The Women’s Soccer Players Nominated For ESPYs

The 2021 ESPYs are days away with two women’s soccer categories, Best NWSL Player and Best International Athlete, Women’s Soccer. A full list of nominees and categories can be found here. 

The nominees in the women’s soccer categories feature some impressive players from around the world. Here are the players up for trophies at this year’s ESPYs:

 

Best NWSL Player

Rachel Daly – Houston Dash

Daly started all seven games of the 2020 Challenge Cup and was only subbed off once for the Dash. She created 11 chances, scored three goals, and had two assists while leading Houston to lift the Challenge Cup trophy and earn Challenge Cup MVP. 

 

Kailen Sheridan – NJ/NY Gotham FC

Sheridan is the spine of the Gotham defense in goal. During the 2020 Challenge Cup, she played in all six games for the club, coming away with three clean sheets. She finished the tournament with a 77.8% save success rate, making 21 saves in six games. Sheridan was also named the 2020 Challenge Cup Golden Glove winner. In the 2020 Fall Series, she had 13 saves in four games. 

 

Julie Ertz – Chicago Red Stars

Julie Ertz had a solid 2020 Challenge Cup with the Red Stars as the team’s leader in the midfield. She started all six games she played in and was a big part of Chicago’s defensive efforts in that tournament, earning her a spot on the Best XI tournament team. 

 

Lynn Williams – North Carolina Courage

Williams was a bright spot in a slightly disappointing 2020 Challenge Cup for the North Carolina Courage. She had three goals and an assist in five games, landing herself on the 2020 Challenge Cup Best XI team. Williams had a successful Fall Series as well, bagging three goals and an assist in four games.

 

Best International Athlete, Women’s Soccer

Sam Kerr – Chelsea/ Australia National Team

During the 2020-21 FA WSL season, Kerr scored 21 goals in 22 appearances for the Blues earning the league’s Golden Boot. The forward helped Chelsea to the FA Women’s Super League title for the second season in a row, the FA Women’s League Cup Championship, and the UEFA Women’s Championship League final. In five appearances with the Australian National Team in 2020, Kerr scored two goals. 

 

Fran Kirby – Chelsea/England National Team

After being sidelined with a serious illness, Kirby returned to the field in August of 2020. She was Chelsea’s best player during the 2020-21 season, winning FWA’s 2021 Women’s Footballer of the Year and the PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year for the second time. In 18 appearances, she had 16 goals for the Blues. With the English National Team, Kirby converted a penalty against France in April of 2021. 

 

Vivianne Miedema – Arsenal/Netherlands National Team

Miedema had a successful 2020-21 campaign, scoring 23 goals in 22 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal. In October of 2020, she became the first player in the WSL to score 50 goals in their career. 

 

Sam Mewis – Manchester City/North Carolina Courage – USWNT

Mewis’ recent form created talk that she is the best player in the world right now. She played in the 2020 Challenge Cup with the North Carolina Courage, starting four games and scoring a goal plus adding an assist. She had a successful stint with Manchester City for their 2020-21 campaign, appearing 32 times and scoring 16 goals for the club. She was an important part of helping City secure the 2019-20 Women’s FA Cup, scoring in both the semifinal and final. She was also named to the FA WSL PFA Team of the Year. With the USWNT, Mewis played in eight games, scoring four goals for the stars and stripes. She was also named the 2020 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year. 

 

Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports

Jaelin Howell – Florida State

As a junior in 2020, she started 16 games for the Seminoles. She helped lead them to a perfect regular season, an ACC Championship, and the National Championship game. Howell scored five goals and had two assists as a junior. In addition, she racked up the accolades winning the MAC Hermann Trophy, ACC Midfielder of the Year, Honda Award finalists, and more. 

 

How to Vote

Voting for the ESPYS is done online on the ESPN website. So make sure to get your votes in before July 9th at 8 p.m. ET. 

 

How to Watch

The ESPYS will be live on Saturday, July 10 at 8 p.m. ET and televised on ABC. 

 

Featured Image via Maddie Meyer/Getty Image

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