Leading the free agency moves for the first week of December is midfielder Delanie Sheehan signing with the Houston Dash after being a regular starter for Gotham FC since May 2023. Gotham also lost a second midfielder this week, Maitane López, who switched over to the Chicago Red Stars, as well as a defender, Sam Hiatt, who is now a Portland Thorns player.
Defender Madison Curry, a regular starter for Angel City this year as a rookie, has signed a three-year contract with the Seattle Reign.
Additionally, rookie defender Madison Ayson, who was on the Houston Dash roster this season, but only saw limited minutes, signed with Canberra United at the end of November.
Midfielder Delanie Sheehan departs Gotham after four seasons, signs with Houston Dash
On Wednesday, the Houston Dash announced that midfielder Delanie Sheehan has been signed through the 2026 NWSL season. Her contract also includes a mutual option for 2027. (Dash press release) (Gotham press release)
Sheehan, who has been a regular starter for Gotham FC since May 2023, wrapped up her fourth year in the NWSL last month. Until signing with the Dash, Sheehan had spent her entire pro career with Gotham (outside of a short loan to Paris FC). Sheehan was a fourth round draft pick by then Sky Blue FC in the 2021 NWSL draft.
From May 21, 2023, through the 2024 NWSL post-season, Sheehan started 44 of the 46 matches she was available.
Sheehan played NCAA soccer at UCLA (player profile), scoring 15 goals and registering 18 assists over 86 matches. She has over seven U.S. women’s youth national team camps and was an unpublished alternate for the USA’s squad at the 2018 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup.
The Houston Dash are currently without both a head coach and a non-interim time general manager.
Rookie defender Madison Curry signs with the Seattle Reign after one season with Angel City
On Wednesday, the Reign announced that defender Madison Curry has a signed a three-year contract, which should keep the Princeton grad in Seattle through the 2027 season. (Reign press release)
During her rookie season, Curry appeared in 22 regular season matches for Angel City, with 20 starts. In her first start (March 30th), she scored against the Kansas City Current in a 2:4 loss.
At Princeton (player profile), Curry was a co-captain her senior year and started 48 of 51 career matches, scoring 3 goals while registering four assists.
Curry was a fourth round pick in the 2024 NWSL draft and was signed by Angel City on March 12th “to a one-year contract” (March press release).
Maitane López signs with Chicago Red Stars after one-and-a-half seasons with Gotham
On Thursday, the soon-to-be “Chicago Stars” announced the signing of Spanish midfielder Maitane López. Her contract runs through the 2026 NWSL season. (Chicago press release) (Gotham press release)
López came to the NWSL during the summer of 2023. Her contract with Gotham ran through the 2024 season, but had an option for 2025 (July 2023 press release).
During the 2024 season, López was on 19 regular season gameday rosters, with four starts and eight appearances as a substitute. Following the Olympic break, López only had one substitute appearance. She was out for all of September, apparently due to a hip injury (example availability report – Sounder at Heart).
López has at least two international caps for Spain, including a substitute appearance in Spain’s 2-nil victory over the United States Women’s National Team, back in October 2022 (U.S. Soccer match recap).
Defender Sam Hiatt leaves Gotham after one season, is signed by Portland
Sam Hiatt, who was born and raised outside of Seattle and spent four years with the Seattle Reign, is returning to Cascadia, but not the Reign. On Wednesday, the Portland Thorns announced that Hiatt has been signed through the 2026 NWSL season, with an option for 2027. (Thorns press release) (Gotham press release)
Hiatt played one season for Gotham FC after being acquired from the Reign via a three-way trade (January press release). In 2024, Hiatt played in 17 regular season matches, with 12 starts. With the Reign, Hiatt started 19 of 22 matches in their 2022 Shield-winning season, going the full 90 in all 19 matches. In 2023, Hiatt started 16 of the first 17 matches, but was an unused substitute in subsequent matches. (NWSL game log)
Before the NWSL, Hiatt played collegiately for Stanford (player profile), winning a national championship in 2019, and Boston College (player profile). Both of her parents played NCAA soccer at Santa Clara.
From 2014 to 2018, Hiatt was a regular call-up to United States women’s youth national teams at the U-18, U-19, and U-20 levels. In 2018, she captained the U-20 USWYNT at the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World cup.
Madison Ayson signs with Canberra United after partial season with the Dash
Update (10-Dec-2024): Per Houston Dash’s end-of-season roster update “Ayson and the team mutually agreed to terminate her contract earlier this year so she could pursue an opportunity abroad” (Dash press release).
On November 29th, Canberra United of Australia’s A-League, announced that they had signed defender Madison Ayson (Canberra press release). Ayson recently wrapped up her rookie professional season as a member of the Houston Dash.
In late April, the 5’9″ Ayson signed an unspecified “short-term contract” (likely an injury-related replacement contract) with the Dash (April press release). She was on 15 regular season gameday rosters and appeared in one regular season match as a substitute. Ayson was also utilized as a substitute in two of the Dash’s three Summer Cup matches. (NWSL game log)
Ayson played five seasons of NCAA collegiate soccer, including four years at Stanford (player profile), where she was a member of the 2019 national champion squad, and one year at Xavier (player profile) as a graduate transfer.
For additional recent player signings, see “NWSL News of Note, Players Edition: Claire Emslie, Penelope Hocking, Maddie Moreau, Hanna Glas, and Hannah Stambaugh all extend; Carrie Lawrence retires; Ouleye Sarr on SEI List”.
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