Champions Chelsea and runners-up Manchester City dominate our standings, but others at lesser-heralded clubs also impressed
And so another Women's Super League campaign has come to a close, with Chelsea one again reigning supreme to claim a fifth-successive league title. Manchester City did brilliantly to push the Blues to the final day, though a dramatic defeat to Arsenal on the penultimate weekend of the season cost them in the end.
There were storylines elsewhere, though, particularly with Liverpool pipping Manchester United, who won the FA Cup this year and challenged for the WSL title last term, to fourth spot. It was a brilliant campaign for the Reds, who only returned to the top flight last season.
A couple of other teams outside the top three could lay claim to being home to one of the division's best players this past season too, with there some brilliant, if underrated, performers across the whole league. Here are GOAL's WSL Player of the Year rankings…
Getty Images15Hannah Hampton (Chelsea)
That Hannah Hampton only assumed control of goalkeeping duties at Chelsea in mid-December but still makes this list is telling of the high level she performed at from that point. The England international had to wait for that club debut after joining from Aston Villa in the summer, but as the old saying goes, patience is a virtue, and she reaped the rewards.
No one kept more clean sheets than Hampton after her debut, a feat made all the more impressive by the ever-changing cast in Chelsea's defence due to injuries. Of goalkeepers who made more than five appearances in that time, Man City's Khiara Keating was the only one to boast a higher save percentage, too.
Had Hampton played more games this past season, she’d certainly be higher up this list, but to sneak in from half a year’s work is impressive enough.
AdvertisementGetty Images14Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal)
It's been an up-and-down season in the WSL for Arsenal, who have pulled off some fantastic individual results against the big teams around them, beating all of Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United, but struggled for consistency across the whole campaign on their way to another third-placed finish. That lack of consistency certainly doesn't apply to their best player this season though – Lotte Wubben-Moy.
In the absence of Leah Williamson, and with Amanda Ilestedt missing due to her pregnancy, Wubben-Moy has been a rock in the heart of defence for the Gunners and brought stability to the table when they've needed it. So often when a centre-back partner has needed that calming presence alongside them, she has been that.
"I think she's really developed this season in almost all aspects of her game," head coach Jonas Eidevall said. "She's improved her playing position. She's improved her duels. She's improved her leadership on the pitch." It's not gone unnoticed by England boss Sarina Wiegman either, who has given the 25-year-old more opportunities with the Lionesses in recent months.
Getty13Lauren Hemp (Man City)
Man City fans could breathe a sigh of relief when, amid rumours of interest from Barcelona, the club announced last month that Lauren Hemp had signed a new three-year contract. “I want to take my game to the next level and I feel like I’m capable of doing that here,” she said, towards the end of a season in which she has indeed shown new dimensions to her already exhilarating game.
Hemp has never registered more direct goal involvements in a WSL campaign than this past year, her 11 goals and eight assists helping City maintain a title challenge to the final day. She played her part on both sides of the ball, too, with few wingers in the game possessing as much defensive discipline and desire as the 23-year-old.
Getty12Sjoeke Nusken (Chelsea)
Another summer signing who came up big for Chelsea this season was Sjoeke Nusken – and she did so in no fewer than five different positions. Whether alternating between holding, box-to-box and attacking midfield roles, filling in at centre-back or operating in a false nine role, the Germany international was remarkably consistent despite the demands on her being otherwise.
Though largely seen as a defensive player on her arrival in London, Nusken showcased her footballing IQ with her movement in the final third and those slightly surprising attacking instincts saw her end the WSL season with eight goals and three assists, making her one of five Chelsea players to hit double figures for direct goal involvements.