Crystal Dunn of the Washington Spirit has done it again. For the sixth time this year, she was named NWSL Player of the Week for Week 20 of the 2015 NWSL season. She previously won the award in weeks 3, 8, 11, 16 and 18. She is also the third different Spirit player to earn the award since the inception of the league in 2013.
She is the first NWSL player to win the award six times in a year. All Dunn did this week was scored two goals and added an assist in her club’s 3-3 tie against Portland Thorns this past Sunday night at Providence Park in Portland, OR.
Her assist came in just the sixth minute of the match when she found Francisca Ordega alone at the top of the 18 yard box. Ordega was able to settle the ball and nutmeg Thorns goalkeeper Nadine Angerer.
During first half stoppage time, she gave the Spirit a two goal lead when she headed the ball into the back of the net. It was her 14th goal of the season. That goal also gave her a four goal cushion over Kim Little of the Seattle Reign.
After her team gave up three straight goals to go down 3-2, Dunn made sure she got her team back in the game when she scored her second of the night in the 81st minute. After a shot deflected off a Thorns defender, the ball fell to the feet of Dunn in the box. With some nifty footwork, she created space and slotted it home past a diving Angerer to tie the game at 3-3. Her goal came just one minute after Jodie Taylor gave the Thorns the lead.
Dunn now has 15 goals on the season and should easily take home the Golden Boot award for the 2015 season as well as the MVP award. The Spirit has one game left and it is against Seattle at home this Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. ET at Maureen Hendricks Field Maryland SoccerPlex.
The NWSL Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by a selection of journalists that cover the league on a consistent basis.