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WSL Standouts: The Players Defining the Season So Far
- Grace Gunn
- Dec 17, 2025
- 5 min read
As the WSL reaches the midway point, several players have not only elevated their own performances but reshaped the identity and ambitions of their own teams.
From midfield conductors to relentless goal scorers, these individuals have caught our eyes and have been our standout players of the 25/26 season so far.
Harriet (Founder) - Kerstin Casparij
Kerstin Casparij has been one of Manchester City’s most dependable performers, combining tactical intelligence with attacking output and leadership.
With three Player of the match awards in just 11 games so far, Casparij has stepped up as stand-in captain during Alex Greenwood’s injury absence.
The fullback has helped to guid City to the top of the WSL, six points clear, while playing a pivotal role in their 10-game unbeaten run.
In 11 league matches, she’s recorded two goals and four assists, already closing in on last season’s attacking output.
Her average match rating of 7.8, places her as the third-highest rated player in the league, highlighting her week-to-week consistency and excellence.
The Dutch international has delivered in the biggest moments: scoring and assisting in City’s 3–2 win over Arsenal, scoring against Spurs, and providing an assist in their 4-1 win over London City Lionesses.
Who can talk about Casparij without mentioning her display in the Manchester Derby?
Providing two assists, providing two key interceptions, and winning 100% of her aerial duels, the Blues right back was a key player in City’s dominant Derby-day victory.
Her tactical versatility has been key to unlocking City’s system. Whether overlapping on the flank, inverting into midfield during build-up, or tracking back on the counter, Casparij rarely has a quiet game, becoming one of the first names on the team sheet.
Athenea (Researcher & Graphic Designer) - Olivia Holdt
Olivia Holdt has been the driving force behind Tottenham Hotspur’s dramatic improvement so far this season. Already surpassing her combined goal and assist tally from last year, Holdt’s influence has expanded well beyond the stat sheet.
In the 2024/25 WSL campaign, the midfielder recorded one goal and one assist across 11 appearances.
This season, she has already delivered three goals and two assists in 10 league matches, alongside two additional goals in the Subway League Cup. Joint top of Spurs’ goals and assists chart with Tandberg and England (five), Holdt has been decisive in key moments.
Her standout performance came against Manchester United, where she provided two assists, earned Player of the Match, and completed 94% of her passes, demonstrating her ability to dictate high-level fixtures.
She has also scored match-winning goals against Leicester and Aston Villa, who can forget that dramatic 95th-minute winner?
Beyond goals, Holdt’s technical security has allowed her side to control midfield areas far more effectively in games. Her pass accuracy has rarely dipped below 74%, contributing to greater composure and stability across the central third.
Holdt has been at the heart of it all — a midfielder offering both attacking output and defensive intensity, collecting multiple Player of the Match awards and setting the tempo for a Spurs side redesigned.
Grace (Researcher & Graphic Designer) - Jess Park
Jess Park’s arrival has added a new dimension to Manchester United’s attacking structure. Dynamic, intelligent, and relentless, she has quickly become one of Marc Skinner’s most important players.
In the WSL, Park has produced four goals and two assists, making her United’s second-highest goalscorer, behind only Melvine Malard, and the second-highest contributor overall, trailing Ella Toone.
Her influence was certainly highlighted against her former side Everton, where she came off the bench to score two decisive goals, single-handedly securing all three points for the Red Devils.
Park’s impact is not just confined to the final third. Against Brighton, she recorded a goal and an assist, while also contributing six recoveries, three clearances, and a 100% dribble success rate, a performance that underlined her defensive ability also.
Her ability to drive into the box, attack defenders directly, and link play has added an additional stylistic layer to United which they had previously lacked.
Seamlessly integrating into the side, Park looked at home instantly, forming an effective partnership with Lionesses’ teammate, Toone.
Her rapid start to life at the red side of Manchester has been recognised formally, with the number eight picking up the Manchester United Player of the Month for both October and November, as well as the WSL and PFA Fans’ Player of the Month for October.
She’s not only been consistent, but she’s also been the missing piece.
Betsy (Head Researcher) - Bunny Shaw
Bunny Shaw has been the league’s most devastating attacking force. With 12 goals in 11 WSL matches, she leads the scoring charts and is averaging an extraordinary 1.1 goals per game ratio.
Her most explosive display came against Aston Villa, where she scored four goals to reach her 100th… and now 103rd… Manchester City goal, becoming the first female baller at the club to do so.
Consistency is the definition of the striker. Netting in four consecutive league matches and both scoring and assisting in the Manchester Derby, Shaw underlines her status of being the league’s most prolific figure in front of goal.
The Jamaican forward has also added assists to her game, providing three so far, and has already surpassed her 24/25 tally of 2, reflecting her growing all-round contribution.
Defensively, Shaw has been equally committed, registering 31 recoveries, playing a vital role in City’s high press and winning possession high up the pitch.
Her performances have earned her five FotMob Player of the Match awards, alongside an astonishing average rating of 8.35, the highest of any player in the WSL.
There is no surprise that maintaining a fit and healthy Bunny Shaw has been key to the Blues’ 10-game unbeaten run as the striker has been formidable in front of goal, having already matched her tally from last season.
Simply put, Shaw has been unplayable.
Sophie (Content Creator & Writer) - Yui Hasegawa
If Shaw provides the firepower, Yui Hasegawa supplies the control.
The deep-lying midfielder has been City’s most consistent presence, dictating tempo and anchoring the side with composure and intelligence.
Covering almost every blade of grass in every single match, Hasegawa operates as the key and central engine of the midfield.
While often perceived as purely defensive, she has contributed one goal and one assist, including the winning goal against Brighton, showing her ability to influence decisive moments.
Her technical security is reflected in an 84.3% pass completion rate, while defensively she has made 61 recoveries in 11 matches, committing just three fouls — a testament to her discipline and positional awareness.
Often overlooked, Hasegawa’s value lies in her ability to control matches quietly, allowing City’s attacking players to flourish.
Without her balance and intelligence, the system simply does not function in the same way.
Amelie (Content Creator & Writer) - Ellie Carpenter
Ellie Carpenter has wasted no time in establishing herself at Chelsea. Delivering exactly what the reigning champions demand from their wingbacks, Carpenter has provided intensity, reliability, and immediate end product.
In her opening WSL appearances, the Matildas’ star has registered one goal and two assists, with her influence felt from the very start.
She provided an assist for Aggie Beever-Jones on debut, before scoring her first Blues goal against London City, showcasing her confidence in advanced areas from the off.
That impact was recognised early, as Carpenter was named Player of the Match on her league debut against Manchester City — a statement introduction against elite opposition.
Operating from the wing-back role, Carpenter has displayed an 86.7% pass completion rate, and made 67 recoveries, so far whilst having been dribbled past just three times in 10 matches.
The former Champions League winner has been defensively robust yet aggressive in the press, gaining possession 15 times in the final third and winning 38 duels, reflecting both her work rate and tactical discipline.
Chelsea’s structure has allowed Carpenter to push higher up the pitch, with Lucy Bronze often sitting deeper to provide cover, enabling her to attack space and deliver consistently.
Carpenter has seamlessly slotted into the Chelsea side, looking like a player long embedded in the system.
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