Rose Lavelle Wins U.S. Soccer's Player of the Year

Rose Lavelle turned a year that started with injury into one of the most memorable seasons of her career, earning U.S. Soccer's Female Player of the Year award for 2025.

The 30-year-old midfielder missed much of the first half of the year recovering from an ankle injury. But when she returned to the field, she made every moment count.

Lavelle scored six goals during the regular season for Gotham FC, then delivered when it mattered most. In the NWSL Championship final, she scored the only goal to defeat the Washington Spirit 1-0, bringing her team the title.

That championship-winning goal made history. Lavelle became the first player ever to score in both two NWSL Championships and a FIFA Women's World Cup final.

For the U.S. Women's National Team, she appeared in six matches despite her injury layoff, scoring three goals and adding three assists. Voters recognized her impact, giving her nearly 30% of the weighted vote for the award.

"This award is definitely shared with all the people I was lucky enough to have in my corner along the way," Lavelle said. She credited her family, medical staff, teammates, coaches, and friends for supporting her recovery journey.

Her Gotham FC teammate Lilly Reale also had reason to celebrate. The rookie defender won U.S. Soccer's Young Female Player of the Year with 48% of the vote.

Reale played 2,217 minutes across 29 matches in her first professional season. She made her USWNT debut against Ireland in June, recording a shutout and her first international assist in that same match.

Why This Inspires

These awards show that setbacks don't define careers. Lavelle could have let her injury derail her season, but instead she used it as motivation to come back stronger.

Her journey from the training room to scoring a championship-winning goal reminds us that patience and persistence pay off. Meanwhile, Reale's rapid rise from the U23 team to the senior national squad shows what happens when young talent meets opportunity.

Both players join elite company. Lavelle becomes the 22nd different player to win the Female Player of the Year award, following legends like Abby Wambach (six wins) and Mia Hamm (five wins).

Two players, two different career stages, one shared message: comeback stories and breakthrough moments make sports beautiful.