Barbra Banda Dominates NWSL Best XI in May

ORLANDO, Fla. — Barbra Banda is turning the NWSL Best XI into her personal season ticket.

The Orlando Pride striker has been named to the league’s Best XI of the Month for May, presented by Prime, the NWSL announced Friday. It’s her third straight selection in 2026, a clean sweep of the season so far and a statement that the Golden Boot race currently runs through Orlando.

Eight different clubs place players in May’s Top 11, but Banda’s numbers cut through the crowd. She leads the league in scoring with 11 goals in 12 games this year, a ruthless, almost weekly reminder of why defenses can’t switch off for a second when she’s on the pitch.

May Highlights

May was her most emphatic stretch yet.

• Six goals.
• One assist.
• Two match-winners.

All in a single month.

The pressure told early, on May 2, when Banda tore through the Washington Spirit with her first brace of the month. She followed that with a decisive strike on May 8 at Inter&Co Stadium, the only goal in a tight 1-0 win over the North Carolina Courage. One chance, one finish, three points.

Just when teams might have hoped she’d cool off, she doubled down.

On May 29, again at home, Banda delivered another brace in a 3-1 victory over Bay FC, including yet another game-winning goal. The pattern is becoming familiar in Orlando: Banda scores, the Pride collect points, and her name appears on another league honor roll.

Her impact is already etched into club history. With 36 goals in 54 matches across all competitions, Banda now sits second on the Pride’s all-time scoring list, climbing that ladder at a pace that suggests more records will fall if she stays on this trajectory.

The league now pauses for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, a rare breather in a relentless campaign. For Orlando, it’s a chance to reset, heal, and scheme new ways to keep their No. 9 in the hottest form of her career.

The Pride return on Friday, July 3, when they travel west to face Angel City FC at BMO Stadium. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m. ET on Prime Video — another national stage, another night built for a striker who’s making the Best XI feel less like an award and more like a habit.