NWSL Team of the Week: Yazmeen Ryan comes up huge; Utah Royals earn double honors

The 2025 NWSL regular season is gearing up for the final five weeks of the schedule, and teams in the playoff hunt are running out of time to collect limited points left on the league table, Players across all clubs are putting performances on the line for a taste of the postseason or even to build toward next year. With so many standout performances, it’s time for Attacking Third’s team of the week.

After weekly fixtures across the 2025 NWSL campaign, Attacking Third analysts select a team of the week, head coach, and honorary captain based on performances across the weekend. If you’re keeping track of who has been on our past lineups, make sure to look back at our team selections from week 20.

Kansas City Current clinched the 2025 NWSL Shield and earned the bragging rights that come with the honor of being league winners. So it’s no secret that the club will be represented on our team picks, but there’s plenty of other surprises along the way. 

Week 22 will be here before you know it, and fans can watch select NWSL regular season matches across CBS platforms, including CBS, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+, and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Take a look at our best XI:

Goalkeeper: Lorena (Kansas City Current)

Aiding your club in winning the NWSL Shield and doing it while breaking the record for consecutive shutout minutes? The Brazilian international set a new shutout minutes record (632) in her first NWSL season and picked up her 12th clean sheet of the year. 

“She has 12 out of 14 shutouts for her club. She’s one off of the NWL record all-time of shutouts in a single season, and I think she’s probably gonna get it with the rate Kansas City is going, but she has just been so incredible coming to the league,” said Attacking Third analyst Darian Jenkins.

Defender: Janni Thomsen (Utah Royals)

The Utah Royals’ defense has been a tough backline to go up against down the stretch of the regular season. Now their players are getting involved in the goalscoring. Janni Thomsen gets her first team of the week honors with her rocket from distance.

Defender: Maycee Bell (North Carolina Courage)

The North Carolina Courage are quietly making their march toward the postseason thanks to the defensive efforts of Maycee Bell. The second-year player came up huge in week 21 with a goal-line clearance.

Defender: Reyna Reyes (Portland Thorns)

Fresh off a new contract through 2030, fullback Reyna Reyes is showing off her skillset both out of possession and in possession. She delivered the late-game heroics on a set piece on a Thorns equalizer.

Defender: Janine Sonis (Racing Louisville FC)

Once a forward and now a defender, Janine Sonis has been making an impact for Racing Louisville FC on the backline. Her goalscoring experience was on full display during week 21. 

“As a forward, they very frequently got made into a makeshift outside back-wing back,” said Jenkins. “It’s a difficult adjustment, and I think she’s handled it with so much grace, and she looks so good and still having the confidence to go forward and attack, create chances.”

Midfielder: Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage)

It’s the final few weeks of the season and there are teams in the playoff push who have to dig a little deeper for performances across the roster. Midfielder Manaka Matsukubo is a player who has been more prominent in Courage highlights as of late, whether it’s through goalscoring or playmaking.

“Even though she didn’t score the goal … she’s lights out,” said Attacking Third analyst Lori Lindsey.  “She sprung the attack for them to go on that little counterattack, and then Shinomi [Koyama] is the one that finished. But I think … without Jaedyn Shaw now for North Carolina, [Ashley] Sanchez is out, Denise O’Sullivan, like Manaka, if you’re asking players to step up in these moments, she’s doing that.”

Midfielder: Mina Tanaka (Utah Royals)

There has to be a pretty special performance if you crack the team of the week with two honors. Alyssa Naeher earned the honors weeks ago, and this time it is Mina Tanaka. She was the final pass through to teammate Janni Thomsen, and Tanaka’s efforts across lines was a key factor in Utah’s week 21 victory.

Midfielder: Evelyn Shores (Angel City)

After joining Angel City late mid-season, former University of North Carolina midfielder officially opened up her NWSL scoring account in week 22.

“I’m going to give love to Evelyn Shores. She’s been playing left back, played in the midfield, and got her first career goal. So, and this is a player that just joined Angel City, kind of at the spur of the moment in July when it was like, ‘OK, I’m not going back to college, I’m joining Angel City,” Lindsey quipped on Attacking Third. “Listen, we all remember our first goals and, to get a tie against Washington, huge.”

Forward: Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash)

The Houston Dash are hanging tough in the playoff hunt, and even though time is running out to make a playoff line leap, there’s no doubt the group has hit a stride late in the season. Forward Yazmeen Ryan delivered the game-winner after a gnarly interception and clinical finish. 

Forward: Mina Tanaka (Utah Royals)

With a double appearance on our team of the week, Tanaka’s week 21 goal was a living example of beautiful craftsmanship. A masterful first touch, dizzying technique, and clinical accuracy.

Forward: Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current)

The golden boot race is burning at both ends thanks to constant goalscoring efforts by Temwa Chawinga. Her 13th goal of the season ties her with Gotham FC’s Esther Gonzalez, with Chawinga’s two assists as the tiebreaker. She scored the goal on her birthday, a repeat moment from last season, and this time scored a header, her first header goal in NWSL. 

Coach: Vlatko Andonovski (Kansas City Current)

There’s no more debate about who the best team in the league is this year. It’s the Kansas City Current, full stop. Who will become NWSL Championship winners in 2025 is still unknown with the postseason still weeks away, but in 2025, the Current are the team who won the league. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski picks up another trophy with the club after winning the inaugural NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup last season in his first year back on NWSL sidelines. A trophy per season sounds good on paper, but maybe there’s more for Andonovski and his crew. 

Honorary captains: Kansas City Current Supporters

Once upon a time, there was division one women’s football in Kansas City untill there wasn’t, but despite previous poor leadership and neglect from former FC Kansas City ownership groups, women’s soccer support never faded in the heartland. Kansas City Current’s year-to-year evolution from 2021 has had plenty of examples of how to improve overall, but the one consistent has been unwavering support from its official supporter group KC Blue Crew. The shield win belongs to them as well.