Temwa Chawinga Leads KC Current to Dominant 4-1 Victory Over Denver Summit

There's no clearer definition of the NWSL than two playoff line-hoovering teams putting on a show as if the postseason has already started.

Kansas City Current sent a message on Saturday when they defeated Denver Summit, 4-1, at home in CPKC Stadium. Haley Hopkins scored a hat trick, and Temwa Chawinga showed why she's the most prolific game-changing player in the world. The Current entered the day clinging to the playoff line in eighth place with 38 points, while Denver lurked just three points back in tenth place and hot off a five-game unbeaten streak.

In the end, it was Kansas City's attack showing what they were made of. Even with league regular-season assist record co-holder Croix Bethune on the sidelines, the Current bettered their playoff chances and made Denver's path that much harder.

What did we learn from two teams clawing at the playoff line:

Temwa Chawinga will always be a factor

The 2025 NWSL Shield winners were sitting outside of playoff position before they made a statement at home against Denver. It didn't have the best start, as the Current had to withstand waves of pressure from the Summit and eventually conceded an opening goal to Lindsey Heaps.

But there's nothing quite like having the world's most dangerous player on the pitch to turn things around.

Temwa Chawinga's efforts to take over matches for Kansas City have become a staple of her game and the club. Is it dangerous to be overly reliant on one player? Sure. Are we also watching one of the most prolific players in the world as women's soccer continues to write the opening chapter of its modern era? Also yes.

It should be illegal to simplify or narrow Chawinga's ability to just simply being quick or fast in transition. It's her ability to read the game, time her runs, outwit the defenders around her, and be so damn good that she constantly instills doubts and fear in her opposition that even the softest challenges in the box lead to a quick penalty. When she won a penalty for the Current around the half-hour mark, it changed the trajectory of the game completely for the Current.

It didn't matter that Debinha wasn't able to convert the penalty. It shook up the team and woke them up with an alarm that rang out, reminding them that this is a playoff push game.

Just minutes later, Chawinga's alternate path into the box alongside Haley Hopkins forced Denver Summit to stumble into the box, and no matter where Michelle Cooper's cross landed, it was getting across the goal line -- and it did, thanks to Hopkins.

> KANSAS CITY GETS THEIR GOAL 💥 After the penalty kick save by Denver, Haley Hopkins finds the equalizer! Catch the match LIVE on @CBS and @paramountplus 📺 pic.twitter.com/bs8ZYkO6m9 — W Golazo (@WGolazo) September 26, 2026

And just to really put the game on ice. Chawinga was there to make sure midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo's back heel assist was not in vain. Finishing what she started, a momentum-shifting game for a huge win with future playoff standings implications.

> TEMWA 🤩 Temwa Chawinga adds to the goal tally and after an offside check, KC gets their fourth! Watch live on @CBS and @paramountplus 📺 pic.twitter.com/RmzBaHyaYe — W Golazo (@WGolazo) September 26, 2026

Haley Hopkins is a clutch player

Quietly offering a clutch option for Kansas City is forward Haley Hopkins. Her efforts in the second half of the season are a huge boost to the Current's playoff push, considering the roster is managing some lingering injuries at the moment. The group has split the season with matches featuring their big three of midfielder Croix Bethune and forwards Michelle Cooper and Temwa Chawinga. Data shows the team is far more successful when the trio plays together, but a long season and injury management haven't always given them that opportunity.

Enter Haley Hopkins.

She has shown an uncanny ability to step up in games with higher stakes. Whether that was in a key matchup after a long summer break in July against Racing Louisville, when she scored two goals and recorded an assist, or in a massive double-assist game against North Carolina last month, Hopkins is performing exactly when the club needs her to.

In another game with huge playoff implications on the line, Hopkins delivered again, this time with a hat trick performance.

> HALEY HOPKINS, HAVE A DAY 🤩 @thekccurrent lead 3-1 on a Hopkins hat trick 😤 Watch LIVE on @CBS and @paramountplus 📺 pic.twitter.com/xBQ1Gauchn — W Golazo (@WGolazo) September 26, 2026

Time is running out for Denver Summit

While Denver Summit may have controlled the opening 20 minutes and scored first, at this point in the season, a 90-minute shift looms larger than ever.

For the Summit, a 4-1 loss could mean more than just a bad result. There simply aren't enough games remaining for small errors, let alone huge slipped opportunities. What could've been a chance to truly plant a flag in the playoff race has now turned into a bit of a panic meter. The loss puts them four points away from the playoff line, and the ballooned score chipped away at their goal difference from +8 at kickoff to +5 after the result.

It's also a bit of a momentum breaker. The Summit were riding the highs of an unbeaten five-game stretch, soaring on elevated performances by Janine Sonis. After Saturday's performance, it's back to the drawing board for the final four games of the season. Two against playoff contenders in front of them, with North Carolina and Angel City on the horizon, and two other matches against eliminated teams with nothing to lose in Chicago and Louisville.

What's next?

Kansas City Current face Bay FC on Oct. 3, and Denver Summit will play Chicago Stars FC on Oct. 4 during matchweek 27.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/k-c-current-dominate-denver-summit-4-1-as-temwa-chawinga-displays-her-magic-goal-scoring-abilities/)._