KC Current beats Reign for first major trophy, clinching best record in NWSL

Since joining the National Women’s Soccer League, the Kansas City Current has been vocal about its ambition of being the best women’s soccer club in the world.

Winning trophies is a significant part of fulfilling the vision in that equation.

The Current took a significant step forward Saturday night, hoisting one of the largest trophies they could possibly win: the NWSL Shield.

A 2-0 victory over the Seattle Reign, in front of an announced sellout crowd at CPKC Stadium, clinched the Current the best record in the NWSL regular season — and thus the NWSL Shield.

Debinha’s penalty kick gave the Current an early lead, and Temwa Chawinga’s second-half header was the icing on her own birthday cake (the soccer superstar turned 27 on Saturday).

“It’s justification of the work that we’ve done this year, and last year too,” head coach Vlatko Andonovski said after the game. “... We won (the shield) with a statement. We showed that, throughout the season, we were the best team in the league.”

With the win, the Current reached 53 points in the standings, a total that no other team can match this season. There are still five games to play in the NWSL regular season, which makes the Current the fastest team to win the shield in league history.

Current captain Lo LaBonta said during the trophy ceremony that the loss in the playoffs last season inspired the team to be as dominant as it has been this season.

“We all felt it last year when we couldn’t host the final ourselves,” LaBonta said, addressing the crowd. “But to win it here, in front of y’all, you came back and we did it.”

The Current also extended its record shutout streak to nine games in all.

“We take more pride in defending and not getting scored on, and it became part of who we are,” Andonovski said. “It’s going to take a lot for us to give up a goal. The best thing about it is that we don’t compromise the attack for the good of the defense. And that’s something that I’m really happy about.”

While Andonovski has won multiple NWSL titles in his career, he had never previously won the NWSL Shield.

Debinha gave the Current the lead in the 34th minute after a VAR review judged the Reign to have handled the ball in the box. That awarded the Current a penalty kick from the spot.

Debinha’s kick was deflected by Reign goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, but not enough to keep the ball out of the net for the Brazilian star’s sixth goal of the season.

On Chawinga’s goal, she finished off a flurry of chances in the box. Multiple deflected shots pinged around to Bia Zaneratto; her shot was blocked in front of the goal, but Chawinga was there to dunk the header into an empty net in the 74th minute.

Both Andonovski and Chawinga made a big deal out of her headed goal, partially because of a wager between the two.

The story goes that Chawinga told Andonovski she would score a headed goal this week, and if she did, he would have to dye his hair the same color. Andonovski claims he never accepted the wager. But neither Chawinga nor defender Ellie Wheeler thinks he will get off that easily.

“I scored the goal and then (ran) to him and said, ‘You’re dying your hair,’” Chawinga said.

“You’ve just gotta choose the color now,” Wheeler added.

After Chawinga scored, the crowd promptly serenaded her with a rendition of “Happy Birthday.” The goal was No. 13 of the season for Chawinga, tying Esther Gonzalez for the lead in the race for the golden boot.

Up next: The Current plays host to the Chicago Stars on Friday at 7 p.m.

Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.

This story was originally published September 20, 2025 at 8:41 PM.