Following up on her 2019 NWSL Rookie of the Year and Ride of the Valkyries 2019 Newcomer of the Year award-winning campaign, OL Reign forward Bethany Balcer is your 2020 Women’s Player of the Year. Balcer earned just over a third of the votes cast, slightly ahead of fullback Stephanie Cox with 29%.
Balcer appeared in all nine Reign matches in 2020, making seven starts and scoring three goals in all competitions to lead the team. She scored the match-winning goal in the NWSL Challenge Cup game against Utah Royals FC, and also showed she can take a mean penalty by burying her kick from the spot against Chicago in what was ultimately a losing effort in the Challenge Cup quarterfinals.