Jordyn Bugg Lands NWSL Best XI Honor At Age 20

The defining moment came on Decision Day, Sunday, November 1, at Lumen Field. Bugg scored in the 68th minute, the only goal of the match, and Seattle beat the Orlando Pride 1 to 0 to clinch its postseason place. A defender deciding the biggest match of the regular season tells you what kind of year she had.

This is the third monthly Best XI selection of her career, following honors in March and June of 2025. In October she also signed a contract extension that keeps her with Seattle through the 2030 season, a long commitment from a club building its back line around a player who only turned 20 this year.

Bugg has risen fast. She signed with Seattle in July 2024 at age 17, one of the youngest signings in club history, and on October 2 she made her 50th regular season appearance, becoming the youngest defender in league history to reach that mark at age 20. She already holds six caps with the United States national team and was the youngest finalist for NWSL Defender of the Year in 2025.

The Best XI of the Month is picked by the NWSL Media Association together with the league broadcast talent. Bugg shares the October and November honor with players from across the league, including Kansas City Current pair Vanessa DiBernardo and Haley Hopkins and Washington Spirit defender Gabrielle Carle.

Seattle opens the postseason on Sunday, November 8, on the road against NWSL Shield winners Gotham FC at Sports Illustrated Stadium. For a club that grabbed the last playoff spot on the final day, a defender in this kind of form is exactly who you want leading the line.

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