Leading the player notables is the San Diego Wave’s acquisition of 33-year-old French midfielder Kenza Dali from Aston Villa. Dali joins the Wave via a two-year contract.
Two rookies signs were also announced:
- UCLA center-back Jayden Perry was signed by the Portland Thorns for the 2025 season.
- The Chicago Stars have signed 17-year-old forward Micayla Johnson through the 2027 NWSL season. Johnson played in the 2024 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup for the United States.
Covered in a separate post is the news that Deyna Castellanos has been released by Bay FC and has signed with the Portland Thorns.
Additionally, goalkeeper Michelle Betos has announced her retirement from professional soccer.
San Diego Wave: French midfielder Kenza Dali acquired via trade, is signed through 2026
On Friday (press release), the Wave officially revealed their acquisition of midfielder Kenza Dali from Aston Villa of the Women’s Super League, who was signed via a two-year contract.
In two-and-a-half seasons with Aston Villa, Dali made 66 appearances and tallied nine goals. (Aston Villa press release) Previously, Dali played one season at Everton and, earlier, two seasons with West Ham United.
Before making the move to England in 2019, Dali played in her native France, most prominently for Paris Saint-Germain from 2011 to 2016, where she netted 45 goals in 125 appearances. As a youth, Dali trained with Olympique Lyonnais and went on to sign a professional contract with Lyon. During her time in France, Dali also played for Rodez, Lille, and Dijon.
The 33-year-old Dali remains an active member of the France Women’s National Team. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she started two matches and scored a goal against Colombia. More recently, she was called up for the October and November-December windows, starting three of four matches.
In addition to the 2024 Summer Olympics, Dali also played in the 2015 and 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2022 Women’s EURO. Overall, Dali has 75 caps and 13 goals for France. (FFF.fr player profile) Dali was unavailable for the 2017 Women’s EURO due to an ACL injury and missed the 2019 WWC after breaking her toe in a non-soccer accident when a clothing iron fell on her foot (L’Equipe news article, archived).
News of Dali’s trade was first reported by the BBC’s Emma Sanders last weekend.
Portland Thorns: UCLA center-back Jayden Perry signs one-year contract
On Wednesday, the Thorns announced the addition of left-footed defender Jayden Perry for the 2025 NWSL season. Perry played four years for UCLA, winning the NCAA College Cup in 2022. At UCLA, she tallied seven goals, all scored from the penalty spot.
Jayden Perry
- Position: Defender (center-back)
- Height: 5’9″
- Age: 21?*
- Hometown: Rancho Santa Margarita, California
- FIFA Nationality: USA
- NCAA Team: UCLA (2021 to 2024)
- NCAA Career Stats: 82 matches, 66 starts; 7 goals and 4 assists (4 seasons)
- NWSL Contract Details: Signed through 2025
- Press Release: “Thorns Sign Defender Jayden Perry” (22-Jan-2025)
- U.S. YNT Experience: No
- January 2025 Futures Camp: No
- Notables: Left-footed. All seven of Perry’s goals for UCLA were via penalty kicks.
*Perry’s birthday is March 31st (UCLA Women’s Soccer – Instagram).
Chicago Stars: USA U-17 WWC forward Micayla Johnson inks three-year contract
On Friday, the Stars announced the signing of 17-year-old Micayla Johnson via a contract that runs through the 2027 NWSL season. Johnson was a member of the USA’s squad at the 2024 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
In November 2024, Johnson officially committed to Florida State for the upcoming 2025 fall season (FSU Women’s Soccer Instagram). In May 2024, she announced her verbal commitment to Florida State (personal Instagram).
With a 2008 birth year, Johnson is also eligible for the 2025 FIFA U-17 WWC and was called into the United States Under-17 Women’s National Team camp that begins on January 26th.
Micayla Johnson
- Position: Forward
- Height: 5’3″
- Age: 17 (born 18-Jan-2008)
- Hometown: Troy, Michigan
- FIFA Nationality: USA
- NCAA Team: n/a (former official commit to Florida State)
- NCAA Career Stats: n/a
- NWSL Contract Details: Signed through 2027
- Press Release: “Chicago Stars FC Signs Forward, Micayla Johnson” (24-Jan-2025)
- U.S. YNT Experience: 2024 FIFA U-17 WWC, 3 camps each at U-15, U-16, and U-17 levels
- January 2025 Futures Camp: No
- Notables: Scored the game-winner against Colombia in the USA’s second group stage match at the 2024 FIFA U-17 WWC. Also had a game-winner in a U-17 friendly against Brazil in July 2024.
Gotham FC: Michelle Betos retires from professional soccer
On Wednesday, Michelle Betos announced her retirement from professional soccer (Instagram post, Gotham press release).
The 36-years-old Queens native is an NWSL original, joining the Seattle Reign ahead of the league’s inaugural 2013 season via a supplemental draft. Betos began the season as a backup to Hope Solo, but started seven matches after Solo was injured. (Wikipedia: 2013 NWSL Season)
Betos then spent three seasons with the Portland Thorns, first as backup behind Nadine Angerer. In her second and third years as a Thorn, Betos had a total of 29 appearances (NWSL stats). For the 2015 season, Betos was named the NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year.
During her time with the Portland Thorns, Betos memorably scored the first-ever offensive goal by a goalkeeper in the NWSL. That feat came in a June 2015 regular season match against FC Kansas City when she headed in an equalizer during stoppage time.
After spending 2017 in Norway, Betos returned to the NWSL and the Reign in 2018. She then joined Racing Louisville via an expansion draft for the 2021 season where she started 20 of 24 matches.
Following the 2021 season, Betos signed with Gotham, where she shared ‘keeping duties with Ashlyn Harris during the 2022 season. After that season, Betos did not feature in any more regular season matches for Gotham.
Betos played collegiately for the University of Georgia from 2006 to 2009.
Ahead of the 2024 season, Betos signed a one-year contract with Gotham (January 2024 press release), but that contract’s option was not exercised for 2025 (December 2024 press release).
Quick Notes
NWSL Media Day: Jason Anderson, for USA Today’s Pro Soccer Wire, has a good write up on league news coming out of the NWSL’s first-ever media day: “NWSL commissioner Berman offers updates on expansion, schedule and infrastructure”.
Utah Royals: Emily Gray has been loaned to Sweden’s Piteå IF DFF for the 2025 Damallsvenskan season, according to Piteå’s Instagram. Gray had been on loan to Danish side Odense Boldklub Q for the second half of 2024 (July 2024 press release). Prior to 2024, Gray spent two seasons with the North Carolina Courage, which drafted her after four years at Virginia Tech (player profile). Piteå also recently signed former San Diego Wave and UCLA (player profile) goalkeeper Lauren Brzkcy for 2025 and 2026 (Piteå news item).
San Diego Wave: According to The Equalizer, former Angel City head coach Becki Tweed has joined the Wave as an assistant coach under Jonas Eidevall. Tweed was seen in an Instagram video posted by the Wave on Wednesday.
NWSL Players Association: On Friday, the NWSLPA announced that Tori Huster, who was president of the association from 2020 to 2025, has been appointed as the organization’s Deputy Executive Director. (NWSLPA press release)
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