Three Golden Boots and a record in sight
Khadija Shaw, known as Bunny, has won the WSL Golden Boot three seasons running. No one had done that before in the history of the English top flight. Last season, the Manchester City striker scored 21 goals, just one shy of the outright record held by Vivianne Miedema (22 in 2018-19) and Rachel Daly (22 in 2022-23).
The number that best sums up her output is elsewhere. Shaw needs just 83.5 minutes on average to score in the WSL. That is the best return in the competition’s history among players with more than 500 minutes. Across her English career, her 83 goals have come from chances worth 64.6 expected goals. In other words, she has scored 18.4 more than the average player would have managed.
She scored against 10 of City’s 11 opponents last season. Only Sam Kerr had done that in a single campaign before. Her heading remains a weapon all on its own: 31 WSL goals with her head, a league record, including seven last season. Against Tottenham in March, she produced the quickest hat-trick in the competition’s history, in 12 minutes and 37 seconds.
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Russo, the most credible rival
Alessia Russo has already shared the trophy with Shaw in 2024-25, with both finishing on 12 goals. The Arsenal striker ended up second the following season with 13. The eight-goal gap hides a truth: Russo has been more lethal in the Champions League, with nine goals in 993 minutes, compared with 13 in 1,832 minutes in the WSL. She finished second in that scoring chart too, behind Ewa Pajor and her 11 goals.
Since 2022-23, only Shaw (74) has scored more WSL goals than Russo (47). One detail stands out. Without Stina Blackstenius in the starting XI, Russo’s numbers jump across the board: goals, assists, shots, touches in the opposition box.
Kirsty Hanson rounds out last season’s podium. Her 12 goals for Aston Villa made up almost 43% of the club’s total. She has joined Tottenham this summer. Her strength is still transition play: four counter-attacking goals, plus eight shots after a quick regain, a total no one has beaten in a WSL season.
Diani arrives in England
Kadidiatou Diani has signed for London City Lionesses. The France international was averaging 0.6 goals per 90 minutes with OL Lyonnes in Ligue 1. She was the Champions League’s top scorer in 2023-24 with eight goals, then second in 2024-25 with six. Since arriving in Lyon in August 2023, she has been involved in 35 league goals, scoring 22 and setting up 13.
Alyssa Thompson, who scored seven in her first season at Chelsea, and Olivia Holdt, who hit eight goals from just 3.8 expected goals at Tottenham, complete the list of outsiders. Shaw, though, starts the campaign six behind Bethany England (89) and 14 behind Miedema (97) in the WSL’s all-time scoring chart.
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