The National Women’s Soccer League has recognized Naomi Girma of the San Diego Wave FC as the 2022 NWSL Rookie of the Year. Girma was also selected the 2022 NWSL Defender of the Year, making her the only NWSL player to receive two individual end-of-year accolades in a rookie season.
Girma, the first overall pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft, was a consistent presence on the Wave FC backline throughout the regular season, ending with 95 clearances, 24 interceptions, and 20 tackles in 20 games. The San Jose, California native also had 176 recoveries and topped all league defenders in defensive half possession won.
Girma had a passing accuracy rate of more than 90%, the highest among San Diego defenders and a top-10 percentage in the league. She also had a 71 percent duel success rate, which was the most in the league among backs who played at least 14 games.
Girma’s outstanding play throughout the regular season earned her berths on four of the league’s five Best XI of the Month teams, as well as two Rookie of the Month choices.
Girma’s former Stanford teammate Sophia Smith also became the youngest regular season league MVP, further cementing the legacy and quality of players that come out of the Pac-12 school.
1 comment
Comments are closed.