African players continued to dominate the NWSL in August, with Kansas City Current's Temwa Chawinga began to pull away from still-unbeaten Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda in the Golden Boot race.
Meanwhile, Mexico's Liga MX Femenil was the league which saw the most action for African women's football stars, while Europe's leagues only return during September.
1. Temwa Chawinga, KC Current
Chawinga finished the month on top of the NWSL scoring charts, pulling clear of Barbra Banda by netting her 13th goal of the season in the Kansas City Current's 4-1 defeat to the Washington Spirit.
She tops our Power Rankings this month by virtue of not only her goal in that game, but also her superb form prior to it during the Current's fixtures over the Olympic break.
For her first goal of August, Chawinga had scored within two minutes in a 2-0 win over North Carolina Courage during the Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.
Chawinga hit the ground running in her first game of September, too, scoring goal number 14 of the NWSL season in a 2-1 defeat to NC Courage in a league rematch.
Zambia's Kundananji initially had a staggered start to her NWSL career but since the Olympic break, she has hit her stride. In August, she showed the quality that led to her becoming the most expensive player in women's football history, starring in both of their league fixtures.
Bay were beaten 2-1 by Utah Royals despite Kundananji's 83rd minute goal, but bounced back with a 3-1 win over Portland Thorns. The second goal was set up by Kundananji, who played a pinpoint low ball across the face of goal for Rachel Hill to tap home. She remained a lively presence and a persistent threat throughout the game.
Given that our rankings are form-based rather than tied to overall season-long performance, Kundananji has earned her spot by virtue of her performances over the past month.
3. Thembi Kgatlana, Tigres UANL
Star South Africa striker Kgatlana scored for UANL four times in August - including a goal in a 4-0 drubbing of fierce rivals Monterrey in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup.
Apart from that goal, she also netted in a 4-1 defeat to Chawinga's Kansas City Current in the Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup and scored a decisive brace in the 3-1 win over UNAM Pumas in the league itself.
4. Barbra Banda, Orlando Pride
Banda was Zambia's star in their Olympic campaign and although she did not score immediately upon her return to NWSL action, she put in a strong shift and remained imposing throughout the Orlando Pride's 1-0 win over Houston Dash.
Banda took five shots at goal - four of which were on target - and drew two fouls.
Over the course of the season, Banda has been the most outstanding African player in women's football, but for the purpose of our form-based monthly rankings, she did not do enough in August to clinch top spot.
5. Uchenna Kanu, Racing Louisville
Nigeria Super Falcons forward Kanu scored the first goal in Racing Louisville's 3-1 win over Chicago Red Stars.
In the 12th minute, she timed her run well to meet strike partner Bethany Balcer's cross from the right at the far post and slot home.
With five goals in 12 appearances for her side this season, the industrious Kanu continues to score at a steady pace.
6. Chinwendu Ihezuo, Pachuca
Nigeria has remarkable depth in the forwards department and Ihezuo finished August off in fine form for Pachuca, scoring in back-to-back wins for Pachuca over Atlas and Atlético San Luis.
Already, she has got September off to the best of starts with a hat-trick in a 7-0 drubbing of Mazatlan FC, increasing the likelihood that she will move up the rankings further next month.
7. Grace Asantewaa, Juárez
Ghana midfielder Asantewaa's strongest suit is not usually goalscoring, but she found the back of the net three times in August for Juárez.
The 23-year-old scored twice in a 3-1 win over Santos Laguna and once in a 6-0 thrashing of Mazatlan.
8. Jermaine Seoposenwe, Monterrey
Banyana Banyana forward Seoposenwe finished August off with a goal in Monterrey's 5-0 win over Toluca.
Monterrey picked up a perfect three wins from three in Liga MX Femenil over the course of the month to make it six wins out of six in the Apertura this season, but they would have been bitterly disappointed by their 4-0 CONCACAF W Champions Cup defeat to Kgatlana's Tigres UANL.
9. Prisca Chilufya, Juárez
Chilufya has been out of favour with the Zambian national team in recent years, but she scored in August's 4-0 win over Tijuana for Juárez.
The team sits 10th in the table, with three wins, a draw and four defeats from eight games.
10. Sandra Nabweteme, Santos Laguna
Uganda winger Nabweteme, who once played for Southwestern Oklahoma State University from 2016-2019, now plies her trade in Mexico with Santos Laguna.
Although they had a torrid time in August, losing all four of their league matches, their only goal of the month came from Nabweteme, who scored against Cruz Azul.