring the equalizer of the game at death is just a perfect end to a chaotic game.

Defender: Kayla Sharples (Kansas City Current)

Sharples earns the best XI award and returns to our team of the week after another solid performance on the back line, where she marked challenges in stepping and good work. She led the team in approvals (five) and helped to stay organized the backline when the team had to manage a game-changing injuries substitution for Alana Cook.

Midfielder: Cece Kizer (Utah Royals FC)

Kizer showed a vintage form during a wild match against the Spirit. She not only scored a goal for the royals, but she was the catalyst for chaos after she jumped and went on her way to force her own goal that the fifth score was in just 36 minutes.

Midfielder: Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage)

A third consecutive appearance for the Irish International on our best XI. Another week in which the midfielder was both enforcer and connector for the courage, and gave zero opportunities to the opposition for a chance of controlling the middle third part. She provided help with the opening goal of Manaka Matsukubo.

Midfielder: Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns)

The thorns continue to cruise and Sam Coffey is in the driver’s seat. The defensive midfielder is a constant threat in maintaining the pace for the team, because they succeed in producing a different target scorer every week. Coffey joined the goal committee in week nine when she converted a penalty and offered an assist on the goal of Pietra Tordin.

Forward: Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Riegn)

The Rookie class continues to deliver, and Dahlien makes it increasingly difficult to resist defenders to keep her out of the last third part. She does not shy away from hiring defenders and is effective in counter -dressing, along with generating attacks. She was responsible for three of the four total shot attempts from Seattle.

Forward: Hows are Blackubo (North Carolina Courage)

The Japanese international finally came to the scoreboard for North Carolina this season, and her breakout two-goal competition could be a turning point for North Carolina. The 20-year-old, third-year, courage player led the team in total shots (five) and created two opportunities against Chicago.

Forward: Pietra Tordin (Portland Thorns)

First goal, first team of the week for the Doornen Rookie. She showed off her skills with a movie on the ball for a first touch and shook her defender before she turned around to make her shot. It expanded the lead of the Doornen and Portland never looked back when they expanded their undefeated line to five games.

Coach: Albertin Montoya (Bay FC)

This week, changing tactics and players rotation gave Bay FC an extra layer of unpredictability, a big victory for a party that has not won three weeks. Now it’s about finding a consistent path ahead.

Captain: Savy King (Angel City FC)

After a week in which hearts and spirits were with defender Savy King After her emergency aid surgeryThe presence of the middle behind was felt in Matchweek Nine. The 20-year-old is home and recovering, and players and teams in the entire competition have managed a new emotional week. Sometimes it’s bigger than football.