Jamaica's Khadija Shaw wins Women’s Super League Player-of-the-Season Award
Key Points(5)
- Acclaimed Jamaican striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw was named the 2023-24 Women’s Super League (WSL) Player-of-the-Season in England on Friday.
- The 27-year-old forward emerged as the top scorer in the WSL, netting 21 goals in 18 matches for Manchester City Women before suffering a broken foot last month.
- This injury has sidelined her for the crucial closing stages of the season, leaving her team longing for her firepower to clinch the title ahead of holders and current leaders, Chelsea.
- The announcement of her Player-of-the-Season award came a day after Shaw was formally presented with the Women’s Footballer-of-the-Year award at the Football Writers Association awards gala, where her Manchester City counterpart Phil Foden received the men’s award.
- <h2>I’ve had a little hiccup</h2> In her acceptance speech, Shaw reflected on the season: “I’ve had a little hiccup, but overall, it’s been a good season, and I’m happy.
Acclaimed Jamaican striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw was named the 2023-24 Women’s Super League (WSL) Player-of-the-Season in England on Friday.
The 27-year-old forward emerged as the top scorer in the WSL, netting 21 goals in 18 matches for Manchester City Women before suffering a broken foot last month. This injury has sidelined her for the crucial closing stages of the season, leaving her team longing for her firepower to clinch the title ahead of holders and current leaders, Chelsea.
The announcement of her Player-of-the-Season award came a day after Shaw was formally presented with the Women’s Footballer-of-the-Year award at the Football Writers Association awards gala, where her Manchester City counterpart Phil Foden received the men’s award.
I’ve had a little hiccup
In her acceptance speech, Shaw reflected on the season: “I’ve had a little hiccup, but overall, it’s been a good season, and I’m happy. I’ve always said that the team makes me look good. I’m playing with world-class players, and that makes me look good at the end of the day. I just try to do the bits I can at the end of the pitch and work for the team, and ultimately arrive at the end of the season winning stuff. Here we are.”
Shaw's scoring prowess has been instrumental in Manchester City Women’s campaign, positioning them second in the league table, trailing Chelsea only on goal difference. With one round of matches remaining, they face mid-table Aston Villa on Saturday, needing at least three goals to have a chance at lifting the title.
“It’s exciting times,” Shaw commented on the upcoming match. “I’m going to be very nervous, to be honest, but I believe in my team, and I love every single one of them out there. Once we do our best, hopefully the best is good enough.”
Shaw has been central to her club’s title drive
Throughout the season, Shaw has been central to her club’s title drive and is poised to collect the WSL Golden Boot award, given her impressive average of a goal every hour and six minutes. She made history by becoming the first player to score three WSL hat-tricks in a calendar year and surpassed Georgia Stanway as the club’s record goal scorer.
One of the standout moments of Shaw’s season was scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory against Chelsea in February, making Manchester City Women the first visiting team to secure three points at Kingsmeadow in over three years.
Shaw faced strong competition for the Player-of-the-Season award from her City teammate Khiara Keating, who won the League’s Golden Glove for best goalkeeper, as well as Chelsea’s Lauren James and Niamh Charles, Arsenal’s Lotte Wubben-Moy, Spurs youngster Grace Clinton, Leicester’s Jutta Rantala, and Brighton forward Elisabeth Terland.
