Lost in the buzz surrounding the 14 clubs dropping their end-of-season roster updates on Tuesday were some player transactions, a few of which were not publicized separate from the roster updates.
On Tuesday, five teams retained a total of nine additional current players:
- The Chicago Red Stars have signed Camryn Biegalski to a new one-year-contract.
- The Houston Dash re-signed three players — Allysha Chapman, Jyllissa Harris, and Amanda West — and optioned a fourth: Goalkeeper Heather Hinz.
- Racing Louisville and Elli Pikkujämsä exercised a mutual option which should keep her in the Derby City through the 2025 NWSL season.
- The Portland Thorns have retained Sophie Hirst and Mallie McKenzie via new contracts.
- San Diego Wave and Hanna Lundkvist also exercised a mutual option.
For coverage of additional transactions see: “NWSL News of Note: Royals sign 15-year-old KK Ream, Wave trade Christen Westphal to Dash, Kat Asman signed by Pride, Red Bull Arena is now ‘Sports Illustrated Stadium'”.
Chicago Red Stars — Camryn Biegalski
Chicago’s announcement had one signing not covered in a separate press release: Fifth-year defender Camryn Biegalski, who was signed to a new one-year contract.
Also, the club did not exercise options for four players: Goalkeeper Sydney Schneider, defenders Tatumn Milazzo and Maximiliane Rall, plus forward Ally Cook.
Camryn Biegalski (one year, through 2025)
Defender Camryn Biegalski rejoined the Red Stars in January 2024 as a restricted free agent on a one-year contract with a mutual option (January press release). A native of Lombard, Illinois, Biegalski was originally drafted by the Red Stars in 2020 and played in the 2020 Fall Series, but was not retained. In 2021, she signed with the Washington Spirit via a one-year contract with a one-year option (May 2021 press release). Ahead of the 2023 season she was re-signed by the Spirit on a one-year contract (December 2022 press release).
In 2024, Biegalski had three regular season starts with four substitute appearances for the Red Stars (NWSL game log).
Biegalski played four years of collegiate soccer at Wisconsin (player profile), starting all 86 of her matches. As a senior, she was named the Big Ten Defender of the Year for 2019.
Houston Dash — Allysha Chapman, Jyllissa Harris, Heather Hinz, and Amanda West
The new contracts for Chapman, Harris, and West were publicized in separate press releases. The optioning of Hinz was acknowledged only in the club’s roster update.
Allysha Chapman (two years, through 2026; mutual option for 2027)
Ten-year NWSL veteran defender Allysha Chapman is set to remain in the NWSL for at least another two years after signing a new contract with the Houston Dash. The contract also includes a mutual option for the 2027 NWSL season. (press release)
Chapman missed parts of the 2023 and 2024 NWSL seasons due to maternity leave (Instagram). She has one child, who was born in February 2024 (Instagram). Although Chapman’s first match back was in the Summer Cup on July 20th, she was on the bench for a few regular season matches ahead of the Olympic Break. Chapman started five of the Dash’s last seven matches, going 85+ minutes in the final three. (NWSL game log)
Chapman’s pro career began in Sweden. In 2015, she joined the Dash as a Canada WNT allocated player. After two seasons in Houston, Chapman was traded to the Boston Breakers ahead of the 2017 season, which would be the Breakers last. In 2018, Chapman was acquired by the North Carolina Courage via the dispersal draft, but was subsequently traded to the Dash in May of that year. Chapman has been with the Dash since that trade. (Wikipedia bio)
Chapman sits at 99 senior caps for Canada and was a member of the squad that won an Olympic gold medal at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics. (Canada Soccer player profile)
Before turning pro, Chapman played NCAA soccer at Louisiana State for three seasons (LSU player profile) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham for one season (UAB player profile).
Jyllissa Harris (two years, through 2026; mutual option for 2027)
The Dash have secured another center-back for 2025 and beyond with the signing of second-year player Jyllissa Harris to a new contract. The new deal should keep Harris in Houston through the 2026 NWSL season and also includes an option for the 2027 season. (press release)
During the 2024 regular season, Harris only had three appearances before the Olympic break, but went on to start and play the full 90 in seven of the Dash’s last eight matches. She also started all three of Houston’s Summer Cup matches. (NWSL game log)
The 5’8″ Harris was drafted by Houston in 2023 after five seasons of NCAA soccer with South Carolina (player profile), where she played 107 matches, with 105 starts, and scored 16 goals while registering 11 assists.
Heather Hinz (club option exercised, through 2025)
Goalkeeper Heather Hinz was signed in April for the 2024 season, with a “club option for 2025” (April 2024 press release) which was exercised by the Dash.
In addition to exercising their option on Hinz, was also recalled from a loan to Tampa Bay United of the USL’s Super League. Hinz’s loan was announced on November 9th and would have ran through late February 2025.
Hinz was acquired by the Dash via the 2024 NWSL draft. Previously, she played five seasons for South Carolina (player profile). With the Dash, Hinz played the final match of the regular season, in place of the injured Jane Campbell. Hinz also notched two wins in the Summer Cup as a starting goalkeeper.
Amanda West (two years, through 2026; mutual option for 2027)
Rookie forward Amanda West has been retained for at least two more seasons by the Houston Dash. Her new contract includes a mutual option for the 2027 NWSL season. (press release)
West appeared in 16 matches during the 2024 regular season, with six starts. All but two of her regular season appearances came before the Olympic break. West also appeared in two Summer Cup matches. West’s first professional goal was an equalizer in a 1:1 draw with the Kansas City Current on May 5, 2024. (NWSL game log)
West played collegiate soccer at the University of Pittsburgh under former Houston Dash head coach Randy Waldrum. In her five seasons, West scored 50 goals and tallied 31 assists in 75 matches for the Pitt Panthers (player profile).
West, who is eligible to play for both Canada and Sweden, was called into one senior Canada Women’s National Team camp in December 2021. (Canada Soccer profile)
Racing Louisville — Elli Pikkujämsä
Racing’s roster update confirmed that Finnish defender Elli Pikkujämsä had exercised her half of a mutual option for 2025. In August, Racing announced that the club had exercised its half of the option (August press release).
Elli Pikkujämsä (mutual option exercised, through 2025)
Finnish international defender Elli Pikkujämsä missed most of the 2024 season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in her left knee during Racing’s third match of the season (April press release).
According to an October 11th update from Finland football association, she was suppose to be “fully fit in six weeks” (palloliitto.fi), however Pikkujämsä was not called up for Finland’s Women’s Euro qualifiers at the end of November (palloliitto.fi).
Pikkujämsä was signed by Racing ahead of the 2023 season on a two-year contract with a mutual option for 2025. From the December 2022 press release announcing her signing:
Pikkujämsä – pronounced “Pick-oo-yawm-suh” – is a young star on the Finland national team, with 20 appearances, including three starts in this past summer’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2022. She has played center or left back as well as defensive midfield for Finland, though the Turku, Finland, native primarily plays central defender.
In 2023, Pikkujämsä featured in 18 regular season matches for Louisville, with 15 starts. Her lone NWSL goal came against the Kansas City Current in a 2:1 win back in July 2023. (NWSL game log)
Pikkujämsä was also a competitive snowboarder, winning silver medals in the 2014 Junior World Championships and the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics (behind American Chloe Kim) (Wikipedia).
Portland Thorns — Sophie Hirst and Mallie McKenzie
The re-signings of Hirst and McKenzie were announced in individual press releases.
Sophie Hirst (two years, through 2026)
Second-year midfielder Sophie Hirst, who joined Portland in September via a trade with the Dash, was signed to a new two-year contract (press release).
Hirst was drafted by the Houston Dash in 2023 and originally signed to a one-year contract (March 2023 press release) with a one-year option that was exercised (November 2023 press release). Hirst played one-and-a-half seasons with Houston before being traded to the Thorns in September 2024.
In 2024, Hirst appeared in seven matches, with three starts, for the Dash. After her trade to Portland, Hirst appeared in just one regular season match, as a 90th minute substitute for Sam Coffey in Christine Sinclair’s farewell match. (NWSL game log) She also appeared in all four of Portland’s Concacaf W Champions Cup group stage matches.
Hirst played four seasons for Harvard (player profile), scoring 10 goals and registering 12 assists in her 60 matches, of which 56 were starts.
Hirst has at least ten call-ups to United States youth national camps, primarily at the U-16 level (2015-2016). For all of her known call-ups, including once at the U-14 and once at the U-18 level, she was listed as a forward.
Mallie McKenzie (one year, through 2025)
On Tuesday, the Thorns announced that rookie defender Mallie McKenzie had signed “one-year contract extension through the 2025 season” (press release). McKenzie was originally signed in March to a one-year contract with a mutual option after going undrafted in the 2024 NWSL draft (March press release).
As a rookie, the 5’9″ McKenzie only had one regular season appearance but started all three of Portland’s Summer Cup matches (NWSL game log) as well as two Concacaf W Champions Cup matches.
Prior to the NWSL, McKenzie played five seasons of NCAA soccer for the Georgia Bulldogs (player profile), appearing in 98 matches while scoring 6 goals and tallying 22 assists.
San Diego Wave — Hanna Lundkvist
The mutual optioning of Lundkvist was announced in the Wave’s roster update.
Hanna Lundkvist (mutual option exercised, through 2025)
Swedish international defender Hanna Lundkvist will be staying in San Diego another year after the mutual option on her contract was exercised by herself and the Wave.
Lundkvist is typically utilized as an outside back and has been deployed on both flanks of the pitch.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Lundkvist was acquired by the Wave via a trade with Atlético de Madrid (February press release). Lundkvist played in 23 matches, with 21 starts. She scored two goals, including the equalizer in the Wave’s 1:1 draw with Gotham on May 12th. (NWSL game log)
The 22-year-old Lundkvist has 17 senior caps for Sweden (SvFF profile). Her first cap came in February 2023 (SvFF article). Lundkvist was named to Sweden’s roster for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, but was withdrawn due to an ankle injury (SvFF press release).
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