The final Team of the Month for the 2017 season was selected by the NWSL Media Association in a 4-3-3 formation. The Team of the Month is composed of players from the NWSL who significantly contributed to their teams in the month of September. The Portland Thorns, Sky Blue FC, North Carolina Courage, Chicago Red Stars, Orlando Pride, and FC Kansas City all had players selected for the Best XI.
Best XI By Position
Goalkeeper
Adrianna Franch (Portland Thorns) - The Thorns goalkeeper set an NWSL season record by recording 11 clean sheets. In September alone as the Thorns went 3-0-1 for the month, Franch recorded three shutouts.
Defenders
Emily Menges (Portland Thorns) - Menges helped Franch and the Thorns defense record those three shutouts in September. She made 13 clearances, nine tackles, seven interceptions and three blocks for Portland.
Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC) - O'Hara was named to her first team of the month for scoring the game-winning goal in the 4-3 victory over the Boston Breakers in the last game of the regular season. She also added an assist and five chances created in September.
Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City) - Sauerbrunn recorded 36 clearances in September and added seven tackles and 14 interceptions.
Casey Short (Chicago Red Stars) - Short is a mainstay for the Chicago backline, recording seven clearances, four tackles, and two interceptions in three games. She also scored her first goal of the season in the 3-2 victory that earned Chicago their third trip to the postseason. This marks Short's fourth time in the Best XI.
Midfielders
Alanna Kennedy (Orlando Pride) - On the last game of the season, Kennedy scored a game-winning free-kick in stoppage time to give the Pride a crucial victory over the NWSL Shield winners the North Carolina Courage. As a result, the Pride finished as the third best team in the NWSL for the season.
Marta (Orlando Pride) - The Brazilian international scored twice and created 13 chances, which brought her total to 64 for the season, leading the league, according to OptaJack (the NWSL's stat tracker). Marta also completed 85.5% of her passes in September, including three games with a passing accuracy over 88%. Marta was also selected as the September Player of the Month and earns her fourth consecutive selection in the Best XI.
Sam Mewis (North Carolina Courage) - Mewis scored a goal for the Courage and created six scoring chances. The young midfielder controlled the midfield and had 13 interceptions, helping the Courage capture the NWSL Shield. Mewis appears for the fourth time in the Team of the Month.
Forwards
Shea Groom (FC Kansas City) - As FC Kansas City made a playoff push into the final month of the season (though they were eventually eliminated from contention on September 9), Groom scored three goals and added an assist. She also earned Player of the Week honors in Week 19 for helping FCKC earn a win over Sky Blue FC.
Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns FC) - Portland's captain scored three goals in September, and her goal against the Boston Breakers helped the Thorns clinch a home playoff game for the second consecutive year.
Lynn Williams (North Carolina Courage) - Williams scored four goals and recorded one assist in September as the Courage finished the season as the top team in the NWSL.
The NWSL Team of the Month is selected each month of the regular season by the NWSL Media Association, a collection of writers that cover the league on a consistent basis.
All stats are a courtesy of the NWSL's official press release.