The 2023-24 WSL promised to deliver excitement, shocks and stunners and it did so in abundance. James and Shaw get into our Team of the Season, but who else makes it in? Plus, we have our Manager of the Season, Signing of the Season, Player of the Year and Young Player of the Season awards to give.
Goalkeeper: Khiara Keating (Manchester City)
At the tender age of just 19, Keating’s stock has skyrocketed and she has seen off the challenges of Ellie Roebuck and Sandy MacIver to become the undisputed No. 1 for the Citizens. A fantastic young shot-stopper, she has also shown a brilliant range of passing to help set up City on fast counters and dominate possession in nearly every game. 9 clean sheets helped secure the Golden Glove - a shoo-in for this side.
Defender: Laia Alexaindri (Manchester City)
The former Atlético Madrid defender took a little while last year to find her best form in the WSL, but she has sparkled all year with sensational performances and peerless defensive consistency. Her ability to step out of defence makes her an extra midfielder at times, and when she is forced in a one-on-one duel, she rarely doesn’t come out on the winning side. City’s only concern will be whether the allure of Barcelona draws her back to Spain.
Defender: Gemma Bonner (Liverpool)
In her 2nd spell at Liverpool, Gemma Bonner is enjoying a fantastic renaissance as a leader on and off the pitch. The powerful central defender is an absolute titan in the air which makes her priceless in both boxes. Although she does collect a fair few yellow cards, her full-blooded and no-nonsense approach to the game has ensured she can tame even the most fierce forwards and she does pop up with the odd goal too - notably the winner against Manchester United this season.
Defender: Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal FC)
Despite the Gunners having a poor year overall, Wubben-Moy has only seen her stock rise. Thrust into the fire after the departure of Rafaelle and the injury to Leah Williamson, LWM has continued to shine as she gathers more and more experience. A classic central defender who is extremely adept at timing her tackles and also always up for the physical battle, she’s produced impressive performances this year against the likes of Sam Kerr, Lauren James, Bunny Shaw and Lauren Hemp.
Defender: Niamh Charles (Chelsea FC)
The 24-year-old was an ever-present in Emma Hayes’s final campaign for the Blues and impressed immensely, making the left-back spot her own despite fierce competition from established internationals. Extremely effective with progressive drives down the wing and whipped crosses, Charles also has an uncanny knack for turning up in the key moments to score important goals and ended the year with 2 goals and 6 assists. A key player now for the club and the Lionesses too.
Midfield: Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City)
The metronomic Japanese midfielder has reached a new level this year under Gareth Taylor and has arguably become the most important player for them. Her positioning is second to none, allowing her to constantly disrupt and stop opposition attacks, whilst in possession she almost never gives the ball away and is always eyeing up the killer pass to unlock a defence. She’s approaching her prime and it’s going to be a very good one.
Midfield: Erin Cuthbert (Chelsea FC)
The Scottish midfielder has gone from strength to strength in her time at Chelsea and is now the first name on the team sheet. Tough tackling and tenacious off the ball with an insatiable appetite to tackle, her engine keeps her going every minute of every match. On the ball, she has a stupendous passing range, and a very sharp, precise and powerful strike. Often, she is the player who has stepped up to be counted this year for Chelsea and it’s extremely doubtful they’d have had anywhere near as successful a season without her.
Midfield: Grace Clinton (Tottenham Hotspur)
The young on-loan midfielder started the season as a solid if not spectacular rotation option and ended it as one of Spurs’ most important players. Her creative aptitude saw her break defences apart at will with skilful dribbling and passing, whilst she caught the eye with some stunning strikes from range. By the end of the season, Clinton has now become a regular name for Sarina Wiegman to rely on too. Will Spurs be able to bring her back permanently this summer?
Attacker: Lauren James (Chelsea FC)
2023-24 was the year Lauren James exploded in style and announced herself globally as a world-class young attacker. Multiple hat-tricks this season saw her win several games all by herself as her end product reached a whole new level. Furthermore, plenty of other matches were decided by her ability to unlock defences with skilful, direct and deadly dribbling ability to create space for herself and her teammates. The 2nd-top goalscorer in the league, she was rightly named PFA Fan’s POTY.
Attacker: Bunny Shaw (Manchester City)
Bunny Shaw continues to demonstrate that she is one of the best forwards in the world. Capable of finishing with both feet, as well as an aerial powerhouse, Shaw’s combination of pace, power and control has seen her single-handedly demolish defences, scoring 21 times and grabbing 3 assists in just 18 matches. If she hadn’t had her season curtailed due to injury, Manchester City undoubtedly would have lifted the title.
Attacker: Elisabeth Terland (Brighton and Hove Albion)
The Seagulls were able to steer clear of any real relegation danger largely due to the performances of Terland, who at times took the team on her back to secure priceless points. Her turn of pace surprised a lot of teams who were unable to cope with her ability to time runs and when she was presented with decent chances, she took them a lot of the time. 13 goals for Brighton is impressive - how many would she get if she played in a more dominant side?
Honourable Mentions:
Hannah Hampton (Chelsea FC): A lot of people questioned why Hampton chose Chelsea last summer. They’ve been shut up in style by the English stopper, who has grabbed the starting spot at Kingsmeadow and kept clean sheet after clean sheet after clean sheet.
Alex Greenwood (Manchester City FC): The English defender has enjoyed a stellar year for club and country and has emerged as a real leader for the Citizens. Versatile defensively, she is extremely strong when it comes to one-on-one duels and also can deliver teasing, delightful crosses.
Marie Höbinger (Liverpool FC): The Austrian midfielder has been a fantastic signing for the Reds, blending a knack of controlling possession with a consistent ability to deliver accurate dead balls to create chances. 5 goals and 4 assists is a very tidy 1st season return.
Jutta Rantala (Leicester City): The Finnish forward starred all season long for the Foxes, showing fantastic consistency with the end product in and around the box. 6 goals, 5 assists and plenty of priceless points won.
End-of-Season Awards
Manager of the Season: Matt Beard (Liverpool FC)
Matt Beard has once again got every ounce out of a Liverpool squad which on paper does not necessarily look the strongest, guiding them to 4th place. His tactical acumen and know-how has seen them become one of the hardest teams to beat due to their insatiable work rate and never-say-die attitude. On their day, they can beat anyone in the league, as shown by victories over Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal this year. Some good acquisitions in the summer, and they could be battling for a UWCL return in 2025.
Player of the Season: Bunny Shaw (Manchester City)
It’s not just the goals with Bunny Shaw that impress you. Her all-round centre-forward play is brilliant and she’s often found tracking back to put in that key interception or stop an opponent from having a clear run. Where she does shine the most is in and around the opposition penalty box, however, as it is impossible to push her off the ball, she rarely misses from around 20 yards and once she gets one goal, it’s almost inevitable that two or perhaps even three will follow. A very worthy winner of the Player of the Season, despite not finishing as a Champion.
Young Player of the Year: Khiara Keating (Manchester City)
Manchester City’s stingy defence was only breached fifteen times all season and a large part of that was due to Keating’s ability to step up in key moments with huge saves and dominant performances despite her tender age. Even though she did make some mistakes, they were almost always followed by incredible reflex saves or brilliant commanding goalkeeping, and her laser-like distribution made her more like a midfielder than a shot-stopper when on the ball. She’s going to win plenty of plaudits and accolades in her career if she keeps this up.
Signing of the Season: Sjoeke Nüsken (Chelsea FC)
When Chelsea acquired Sjoeke Nüsken from Eintracht Frankfurt for a bargain sum, it was expected she would play as either a No. 6 or in the centre of defence. Instead, Emma Hayes ripped up the rulebook and deployed Nüsken as an attacking midfield and centre-forward. What followed was a stunning debut year with Nüsken creating chaos and creating opportunities for goals every time she stepped on the pitch. The German international claimed 12 goals in all competitions, scored a WSL hat-trick and also looked comfortable deeper in midfield, in central defence and even at right-back. Money well spent for sure.