Summary

The NWSL Defender of the Year award is presented annually to the best defensive player in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

Becky Sauerbrunn won the first three Defender of the Year awards from 2013 to 2015 and added her fourth in 2019. The most recent winner is Emily Sams (2024).

As of 2024, the NWSL's individual end-of-year awards are voted upon in two rounds: in the first round, players (50%), owners/general managers/coaches (25%), and media (25%) vote to determine the nominees; in the second round, players (40%), owners/general managers/coaches (25%), media (25%), and fans (10%) vote among the nominees to determine the winner.

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