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Washington Spirit Defender Sam Staab Earns Second Best XI of the Month Honors of 2023 Season

June 5, 2023 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Washington Spirit News Release


Washington, D.C. - Washington Spirit defender Sam Staab has been named to the Best XI of the Month, presented by Mastercard, for the month of May, the NWSL announced today.

Staab, who recently extended her NWSL record for consecutive regular season starts to 78 on Saturday, earns her second consecutive Best XI of the Month honor - previously, Staab was named to the NWSL's "Team of the Month" in May and June of 2019 and October of 2021 before being named to the league's Best XI for March/April 2023. She joins NJ/NY Gotham FC's Bruninha, San Diego Wave FC's Naomi Girma and the Orlando Pride's Kylie Strom on the back line of the latest Best XI.

A key component in the Spirit's defending third, Staab has helped the Spirit limit opponents to nine goals through ten regular season matches, tied for the fewest in the league, and place third on the NWSL table with a hot 4-1-5 start.

Staab has played every minute of the 2023 season and would have played every regular season minute of her career to this point if not for a red card - that would later be overturned - in the 2021 season. She was a finalist for Rookie of the Year in 2019 and has scored a goal in every season of her career, tallying six total scores.

This season, Staab leads the Spirit in the following categories: passes into final third (108), touches (617), blocks (8), possession won in defensive third (44) and successful passes (356). Staab's passes into the final third tally ranks third in the NWSL.

The NWSL Best XI 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, and the NWSL's on-air broadcast talent.

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