NWSL News of Note: 11 Rookie signings during first full week of 2025

Last week, six teams announced the signing of 11 rookies for the 2025 NWSL season. All of these announced rookies played NCAA Division I soccer during the 2024 season.

Among the signings are four players who will be attending U.S. Soccer’s upcoming Futures Camp, which is a hybrid U-23 camp: Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign), Taylor Huff (Bay FC), Emily Mason (Seattle Reign), and Pietra Tordin (Portland Thorns). The speedy Dahlien and the deft Tordin were both key members of the USA’s squad at the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup that finished third.

Other freshly-signed rookies with significant United States youth national team experience are forward Mary Long and defender Katie Scott who are now Kansas City Current players. Both Long and Scott were members of the USA’s 2024 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup squad which finished third as well.

Kansas City signed also signed goalkeeper Claire Gagne who won a national title with the North Carolina Tar Heels last year after three undergraduate seasons at Brown.

Pitt’s Deborah Abiodun, who was signed by the Washington Spirit, has already been capped by the senior Nigeria Women’s National Team and played in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Spirit also signed San Diego State forward Emma Gaines-Ramos.

Additionally, Gotham FC signed University of Minnesota forward Khyah Harper and UCLA/Stanford goalkeeper Ryan Campbell.

Bay FC

Taylor Huff

Gotham FC

Khyah Harper

  • Position: Forward
  • Age: n/a (presumed to be 22 or 21)
  • Hometown: Lino Lakes, Minnesota
  • FIFA Nationality: USA
  • NCAA Team(s): Minnesota (2021-2024)
  • NCAA Career Stats: 20 goals and 17 assists in 72 matches (4 seasons)
  • NWSL Contract Details: Signed through 2025, no option
  • Press Release: “Gotham FC Signs University of Minnesota Forward Khyah Harper” (8-Jan-2025)
  • U.S. YNT Experience: No*
  • January 2025 Futures Camp: No
  • Notables: Scored three hat-tricks during her breakout 17-goal senior season. In her prior three years, Harper only scored one goal each season. Was named the Big Ten Forward of the Year for 2024.

Harper’s collegiate career was affected by injuries to her left ankle and right knee. She also had a significant right ankle injury as a senior in high school. (October 2024 news article)

*Harper’s Minnesota bio states “In both 2017-18 and 2018-19 Harper attended the U.S. National Team Training Camp”, but her name does not appear on any known WYNT camp roster.

Ryan Campbell

  • Position: Goalkeeper
  • Height: 5’11”
  • Age: 22 (born March 18, 2002)
  • Hometown: Laguna Beach, California
  • FIFA Nationality: USA
  • NCAA Team(s): UCLA (2024), Stanford (2021-2023)
  • NCAA Career Stats:
    • UCLA: 24 matches, 10 goals against, 46 saves
    • Stanford: 49 matches, 24 goals against, 118 saves
  • NWSL Contract Details: Signed through 2025, no option
  • Press Release: “Gotham FC Signs UCLA Goalkeeper Ryan Campbell” (10-Jan-2025)
  • U.S. YNT Experience: At least a dozen call-ups from the U-14 to U-17 levels. Was also called up for 2023 Thorns preseason tournament as a replacement (x.com post)
  • January 2025 Futures Camp: No

Kansas City Current

Mary Long and Katie Scott both graduated high school a year early and do not turn 18 until later this year.

Claire Gagne

  • Position: Goalkeeper
  • Height: 6’0″ (UNC, KC Current) or 5’10” (Brown)
  • Age: 22-ish (born February 22nd, most likely in 2002)
  • Hometown: Orono, Minnesota
  • FIFA Nationality: USA
  • NCAA Team(s): UNC (2024), Brown (2021-2023)
  • NCAA Career Stats:
    • UNC: 27 matches, 22 goals against, 74 saves
    • Brown: 28 matches, 16 goals against, 56 saves
  • NWSL Contract Details: Signed through 2025, no option mentioned
  • Press Release: “Kansas City Current signs trio of collegiate stars” (8-Jan-2025)
  • U.S. YNT Experience: No
  • January 2025 Futures Camp: No
  • Notables: Was UNC’s starting goalkeeper for their 2024 NCAA Championship season
  • Trivia: Per her NCAA profiles, she is an “ordained minister”

Mary Long

  • Position: Forward
  • Height: 5’10”
  • Age: 17 (born 24-Jan-2007)
  • Hometown: Mission Hills, Kansas
  • FIFA Nationality: USA
  • NCAA Team: Duke (2024)
  • NCAA Career Stats: 3 goals and 1 assist in 453 minutes over 15 matches (1 season)
  • NWSL Contract Details: Signed through 2025, no option mentioned
  • Press Release: “Kansas City Current signs trio of collegiate stars” (8-Jan-2025)
  • U.S. YNT Experience: 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup squad, plus two U-17 camps
  • January 2025 Futures Camp: No
  • Notables: Long is the daughter of Kansas City Current’s lead owners Chris and Angie Long (KC Star), a fact that was not included in the club’s press release. In her second U-17 international friendly, she scored a brace against Brazil (U.S. Soccer press release). She also had a goal and an assist during the U-17 WWC.

Katie Scott

  • Position: Defender (outside-back)
  • Height: 5’3″
  • Age: 2017 (born 20-Jun-2007)
  • Hometown: Fairview, Pennsylvania
  • FIFA Nationality: USA
  • NCAA Team: Penn State (2024)
  • NCAA Career Stats: 2 goals and 2 assists over 11 matches (1 season)
  • NWSL Contract Details: Signed through 2025, no option mentioned
  • Press Release: “Kansas City Current signs trio of collegiate stars” (8-Jan-2025)
  • U.S. YNT Experience: 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and 2024 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship squads, plus at least eight camps from the U-15 to U-17 levels
  • January 2025 Futures Camp: No
  • Notables: Scott’s last collegiate goal was scored against UNC in Penn State’s 1:2 loss during the national quarterfinals of the 2024 NCAA tournament.

Portland Thorns

Pietra Tordin

  • Position(s): Forward/Midfielder
  • Height: 5’6″
  • Age: 20 (born 30-Mar-2024)
  • Hometown: Doral, Florida
  • FIFA Nationalities: USA and Brazil
  • NCAA Team: Princeton (2022-2024)
  • NCAA Career Stats: 30 goals and 11 assists over 45 matches (3 seasons)
  • NWSL Contract Details: Signed through 2026 with 2027 player option
  • Press Release: “Portland Thorns Sign U20 USYNT Forward Pietra Tordin” (8-Jan-2025)
  • U.S. YNT Experience: 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup squad plus six U-20 camps, all in 2024
  • January 2025 Futures Camp: Yes (Forward)
  • Notables: At the 2024 U-20 WWC, Tordin scored a hat trick against Paraguay and scored the opening goal against Mexico. In 2023, Tordin attended a Brazil U-20 WNT camp.

Seattle Reign

Maddie Dahlien

  • Position: Forward / Winger
  • Height: 5’9″
  • Age: 20 (born 25-Jul-2004)
  • Hometown: Edina, Minnesota
  • FIFA Nationality: USA
  • NCAA Team(s): UNC (2022-2024)
  • NCAA Career Stats: 7 goals and 13 assists over 65 matches (3 seasons)
  • NWSL Contract Details: Signed through 2027
  • Press Release: “Seattle Reign FC Signs UNC Forward Maddie Dahlien” (8-Jan-2025)
  • U.S. YNT Experience: 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and 2023 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship squads, plus five camps at the U-20 and U-19 levels
  • January 2025 Futures Camp: Yes (Forward)
  • Notables: At the 2024 FIFA U-20 WWC, Dahlien scored two goals, including a crucial second goal against Morocco that gave the USA the tiebreaker advantage against Paraguay going into the final group stage match. In that tournament, Dahlien also instigated the extra-time own goal that gave the USA third-place against the Netherlands and had a hand in the stoppage-time equalizer against Germany in the quarterfinals match. During the 2024 NCAA season, Dahlien earned six of 10 penalty kicks for UNC. In 2022, she scored a brace in UNC’s 3:2 NCAA playoff victory over BYU. In high school, as a junior, Dahlien won state track titles for the 100M, 200M, and 400M dashes. Won a national NCAA title with UNC in 2024.

Emily Mason

  • Position(s): Defender (Center-back and Outside-back)
  • Height: 5’10”
  • Age: 22 (born 23-Oct-2002)
  • Hometown: Flemington, New Jersey
  • FIFA Nationality: USA
  • NCAA Team(s): Rutgers (2021-2024)
  • NCAA Career Stats: 6 goals and 7 assists over 82 matches (4 seasons)
  • NWSL Contract Details: Signed through 2025, no option mentioned
  • Press Release: “Seattle Reign FC Signs Rutgers Defender Emily Mason” (8-Jan-2025)
  • U.S. YNT Experience: 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup squad, 2022 and 2022 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship squad
  • January 2025 Futures Camp: Yes (Defender)
  • Notables: Named the 2019-20 Gatorade National Player of the Year. Mason was the youngest player on the USA’s roster for the U-20 Concacaf qualifying in 2020. The head coach for the U-20 USWYNT in 2020 was Laura Harvey.

Primarily an outside-back during her high school years, Mason was converted to a center-back at Rutgers (2021 news article).

Washington Spirit

According to the NWSL’s transaction tracker, Abiodun’s and Gaines-Ramos’s options are all club options.

Deborah Abiodun 

  • Position(s): Midfielder
  • Height: 5’6″ (167 cm)
  • Age: 21 (2-Nov-2003)
  • Hometown: Oyo, Nigeria
  • FIFA Nationality: Nigeria (will occupy international slot)
  • NCAA Team(s): Pitt (2023, 2024)
  • NCAA Career Stats: 10 goals and 3 assists in 34 matches (2 seasons)
  • NWSL Contract Details: Signed through 2027, with club option for 2028
  • Press Release: “Washington Spirit Starts Promising 2025 Rookie Class with Two Signings” (6-Jan-2025)
  • U.S. YNT Experience: n/a
  • January 2025 Futures Camp: n/a
  • Notables: Already capped by Nigeria’s senior women’s national team, played in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (2023 WWC squad lists PDF)
  • Trivia: Nicknamed “Kante” after French men’s national team midfielder N’Golo Kanté

Emma Gaines-Ramos