Ashley Sanchez Named Sports Illustrated’s NWSL MVP of the Month

Three goals in three games and an unbeaten run for the North Carolina Courage just about sums up Ashley Sanchez’s April. With the majority of the National Women’s Soccer League season still ahead, the 27-year-old is already finding her form, and her contributions to her team have earned her Sports Illustrated’s MVP of the Month for April.

“It feels good,” Sanchez says of earning the accolade. “Obviously, it’s early on in the season, so I’m hoping to continue this and help my team in any way I can.”

Scoring two equalizers and a match-winner, Sanchez has been the clutch teammate helping keep the Courage unbeaten in April. For her teammates, including forward Hannah Betfort, it’s Sanchez’s “phenomenal finishing” and penchant for finding the back of the net that have really helped the club continue to develop over the beginning of the season.

“I think Ashley is one of those players that is always in the right spaces and always dangerous,” Betfort said “I think right now, as we’re developing as a team, a lot of the spaces we’re finding is off that back shoulder, and that’s where Ashley’s really thriving. We’re really feeding her in those spaces and pockets, and it’s going quite well for us there.”

Manaka Matsukubo drops it over the top and Ashley Sanchez does the rest 🫨 pic.twitter.com/laN8gOweVi
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 26, 2026

Courage manager Mak Lind sees in Sanchez an incredible player of high quality who works hard for the team. As a new coach in the league, Lind was immediately impressed by Sanchez and knew how important she would be for the team’s success.

“She proved early on when I arrived that she has skills offensively,” Lind said. “She’s a goalscorer. She’s a winger that likes to drive the ball and dribble one-v-one. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey together with her and her teammates.”

Sanchez’s contributions also earned her the NWSL April Player of the Month, and she’s hoping to use this momentum to continue carrying her team through the rest of the season. Even though the Courage has dropped points in May, Sanchez is confident that the team has more to give, and she’s eager to be part of that success, including fine-tuning the small details.

“I think just continuing with final third entries and just trying to score as many goals as we can, and obviously maybe not concede as many,” Sanchez says, outling what the Courage needs to work on in the coming weeks. “I think [we need] just a variety of goalscoring opportunities from everyone, including me.”

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