Gotham FC’s González, Reale, Sonnett Named to 2025 NWSL Best XIs
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Nov. 19, 2025) - Gotham FC’s Esther González, Lilly Reale and Emily Sonnett have been named to the 2025 NWSL Best XIs, presented by Amazon Prime.
González was selected to the 2025 NWSL Best XI, while Reale and Sonnett earned spots on the NWSL Best XI Second Team.
González delivered one of the league’s most prolific attacking campaigns, finishing the regular season with 13 goals – second only to Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga. The Spanish international recorded 11 first-half goals, moving into second place in league history for most first-half goals in a single season, one shy of Sam Kerr’s 2019 record. She also became just the second player in Gotham FC history to reach double-digit goals in a single season, joining Kerr, who scored 17 in 2017. González logged four braces, tying the league’s single-season record, and became the third player since 2013 to score seven or more goals in the first seven matches of a season, joining Alex Morgan (San Diego, 2022) and Sophia Wilson (Portland, 2024).
Reale and Sonnett played central roles in a Gotham FC backline that allowed the second-fewest goals in the NWSL regular season (25), trailing only the Kansas City Current (13). Their efforts continued into the postseason, where they helped secure a clean sheet in Gotham’s 1-0 semifinal win over the Orlando Pride to advance to the 2025 NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel.
Reale, the 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year, presented by Ally, adds another major honor to a remarkable first professional season. The Hingham, Massachusetts, native appeared in every match for Gotham FC this year, including both playoff victories. She led Gotham in interceptions (36) and ranked second in tackles (54) during the regular season, anchoring a defense that already claimed the Concacaf W Champions Cup and is now pursuing its second trophy of 2025.
Reale led Gotham in the regular season in interceptions (36) and ranked second in tackles (54), providing a major presence for a club that has already secured the Concacaf W Champions Cup and is now chasing its second trophy of the year.
Sonnett, 31, collected the third Best XI recognition of her NWSL career after earning a First Team selection in 2018 and a Second Team nod in 2019. She started every NWSL match for Gotham FC this season, guiding a backline that recorded a club-record 11 clean sheets in the regular season. On Oct. 5 against the Seattle Reign, Sonnett helped limit the Reign to just one shot, setting a club record for fewest shots faced in a match.
Sonnett also delivered standout individual metrics, finishing third in the league in passes (1,520) and second in successful passes (1,359). She ranked fifth in the NWSL in possession won in the defensive third (71).
