The Minnesota Aurora’s Charley Boone is the USL W Defender of the Year, the league announced Wednesday, making her the first Aurora player to win an individual league honor in the club’s four-year history.
Boone anchored an Aurora back line that allowed just four goals during the regular season, matching a club record.
The defense posted eight regular-season shutouts and 10 overall, including back-to-back clean sheets in the playoffs to secure the Aurora’s second conference title.
The Aurora season ended Saturday in the USL W League semifinals with a loss to Utah United.
Boone, a Seattle native, appeared in 14 of 15 Aurora matches this season, logging a team-high 1,077 minutes and making 12 starts. Boone was a member of the league’s June Team of the Month.
“It’s an incredible feeling to be seen and recognized as Defender of the Year, but this award is truly a reflection of the people around me,” Boone said in a release.
Aurora coach Jen Larrick praised Boone’s “high IQ” defending, ability to break down a press and defensive-minded leadership in possession.
A former University of Montana standout, Boone earned All-Big Sky first-team honors in 2023 and 2024 and appeared in 77 collegiate matches before joining the Aurora this summer.
