MANCHESTER, England — Even an untimely injury couldn’t stop Khadija “Bunny” Shaw from reclaiming her throne atop England’s Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL).
The Jamaican star forward etched her name in the history books once more, finishing the 2024–25 season as the league’s joint top scorer—a remarkable feat accomplished in just 14 appearances.
Despite missing a significant portion of the campaign due to injury, the 28-year-old Manchester City striker tallied 12 goals, tying with Arsenal’s Alessia Russo, who required 21 games to reach the same total. The contrast only served to amplify Shaw’s efficiency and elite goal-scoring prowess.
Records, rivals, and ruthless finishing
Before injury sidelined her in the Subway League Cup final against Chelsea, Shaw was in searing form. Her season highlight came at the Etihad Stadium, where she fired a hat-trick in a 4–0 dismantling of Tottenham Hotspur, setting a WSL record for most hat-tricks scored in league history—six in total, underscoring her dominance and continued torment of the north London side.
She added five more goals across subsequent league fixtures, keeping City in contention before her campaign was cut short. In doing so, she reinforced her legacy as Manchester City’s all-time leading goalscorer—a record she continues to extend whenever fit and firing.
Golden boot, silver lining
While Manchester City’s season fell short of expectations—they finished fourth, missed out on all silverware, and failed to secure Champions League qualification—Shaw’s individual brilliance offered a glimmer of pride for the club and its supporters. Her second consecutive WSL Golden Boot stands as a powerful testament to her enduring quality and resilience.
Last season, she blazed her way to the scoring summit with 21 goals in 18 matches, setting a high bar that few could match. That she returned this year to defend her crown with fewer minutes and fewer chances only heightens the magnitude of her achievement.
A Caribbean Queen in Europe’s elite
Shaw’s continued excellence has not gone unnoticed across Europe and the global footballing community. As a trailblazer for Caribbean athletes on the world stage, her back-to-back Golden Boot titles underscore a career that’s already rewriting the narrative for Jamaican and Caribbean footballers in elite competition.
Injury may have forced an early halt to her campaign, but the numbers—and the accolades—speak volumes. Bunny Shaw is not just scoring goals; she’s redefining what greatness looks like.
