Sometimes, you watch a striker on a breakaway or a defender burning rubber to recover, and you can’t help but be stunned by how fast she is running. Obviously, the NWSL is full of fierce players, but today, we are talking about the fastest players in the league. From literal speed to speed of play and ability to make things happen in attack, here’s our list of ten of the fastest players in the NWSL.
Trinity Rodman
Rodman doesn’t just run; she trucks. She is the last person many defenders would want to see on a breakaway because they know she just won’t stop. She has dusted some of the best defenses and midfielders around, and she’s just getting started.
Mallory Swanson
The most impressive thing about Swanson’s speed is how endless it seems. Usually, people come back from injury with some change to their game, and you could say that’s true for Swanson because she appears to be better than ever. As we’ve seen time and time again, there is actually no stopping her.
Claire Emslie
Emslie has brought Angel City to life with her thoughtful speed. As a winger, she is always there to support from the sides and cause trouble for defense. Dribbling at speed is her forte; her hot feet have created an incredible number of opportunities for her team.
Barbra Banda
Banda is known and feared for her speed internationally. She is the kind of player who is not afraid to make or take opportunities. She is Zambia’s hattrick queen, which is largely thanks to her stamina and endurance.
Croix Bethune
She is one of, if not the shortest, players in the league right now, and what she lacks in vert, she makes up for in speed. Bethune is the pinnacle of quickness. She’s got that blink, and you’ll miss its speed when it comes to sprinting down the wing or finessing the ball.
Vanessa DiBernardo
You gotta have speed in your midfield, and for the KC Current that’s DiBernardo. She has been in the league for a decade and is still not just keeping up but setting the tone and pace for many of these games.
Sophia Smith
Smith is a problem for defensive lines before they even know she’s there. Her ability to weave and cut has people literally falling at her feet. We’re surprised she hasn’t started fires on the pitch with just how fast she can go.
Naomi Girma
It’s going to be hard to find a top ten list that doesn’t include Naomi Girma for the foreseeable future. As a defender, she has to be quick to keep up with and cut off those troublesome strikers. And that’s exactly what we watch her do game after game.
Temwa Chawinga
Maybe the only thing faster than Chawinga’s legs is her mind. Not only is Chawinga incredibly fast and able to change the entire game on a dime, but she’s smart about how she uses that speed. She is a master of the quick shot, bringing defenders to their knees and keeping keepers guessing. She’s like an assassin; by the time she strikes, it’s already too late.
Lynn Williams
You can’t break the league goal-scoring record without having some speed to get you there. Williams is finally getting her moment, and she is not shying away from it. She will take advantage of any and every mistake a keeper or defender could make and turn them into points. She’s clocked a lot of miles for this game. Now, it’s time for the world to keep up with her.
Featured image via Getty Images
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