Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga says individual awards are no longer enough, with the two-time NWSL MVP setting her sights on the one prize still missing from her NWSL collection, a Championship win.
Chawinga has won the league's MVP and Golden Boot awards in each of her first two seasons in the United States, but Kansas City have been unable to translate their regular-season success into the championship.
That frustration has been compounded by another near miss with Malawi, who made a stunning run to the Women's Africa Cup of Nations final in July before losing 3-0 to Cameroon.
For Chawinga, those disappointments have only made her more determined to claim the NWSL title.
"Everyone on the team knows we need to get back to the championship game," Chawinga told ESPN.
"It's not enough just to reach the final. We want to win it. We're working hard every day in training because we want to be in the best possible shape.
"We want to make the playoffs, reach the final and win the championship. The players, coaches and staff all know we need to do more, and that's what we're working toward."
Kansas City know all about getting close. The Current reached the NWSL Championship in 2022, losing 2-0 to the Portland Thorns, but have not returned to the title game since. They did reach the semifinals in Chawinga's first season in 2024 before losing 3-2 to eventual champions Orlando Pride.
A year later, the Current appeared even better positioned to take the final step. The Current dominated the 2025 regular season, finishing 21-3-2 and winning their first NWSL Shield with a league-record 65 points, 21 clear of second-placed Washington Spirit.
But their championship hopes suffered a major blow just before the playoffs. Chawinga, who led the league with 15 goals, suffered an adductor injury in the penultimate regular-season game against Houston on October 18. She missed the regular-season finale and was unable to recover in time for the playoffs.
Without their leading scorer, and also missing Michelle Cooper through injury, the top-seeded Current were stunned 2-1 after extra time by eighth-seeded Gotham FC in their quarterfinal at CPKC Stadium.
The injury proved serious enough to keep Chawinga out into the beginning of the 2026 season, extending the frustration from a campaign in which Kansas City had dominated almost everything until the moment that mattered most.
Chawinga had already done her part during the regular season. Her 15 goals earned her a second consecutive Golden Boot, following the league-record 20 she scored in 2024. She also became the first player in NWSL history to win the MVP award in consecutive seasons.
It was a long way from the expectations she carried when she arrived from China's Wuhan Jianghan University before the 2024 season.
"When I came to the NWSL from China, I just wanted to see if I could do it," she said. "I didn't know I could achieve so much, but I found loving teammates who cared about me.
"That's why I always say I won those trophies because of them. My teammates, the club and the fans showed me so much love. I felt appreciated and welcomed.
"I only came here to try it for one year. I never imagined I would achieve so much in two years."
Those awards made Chawinga the first African-born player to win the NWSL MVP award and the first African-born winner of the Golden Boot. Her 20 goals that season broke Sam Kerr's previous single-season record of 18.
She followed with another 15 in 2025, becoming the first player since Kerr to score at least 15 goals in consecutive NWSL seasons.
She told ESPN she wanted her achievements to inspire young girls in Africa: "To young girls in Africa, I say never stop chasing your dreams. Keep believing in yourself.
"My agent believed in me. The club believed in me. I believed in myself. If none of us had believed, I wouldn't have achieved these things. Now I've done it for two years, and I'm grateful. I want to do even better."
Her numbers have inevitably raised questions about how she has been able to make scoring look so routine in a league widely regarded as one of the most competitive in women's soccer.
But Chawinga rejects any suggestion that her success means the NWSL is easy: "No, it's a very tough league.
"I just have great teammates who help me. Without them I couldn't achieve these things. If they don't give me the ball, I can't score.
"And even when I miss chances, they come to me and say, 'Temwa, don't worry. The goal will come.' They keep believing in me and keep giving me the ball, even after I've missed two or three chances.
"That gives me confidence because I know I have teammates who trust me. That's very important for a striker."
That trust has survived a significant change on the touchline. Chris Armas replaced Vlatko Andonovski as head coach in January, with Andonovski remaining at the club as sporting director.
It has allowed Chawinga and her teammates to retain a connection with the coach who brought her to Kansas City while adapting to Armas.
"There isn't a big difference because we're still playing the same system we used under Vlatko," Chawinga said.
"Chris hasn't changed a lot, and I think that's one reason we're doing well. Vlatko is also still with the team, so if I need advice about improving my game, I can still go to him. I'm happy he's still here, and Chris is a good coach too.
"Whenever we make mistakes, he talks to us and encourages us to be better. The culture hasn't changed. He has brought a few new ideas, but overall it's very similar to the way Vlatko coached."
Kansas City's 2026 campaign has provided a different challenge. The Current entered this week seventh in the standings at 9-8-4 following Saturday's 1-1 draw with Seattle Reign, a considerably different position from the one they occupied while running away with the Shield last season.
Chawinga, however, is no less optimistic and remains central to the club's long-term plans. After initially extending her contract through 2028 in January 2025, the Current handed their star forward another extension this June, using the NWSL's new High Impact Player mechanism to secure her through 2029.
For the Malawi striker, the willingness to commit again came down to the same thing she credits for her individual success: trust.
"I'm really happy because the coach, the owners and the club believe in me," she said.
"Anyone would be happy to work with people who believe in them. If they didn't believe in me, I wouldn't have signed a new contract. But they do, and I believe in them too. That's why I wanted to stay.
"I still want to achieve a lot. I want to help this team win trophies because I know we have the quality to do that. I'll keep working hard so they can continue trusting me.
"We have great coaches, great players, a great stadium and excellent facilities. I'm really happy to be here."