Leading Tuesday’s notables is the return of Australian international Alanna Kennedy, who has signed with Angel City through the 2025 NWSL season. Her contract also includes a mutual option for 2026.
The Houston Dash announced two midfield signings on Tuesday, bringing in both youth and experience: Free agent Danielle Colaprico, who has been in the NWSL since 2015, and Maggie Graham, who enters the NWSL as a rookie after five seasons with the Duke Blue Devils.
Meanwhile, the North Carolina Courage unveiled their signing of Japanese international midfielder Shinomi Koyami.
Also, the San Diego Wave confirmed that Ireland international forward Kyra Carusa is set to stay another year in her hometown after she exercised her player option for the 2025 NWSL season.
Additionally, former Scotland international Jen Beattie has announced her retirement from professional after one season in the NWSL with Bay FC.
Angel City: Australian defender Alanna Kennedy transfers from Man City and inks one-year contract with 2026 mutual option
Former Orlando Pride and Western New York Flash center-back Alanna Kennedy will return to the NWSL after being traded to Angel City from Manchester City.
Kennedy, who turned 30 on the day of the announcement, January 21st, was signed through the 2025 NWSL season and has a mutual option for 2026 (ACFC press release).
For Manchester City, Kennedy made 64 appearances over three-and-a-half seasons. Her most recent contract with City would have expired at the end of the 2024-2025 WSL season. (Man City press release)
Before Manchester City, Kennedy played one season with Tottenham Hotspur, first under a loan from the Pride and then directly signing as a free agent.
From 2016 to 2019, Kennedy played four full seasons in the NWSL, winning a Championship with the Western New York Flash during her first year. She was then traded to the Orlando Pride ahead of the 2017 season. With the Pride, Kennedy appeared in 59 matches and tallied seven goals (November 2020 press release).
Kennedy’s pro career began in her native Australia back during the 2010-2011 W-League season.
The 5’9″ Kennedy has 131 caps and 11 goals for the Australia Women’s National Team. She debuted for the Matildas in June 2012 at the age of 17 (WNT bio).
Houston Dash: Free agent midfielder Danielle Colaprico signs two-year contract
Late on Tuesday (press release), the Dash announced the addition of veteran midfielder Danielle Colaprico, who was a free agent after two seasons with the San Diego Wave. The 31-year-old’s new contract runs through the 2026 NWSL season.
During the 2024 NWSL regular season, Colaprico appeared in 23 of 26 matches for the Wave, with 18 starts. In 2023, she appeared in all 22 regular season matches of the Wave’s Shield-winning season, starting all but one.
Colaprico began her NWSL in 2015 as a first-round draft by the Chicago Red Stars and was named the NWSL Rookie of the Year. She stayed with Chicago through the 2022 season, earning 150 appearance and scoring six goals (December 2022 press release).
Colaprico has been capped twice by the senior United States Women’s National Team, with both appearances coming in 2018.
While with the Virginia Cavaliers, Colaprico was named ACC Player of the Year in 2014 and holds the program record for career assists with 44. She appeared in 100 matches for Virginia. (UVA women’s soccer 2024 record book)
At the youth international level, Colaprico played friendlies as an Under-23 player in 2014 and 2015. Overall, she had five known U-23 call-ups plus one U-17 call-up and attended the 2007 U-14 identification camp.
Houston Dash: Duke midfielder Maggie Graham signs through 2027
On Tuesday, the Dash announced the signing of their first rookie in the post-draft era, signing Maggie Graham to a three-year contract. Graham recently wrapped up five seasons with the Duke Blue Devils. In her final season at Duke, Graham was named the 2024 ACC Midfielder of the Year and was one of three finalists for the 2024 MAC Hermann trophy.
Maggie Graham
- Positions: Midfielder
- Height: 5’9″
- Age: 22 (born 10-Jul-2002)
- Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
- FIFA Nationality: USA
- NCAA Team: Duke (2020-2024)
- NCAA Career Stats: 22 goals and 15 assists over 101 matches, with 72 starts (5 seasons)
- NWSL Contract Details: Signed through 2027
- Press Release: “Houston Dash Sign Duke University Midfielder Maggie Graham” (21-Jan-2025)
- U.S. YNT Experience: About 7 camps, mostly at the U-16 level
- January 2025 Futures Camp: No
- Notables: ACC Midfielder of the Year and MAC Hermann Award Finalist for 2024, tallied 14 goals and 5 assists in 2024, scored a hat-trick against Stanford (10-Oct-2024)
The source for Graham’s date of birth is the 2018 USWNT Media Guide.
San Diego Wave: Kyra Carusa extends through 2025 by exercising player option
In the Wave’s preseason roster announcement, which was published on Tuesday, the club noted that Ireland international forward Kyra Carusa has exercised her player option for the 2025 season.
Carusa’s existing contract was ratified ahead of the 2024 NWSL season (January 2024 press release).
The 29-year-old Carusa is a native of San Diego and joined the Wave in August 2023 (press release). In 2024, she started in seven of her 17 regular season matches and scored two goals (NWSL stats profile).
Prior to the Wave, Carusa spent a half-season with the London City Lionesses in the Women’s Championship.
Carusa began her pro career with Le Havre AC in France at the tail end of the 2018-2019 season, then moved to Denmark’s HB Køge, where she played three seasons and tallied 30 goals while helping Køge win back-to-back league titles in 2021 and 2022.
In 2024, Carusa appeared in ten matches for the Ireland Women’s National Team and scored two goals (December 2024 FAI news item). Since making her debut in March 2020, Carusa has earned at least 30 caps, including all tree of Ireland’s matches at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and scored nine goals (December 2024 FAI match preview).
Before playing for Ireland, Carusa attend two United States Under-23 Women’s Youth National Team camps in 2018.
Carusa played NCAA soccer at Stanford for three years (after redshirting during her freshman year) and at Georgetown for one year, as a graduate transfer. Over 94 matches, Carusa tallied 35 goals and 33 assists.
North Carolina Courage: Japanese midfielder Shinomi Koyama joins on three-year contract
On Tuesday afternoon, the Courage announced the acquisition of Shinomi Koyama from Djurgårdens IF of Sweden’s Damallsvenskan. Her new contract with the Courage runs through the 2027 NWSL season (press release).
Primarily considered to be a central midfielder, Koyama has also been utilized as an outside-back, specifically left-back (Yanmar.com), and a winger (Djurgårdens player profile).
During the 2024 Damallsvenskan regular season, Koyama appeared in 21 matches and netted four goals (SvFF profile). She also has two Svenska Cupen appearances and scored once in that competition.
Prior to making the move to Sweden, Koyama appeared in 20 matches for INAC Kobe Leonessa and Cezero Osaka in Japan’s WE League.
Koyama, who turns 20 on January 31st, captained Japan’s squad at the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, which also included Courage midfielder Manaka Matsukubo. At the U-20 WWC, Koyama had starts in the midfield as well as the defense.
Koyama was first called up to the senior Japan Women’s National Team in October 2022 (JFA.jp U-20 WNT profile) and earned her first senior cap in October 2024 (JFA.jp Japan WNT profile).
Bay FC: Scottish defender Jen Beattie retires from professional soccer
After one season in the NWSL, Jen Beattie, a former Scotland international and long-time Arsenal center-back, has announced her retirement from professional soccer at the age of 33. (Bay FC press release)
During the 2024 NWSL season, Beattie appeared in eight regular season matches as well as two Summer Cup matches.
Beattie’s professional career began as a 15-year-old with Queen’s Park in her hometown of Glasgow. She went onto play for Celtic before moving to Arsenal, where she played for four seasons from 2009 to 2013 and five seasons from 2019 to 2024. In between, Beattie played in France for two seasons with Montpellier and then four seasons with Manchester City back in England.
For Scotland, Beattie made 143 appearances and scored 24 goals (Scotland player profile). She made her debut in March 2008 against the USA. She stepped back from international soccer in early 2023.
Among her international highlights:
- At the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Beattie played in all three of Scotland’s matches and found the net via a header against Argentina (FIFA highlights).
- Against Northern Ireland in 2012, Beattie tallied four of Scotland’s five goals, including a second-half hat-trick in the final ten minutes of normal time. (Beattie’s goals were scored at 14′, 83′, 87′, 89′; match details, Scotland video highlights)
Beattie’s contract with Bay FC was set to run through the 2025 season and included an option for 2026 (February 2024 press release).
Quick Notes
Also on Tuesday, the San Diego Wave and the Washington Spirit published their initial preseason rosters.
The rumors about Naomi Girma being traded to a European club look to be more than just rumors: Chelsea appears to be in the final phases of acquiring the United States Women’s National Team defender (The Athletic).
On Tuesday, Angel City officially opened its new training facility, which was formerly used by the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. According to a Los Angeles Times article about the facility’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, former Houston Dash head coach Sam Laity has been hired as interim head coach for Angel City.
Last week, Chicago Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was announced as the 2024 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year (press release).
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