Haley Hopkins Shocks NWSL, Named Player of the Month

Kansas City Current forward Haley Hopkins has been named NWSL Player of the Month for October/November, the league announced Thursday.

The award covers the final stretch of the regular season, when Hopkins scored three goals and added one assist across four matches.

Her performances helped the Current secure the No. 4 seed in the NWSL playoffs with a 16-5-9 record and 53 points.

Kansas City will host No. 5 seed Angel City FC on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 11 a.m. CT at CPKC Stadium.

The match kicks off at 17:00 UTC.

Hopkins, 25, joined the Current as a forward in 2024 after being drafted by the North Carolina Courage.

This is her first NWSL Player of the Month award.

She finished the regular season with eight goals and four assists in 29 appearances.

Her October/November run included a game-winning goal against Racing Louisville FC on Oct. 23 that clinched Kansas City’s third consecutive playoff berth.

That match ended 2-0 and locked the Current into a top-four finish.

Head coach Chris Armas took over the team ahead of the 2026 season after the Current started 2-3, sparking concern among fans and analysts.

The team recovered to post 16 wins, 5 losses and 9 draws over 30 games.

CPKC Stadium opened in 2024 as the first purpose-built stadium for an NWSL team.

The venue is undergoing a $1.4 billion expansion that will add roughly 6,500 seats, bringing total capacity to 18,000, plus premium boxes, a pedestrian bridge, parking garage, trail extensions and a mixed-use district called “Current Land.”

Public bonds totaling $235 million are funding part of the project.

Patrick Mahomes and Brittany Mahomes are part-owners of the Kansas City Current.

Brittany Mahomes posted on social media expressing pride in the team’s playoff qualification.

The Current’s playoff match against Angel City will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and streamed on Fubo.

Angel City finished the regular season with a 12-11-7 record, good for 43 points and the No. 5 seed.

The two teams met twice during the regular season, with Kansas City winning 2-1 at home on Aug. 30 and drawing 1-1 on the road on June 21.

Hopkins did not score in either of those matches.

Union Station in Kansas City turned teal on Monday to celebrate the Current’s postseason run, with a teal carpet event and a new hype video.

Midfielder Croix Bethune said at the event: “The first thing I noticed coming here to Kansas City is how much they do support us. Whether you are walking on the bridge or you see the train cars, or literally you just see Kansas City Current like on everything. The teal, the red, the buildings. It’s everywhere.”

The NWSL playoffs feature eight teams in a single-elimination bracket.

The quarterfinal round begins this weekend, with the top four seeds hosting matches at their home stadiums.

The semifinals and championship game will be held at neutral sites.

Kansas City reached the NWSL Championship in 2024 but lost to Orlando Pride.

Angel City has never advanced past the quarterfinals in its three previous playoff appearances.

The winner of Saturday’s match will face the winner of No. 1 seed Gotham FC vs. No. 8 seed Seattle Reign in the semifinals.

Hopkins’ Player of the Month award is the third in Kansas City Current history.

Forward Temwa Chawinga won the award twice in 2024.

The NWSL Player of the Month is selected by a panel of media members and fans based on statistical performance and impact.

Hopkins was a fourth-round draft pick in 2023 out of Virginia Tech.

She scored 12 goals in her collegiate career and was named to the ACC All-Tournament team in 2022.

In the NWSL, she has 14 goals and 8 assists across three seasons.

Her October/November shooting percentage was 42.9%, well above the league average for forwards.

She created six chances for teammates during the award period.

Kansas City’s offense averaged 2.1 goals per game in October/November, up from 1.6 in the first three months of the season.

The Current’s defense allowed only three goals in the final four matches of the regular season.

Goalkeeper AD Franch recorded two clean sheets during that stretch.

Defender Alana Cook was named to the NWSL Best XI Second Team for the 2026 season.

The Current have not lost a home match since Aug. 24, a stretch of six games.

CPKC Stadium’s capacity is currently 11,500, making it one of the smaller venues in the league.

The expansion is expected to be completed before the 2028 season.

Kansas City’s average attendance in 2026 was 10,842, third-highest in the NWSL.

Angel City averaged 14,832, second-highest in the league.

The match on Saturday is expected to be a sellout.

Kickoff temperature is forecast to be 48 degrees Fahrenheit with partly cloudy skies.

Hopkins said in the league’s award announcement that she was “honored and grateful” for the recognition.

She credited her teammates and coaching staff for creating opportunities.

The award comes with a $2,500 bonus, per the NWSL collective bargaining agreement.

Hopkins is the first Kansas City Current player to win Player of the Month in the 2026 season.

The NWSL regular season ran from March 14 to Nov. 1, with each team playing 30 matches.

Kansas City finished fourth in the standings behind Gotham FC, San Diego Wave and Washington Spirit.

Gotham FC led the league with 59 points.

San Diego Wave finished with 56 points.

Washington Spirit finished with 54 points.

The Current’s 16 wins tied for third-most in the league.

Angel City’s 12 wins were tied for sixth.

Saturday’s match will be officiated by referee Katja Koroleva.

The NWSL uses video assistant referee (VAR) for all playoff matches.

A draw after 90 minutes will go directly to penalty kicks, with no extra time in the quarterfinal round.

The semifinals and final will use extra time before penalties.

The championship match is scheduled for Nov. 22 at a venue to be announced.

Kansas City’s last playoff match was a 2-1 loss to Orlando in the 2024 final.

Angel City’s last playoff match was a 1-0 loss to OL Reign in the 2023 quarterfinals.

The two teams have never met in the playoffs before.

Hopkins will wear the No. 9 jersey for the Current.

She was named to the NWSL Team of the Month for October/November alongside five other players.

The full Team of the Month roster includes goalkeeper Jane Campbell, defenders Naomi Girma and Emily Fox, midfielders Rose Lavelle and Sam Coffey, and forwards Hopkins and Sophia Smith.

Hopkins was the only Kansas City player selected.

The award is voted on by the NWSL Media Association and fan balloting.

Fan voting accounted for 20% of the final tally.

Hopkins received 67% of the total vote.

Her closest competitor was Washington Spirit forward Ashley Hatch with 18%.

The award announcement was made on the NWSL’s official social media channels.

Hopkins’ teammates celebrated the news with posts on Instagram and X.

The Kansas City Current account posted a graphic of Hopkins with the caption “OUR PLAYER OF THE MONTH.”

Brittany Mahomes reposted the announcement with a teal heart emoji.

Patrick Mahomes has not publicly commented on the award.

The Chiefs quarterback is preparing for a Nov. 10 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Kansas City’s run to the playoffs has drawn attention from local and national media.

The Kansas City Star, KCTV, FOX 4 and The Athletic have all covered the team’s postseason push.

Nationally, CBS Sports and Fox Sports have highlighted the Current’s turnaround under Armas.

The team started the season 2-3 before going 14-2-7 over the final 25 matches.

Armas was hired in January 2026 after coaching the Chicago Red Stars in 2024.

He previously served as an assistant with the U.S. men’s national team and New York Red Bulls.

The Current’s roster includes U.S. women’s national team players Sam Coffey and Alana Cook.

International players from Canada, Brazil, Sweden and Australia also feature on the squad.

Angel City’s roster includes U.S. national team forward Alex Morgan and Brazil international Marta.

Morgan scored 12 goals in the regular season, tied for fourth in the league.

Marta recorded 8 assists, tied for third.

The match on Saturday will be the third all-time playoff meeting between a Kansas City team and an LA team in professional soccer.

The previous two were in MLS between Sporting Kansas City and LA Galaxy.

This is the first NWSL playoff meeting between teams from the two cities.

The NWSL was founded in 2012 and began play in 2013.

Kansas City joined the league in 2021 after the Utah Royals FC relocated.

The team was originally called Kansas City NWSL before rebranding to Kansas City Current in 2022.

Angel City FC joined the league as an expansion team in 2022.

The Current’s teal and red color scheme is inspired by the city’s fountains and the Kansas River.

CPKC Stadium is located in the Berkley Riverfront neighborhood, near downtown Kansas City.

The stadium’s name comes from a naming rights deal with Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway.

Union Station’s teal lighting is part of a citywide effort to show support for the team.

The station’s Grand Hall will host fan events before Saturday’s match.

Hopkins is expected to start at forward alongside Temwa Chawinga.

Chawinga led the Current with 14 goals in the regular season.

Midfielder Debinha is listed as questionable with a hamstring injury.

If Debinha cannot play, rookie midfielder Alex Pfeiffer is likely to start.

Angel City defender Sarah Gorden is out with a torn ACL.

Forward Sydney Leroux is probable after recovering from a calf strain.

The match will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 in the United States.

International viewers can stream on NWSL’s website.

Kickoff is at 11 a.m. CT, 12 p.m. ET.

Tickets for the match sold out within 48 hours of going on sale.

Standing-room-only tickets were released Wednesday and sold out in 90 minutes.

CPKC Stadium’s capacity for the match will be 11,500.

The NWSL set a single-season attendance record in 2026 with an average of 11,482 per match.

Kansas City’s 10,842 average was above the league average of 9,876 in 2025.

The league expanded to 14 teams in 2026 with the addition of Boston and Denver.

The playoff field includes Gotham FC, San Diego Wave, Washington Spirit, Kansas City Current, Angel City FC, Orlando Pride, North Carolina Courage and Seattle Reign.

Orlando Pride won the NWSL Shield as the top regular-season team.

Gotham FC won the NWSL Championship in 2023.

The Current are seeking their first NWSL title.

Hopkins’ Player of the Month award is a bright spot for a team that has faced questions about its depth.

The Current have used 23 different starting lineups this season due to injuries and international call-ups.

Hopkins started 22 of 29 matches she appeared in.

Her 1,782 minutes played ranked sixth among Current field players.

She averaged 61.4 minutes per appearance.

Her three goals in October/November came on seven shots on target.

She also drew two penalty kicks during the award period.

Both penalties were converted by Chawinga.

Hopkins’ passing accuracy in the final third was 78% during the stretch.

She completed 12 of 16 dribbles.

Defensively, she made 6 tackles and 4 interceptions.

Her work rate has drawn praise from Armas, who called her “a coach’s dream” in a post-match press conference.

The award is likely to increase Hopkins’ profile heading into the offseason.

She is under contract with Kansas City through 2027 with a club option for 2028.

Her base salary for 2026 was $62,500, according to NWSL Players Association data.

The league’s minimum salary in 2026 was $40,000.

Hopkins’ salary ranks in the middle tier of NWSL forwards.

She has not yet been called up to the U.S. women’s national team.

A strong playoff run could change that.

U.S. coach Emma Hayes has said she is watching NWSL playoff performances closely.

The USWNT will play a pair of friendlies in December against England and Germany.

Hopkins has not been named to any preliminary rosters for those matches.

She was a training camp invitee in January 2025 but did not make the final squad.

The Current’s playoff match against Angel City will be a test of whether Hopkins can perform under pressure.

She has played in two playoff matches in her career, both losses.

In those matches, she had zero goals and one assist.

Her assist came in the 2024 quarterfinal against North Carolina.

Hopkins said in the award announcement that she is “excited for the opportunity to compete for a championship.”

The Current are considered underdogs against Angel City by some oddsmakers.

DraftKings lists Kansas City as +140 favorites to win.

Angel City is listed at +200.

A draw after 90 minutes is +240.