NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga unavailable for KC Current’s season opener
Two-time defending National Women’s Soccer League MVP Temwa Chawinga will not be available for the beginning of the Kansas City Current’s 2026 season, as confirmed by head coach Chris Armas on Friday. The timeline for Chawinga’s return is still uncertain.
Kansas City is set to kick off the new season on Saturday at home against the Utah Royals.
“With Temwa, we need to be very strategic about how we reintegrate her into training, in appropriate increments,” Armas informed the media. “What I can share is that she’s making progress. While she isn’t ready yet, she is getting closer, which means we are seeing her on the training field these days.”
“This season is particularly demanding for these athletes, especially given the intensity she brings to matches. Therefore, as she approaches her return, we are still managing her situation carefully.”
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Chawinga has secured both the league’s MVP and Golden Boot awards for the last two seasons. She sustained an adductor injury in October during the second-to-last match of the 2025 regular season.
Kansas City clinched the 2025 NWSL Shield by a record margin of 21 points last year, thanks in part to Chawinga’s 15 goals. Chawinga was unable to participate in the Current’s quarterfinal match in November due to her injury. The top-seeded Current faced an upset against No. 8 seed Gotham FC, who went on to become the champions, in extra time of that quarterfinal.
Chawinga was placed on Kansas City’s season-ending injury (SEI) list at the beginning of preseason, although the NWSL permits players to be removed from this list at any time if they start the year with such a designation.
Armas indicated on Friday that he anticipates Chawinga’s return will occur soon, but he could not provide a specific timeline.
“It’s challenging because she had a complex injury,” Armas remarked. “I would love to have a clearer answer myself, but I think the most honest approach is to say it’s short-term. Will we see her in action next month? Who knows. But that’s my attempt to convey that it’s getting closer.”
Chawinga established the single-season NWSL scoring record in 2024, her inaugural season in the league, by netting 20 goals during the regular season.
Forward Michelle Cooper also began the season on Kansas City’s SEI list due to “various lower body and foot injuries sustained at the conclusion of the 2025 NWSL regular season.” Cooper also missed the quarterfinal defeat to Gotham due to her injury.
Cooper is “returning to the team,” Armas stated on Friday.
Armas mentioned that he has had to experiment with different forward combinations due to the injuries and absences.
Bia Zaneratto, who served as the team’s starting No. 9 when fit over the past two seasons, left in the offseason to rejoin Brazilian club Palmeiras.
“We’ve had to adapt to life without Temwa for a while,” Armas noted.
In total, Cooper, Chawinga, and Zaneratto contributed 28 goals last season.
Kansas City recently acquired forward Penelope Hocking from Bay FC in a $350,000 transfer. Armas described Hocking as a “versatile” forward who can enhance Kansas City’s lineup.
Earlier this offseason, Kansas City signed attacking midfielder Croix Bethune in a significant reshuffle that coincided with the Current transferring holding midfielder Claire Hutton to Bay FC.
On Friday, Armas also commended the versatility of U.S. international forward Ally Sentnor, who will embark on her first full season with the Current after joining via transfer last summer.
