On Thursday, Girma was named the 2022 National Women's Soccer League Defender of the Year AND the league's Rookie of the Year. She's the first player in league history to win two major postseason awards as a rookie.
The number one overall pick in a sport's draft is supposed to have the potential to be an all-time great. It's where you pick Ken Griffey Jr., Peyton Manning, Shaquille O'Neal, and Mario Lemieux. San Diego Wave FC made Naomi Girma the number one overall pick in the National Women's Soccer League Draft.
She's just 22 years old but the centerback is already on her way to becoming one of the all-time greats in women's soccer. On Thursday, Girma was named the 2022 National Women's Soccer League Defender of the Year AND the league's Rookie of the Year. She's the first player in league history to win two major postseason awards as a rookie.
Simply put, she does everything well. Girma led the entire league in possession won in the defensive half, meaning she was the best in the game at getting the ball away from opposing offenses. She was also one of the league's most accurate passers. Along with NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year Kailen Sheridan the Wave allowed less than a goal a match in their phenomenal first season.