Denver Summit FC defender Janine Sonis has been named a finalist for the 2026 Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the Defender of the Year, presented by AT&T, the NWSL announced Monday. Winners will be announced during the 2026 NWSL Awards, presented by AT&T on November 18. The official NWSL fan voting ballot is now open and can be found here.
Sonis earned her nominations following a career-best season, recording 20 goal contributions with 12 goals and eight assists. Completing her performance from a defensive field positioning, Sonis walked away from the season as the most decorated defender in the league, placing her as the sole defender amongst the top Golden Boot race competitors.
Entering the 2026 season, Sonis had recorded 17 goal contributions across 69 appearances in her previous four NWSL regular seasons. She surpassed that total in just 30 matches this year, highlighting her standout performance from the backline and breaking the record for most contributions from any player in an inaugural season. The co-captain’s historic campaign featured back-to-back braces, making her the first player in Denver Summit FC history to record a multi-goal performance, three goal-and-assist performances and a single two-assist match, marking a career first in the NWSL for the co-captain.
Sonis capped off the regular season among the league’s top performers, finishing tied for fourth in both goals and assists and tied for third in total goal contributions. Her impact proved instrumental throughout the Summit’s inaugural campaign, as the club remained unbeaten in matches in which she found the back of the net, posting a 6-0-5 record.
Her standout season also earned her five NWSL Best XI honors, recognizing her performances in May, July, August, September and October/November. The 2026 MVP and Defender of the Year award nominations mark the first of Sonis’ NWSL career and the first NWSL award finalist recognition in Denver Summit FC history.
2026 NWSL AWARDS
Presented by AT&T, the 2026 NWSL Awards will air live on ESPN2 on November 18 at 4:30 p.m. MT/6:30 p.m. ET. The awards are voted on by various groups with the following weights: players (40%), coaches/GMs/BOG (25%), media (25%) and fans (10%). Final-round fan voting is now open, giving supporters the opportunity to cast their votes for individual player awards and the NWSL Best XI, presented by Amazon Prime. Fans can access the official ballot here, with voting closing November 11 at 6 p.m. MT/8 p.m. ET.