SAN DIEGO (May 7, 2024) – The San Diego Wave announced today defender Naomi Girma is one of 11 players named to the Best XI of the Month, presented by Prime, for the months of March and April by the NWSL Media Association and the NWSL’s on-air broadcast talent. Six teams are represented in the league’s Top 11, including the Chicago Red Stars, the Kansas City Current, Portland Thorns FC, Racing Louisville FC, San Diego Wave FC and the Washington Spirit.
The 2023 NWSL Defender of the Year, Girma played in four games throughout March and April with a 94 percent pass completion percentage. As an anchor for the San Diego Wave backline, she won five tackles playing 328 minutes.
The Wave return home to host the Utah Royals tomorrow, May 8 at Snapdragon Stadium at 7 p.m. PT. Tickets are available here and the match will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.
See below for the rest of the NWSL March/ April Best XI of the Month.
GK – Alyssa Naeher (CHI): Alyssa Naeher started all six games of the season for the Chicago Red Stars and recorded 18 saves with one clean sheet. The NWSL veteran player has allowed six goals with a 75 percent save percentage throughout March and April.
D – Sam Staab (CHI): The three-time ironwoman recipient has six interceptions with two tackles won over March and April. The leader for consecutive games started in the NWSL helped Chicago to a 3-2-1 record to begin the club’s 2024 campaign.
D – Malia Berkely (NC): Malia Berkely has played every minute of the season so far for the North Carolina Courage recording one goal and a 91 percent pass completion percentage. The Ohio native has won six tackles and tallied 10 head duels.
D – Casey Krueger (WAS): Casey Krueger became the 40th field player in league history to pass the 10,000 regular-season minutes milestone and has two assists this season in back-to-back matches. The defender has won eight tackles along with six interceptions in 492 minutes of play.
M – Croix Bethune (WAS): Croix Bethune shined in her rookie season, helping lead the Washington Spirit to a 4-2-0 record with three goals and one assist in March/April. The No. 3 overall pick in the NWSL Draft, presented by Ally, leads all rookies with three goals this season. Two of her three goals have been game-winners.
M – Taylor Flint (LOU): Taylor Flint had a standout start to her Racing Louisville career winning 17 tackles along with six successful dribbles past opponents. The six-foot-one midfielder has 26 interceptions and 27 head duels.
M – Vanessa DiBernardo (KC): Vanessa DiBernardo led the league with four assists throughout March and April. The Illinois native added three goals to her four assists and played 411 minutes. She has seven goal contributions this season through the first six games.
F – Bia Zaneratto (KC): The Brazilian international is adjusting to the NWSL nicely with four goals and three assists throughout March and April. The Sao Paolo native scored Kansas City’s third goal of the club’s home opener in her league debut. Along with Sophia Smith and teammate Vanessa DiBernardo, Bia has seven goal contributions this season through the first six games.
F – Temwa Chawinga (KC): Temwa Chawinga was the first player from Malawi to score in the NWSL on March 30 against Angel City FC where she also recorded an assist in that game. Temwa has scored four goals and notched two assists through the first five matches and has registered 14 shots, 10 on target.
F – Sophia Smith (POR): As the current Golden Boot leader, Sophia Smith has recorded five goals and two assists through six games. The Colorado native leads the league with 20 shots and 11 shots on target, which she also led in both categories in 2023. She scored her 35th regular-season goal in Week 4, becoming the 9th player to score 35 regular-season goals for a single club. Smith also has seven goal contributions through the first six games of the season.
As the presenting sponsor of the NWSL Best XI, Amazon Prime is bringing fans closer to the players they love by placing the spotlight on the excellence of the athletes selected for this honor. Prime encourages members to explore their passions and interests through the entertainment they watch, the music they listen to, and the things they like to buy. You could say: Whatever you’re into, It’s on Prime. Prime Video’s NWSL coverage continues every Friday night throughout the regular season.
The NWSL Best XI of the Month, presented by Amazon Prime, is selected each month of the regular season by the NWSL Media Association, a collection of writers that cover the league on a consistent basis, and the NWSL’s on-air broadcast talent.
