Rhian Wilkinson hails Sophia Smith for contributions during 2022 NWSL season

Portland Thorns figure Sophia Smith recorded 14 goals in the 2022 NWSL season, falling just one goal behind Alex Morgan in the Golden Boot race. Though she narrowly missed out on the trophy, her standout campaign landed her a nomination for this year’s MVP award, alongside Mallory Pugh, Alex Morgan, Debinha, and Naomi Girma. 

But despite the recognition, Thorns head coach Rhian Wilkinson said Smith has not gotten enough praise for her production this season.

“I mean, Alex Morgan is an incredible, incredible athlete, and has won the Golden Boot,” she said. “Sophia has taken up so much bandwidth from opposition backlines that it has allowed our team to have a scoring profile that has broken records this season. And it’s not by chance. Her movement — they probably have training sessions that opposition have to do to just get all over her. It takes three people to stop Soph.”

Smith set a new single-season scoring record for Portland with 14 goals, surpassing Lindsey Horan, who managed 13. She also managed three assists in 18 matches, contributing to all aspects of the team’s attack. 

Overall, Portland scored a total of 49 goals, the third-most in a single season in league history.

“I don’t think people recognize that off-the-ball work that [Smith’s] doing, the assists she’s creating. I recognize I’m biased, but when you say MVP, that is what sets her apart,” said Wilkinson.

“Definitely a Golden Boot would have been amazing for her. But if you look at how many players have had really prolific goal-scoring seasons, and why that is, it’s because of the spaces she’s created. I think that hasn’t been spoken about enough, what she’s doing off the ball in the spaces she’s creating for her teammates.”

Smith will now face Morgan as the Thorns take on the Wave on Sunday at Providence Park in the NWSL semifinals. The winner advances to the Championship game on October 29, and will face either OL Reign or the Kansas City Current.