HOUSTON (Nov. 13, 2025) - The Houston Dash announced their 2025 end of year award winners today, with a total of five players earning honors.
Defender Avery Patterson was named the Most Valuable Player and recently named a finalist for the 2025 NWSL Defender of the Year award. Patterson had a standout season, scoring three goals and adding an assist. Internationally, the 23-year-old earned her first U.S. Women’s National Team cap on April 5 and scored her first international goal on June 27 against the Republic of Ireland. She has since made eight appearances for the USWNT, recording one goal and two assists.
Forward Yazmeen Ryan earned both the Golden Boot and Newcomer of the Year honors. The U.S National Team forward led the team with four goals in the regular season and added three assists. She also led the Dash in shots on goal (17) and ranked second in key passes. On the international stage, the TCU alum joined the U.S. Women’s National Team for the 2025 SheBelieves Cup, where she tallied an assist in a 2-0 victory over Colombia at Shell Energy Stadium. The 26-year-old went on to score her first international goal over the Republic of Ireland on June 29, followed by her second goal just three days later against Canada on July 2.
Defender Paige Nielsen earned Defender of the Year honors. The veteran appeared in 26 matches, logging 2,215 minutes and led the team with 170 clearances. During this season, Nielsen surpassed 10,000 regular-season minutes in the NWSL, becoming the 65th player in league history to reach the milestone. Nielsen has won the team Defender of the Year award in back-to-back seasons.
Midfielder Maggie Graham was named the Young Player of the Year. The 23-year-old was tied for the second most goals (three) scored this season and she was also tied for the club lead in assists with three. Graham made an immediate impact in her rookie season, scoring in each of her first two league appearances, becoming just the third player in NWSL history to do so. She was also named NWSL Rookie of the Month, presented by Ally, in March for her contributions at the start of the season.
Defender Katie Lind was named the Players’ Player of the Year. Lind made her return to competitive play on March 14, her first match since Oct. 15, 2023. The defender spent the 2024 season on maternity leave and appeared in 15 games this season. This spring, she reached 150 regular-season appearances and remains one of Houston’s longest-tenured players, having joined the club in 2020.
Players, staff and media voted on select categories, and a full list of award winners can be found below.
AWARD | PLAYER |
Most Valuable Player | Avery Patterson |
Players’ Player of the Year | Katie Lind |
Golden Boot | Yazmeen Ryan |
Defender of the Year | Paige Nielsen |
Newcomer of the Year | Yazmeen Ryan |
Young Player of the Year | Maggie Graham |
