NWSL: 2025 Regular Season — Opening Day Rosters (Updated)

Wednesday, March 12, was the deadline for the fourteen teams of the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League to publish their initial regular season rosters, which are required to have at least 22 and no more than 26 active players.

This post is a compilation of those rosters, presented in a standard format. For each club, there are three separate lists, organized by position:

  • Active Roster: Players who should be available for gameday roster selection. However, some players may have minor injuries that do not necessitate being named to an injury/illness list and could be unavailable. In most cases, players that have short-term or other non-standard contracts have been noted, but some may have been missed as not all clubs provided such details in their roster press releases. Additionally, players who occupy international slots have been noted.
  • Extended Absences: Players who are unavailable due to injury or other reasons. This includes players on the season-ending and 45-day injury/illness lists as well as those on maternity leave and mental health leave. (This list also includes players who have not yet reported to their respective clubs. It is unclear whether those players count toward the number of active players.)
  • Out on Loan: Players who have been loaned to another team for at least the start of the 2025 regular season. The club that they are currently playing for and the length of the loan is included in parentheses after each player’s name.
Continue reading “NWSL: 2025 Regular Season — Opening Day Rosters (Updated)”

NWSL Week in Review: Savy King traded from Bay FC to Angel City, Abuse scandal settlement announced

Topping last week’s notables is the news that the National Women’s Soccer League has agreed to a settlement agreement with the Attorneys General of New York, Illinois, and the District of Columbia. The settlement agreement was a result of a joint investigation into the NWSL in the wake of the player abuse scandal. That scandal eventually led to the Yates Report (PDF) and a separate report produced by the NWSL and the NWSL Players Association (PDF).

In player transactions…

  • The lead story is the trade of defender Savy King from Bay FC to Angel City for a $300,000 transfer fee that will be paid over two seasons.
  • Meanwhile, the top story from the East Coast is Gotham FC re-signing free agent forward Midge Purce.
  • Bay FC signed rookie midfielder Hannah Bebar, who will not immediately join the club as she is finishing a master’s degree at Duke University.
  • Down in SoCal, Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson is now under contract through the 2028 season.
  • South African international Linda Motlhalo‘s second stint in the NWSL has ended after she and Racing Louisville agreed to a mutual contract termination.
  • The Washington Spirit are loaning rookie midfielder Deborah Abiodun and Brazilian forward Tamara Bolt to the USL Super League’s Dallas Trinity for the 2025 calendar year.
  • Olympique Lyonnais center-back Kysha Sylla is being sent on loan to the Spirit for one year.

In team news, the Portland Thorns have announced a shared performance center with the new WNBA franchise.

Also, the Utah Royals have added two unannounced non-roster invitees.

Continue reading “NWSL Week in Review: Savy King traded from Bay FC to Angel City, Abuse scandal settlement announced”

NWSL: 2025 Preseason Rosters, Part 3 — San Diego Wave and Washington Spirit

The number of clubs that have now released their initial preseason rosters for 2025 is now six with the addition of the San Diego Wave and the Washington Spirit, which both published their rosters on Tuesday.

Neither the Wave nor the Spirit has invited any non-rostered players.

The only player news from Tuesday’s roster releases is that San Diego Wave forward Kyra Carusa has exercised her player option for 2025, and thus will remain with the Wave for this upcoming season.

Additionally, United States Women’s National Team defender Naomi Girma officially remains on the Wave’s books, although she is expected to sign with Chelsea in the very near future.

Continue reading “NWSL: 2025 Preseason Rosters, Part 3 — San Diego Wave and Washington Spirit”

NWSL News of Note: Wave sign three, including DiDi Haračić; Spirit acquire Sandy MacIver; Racing inks Virginia Tech’s Allie George

Leading the notables for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, is the San Diego Wave, which announced a trio of signings, although only two are expected to be available for the upcoming season:

  • Free agent goalkeeper DiDi Haračić, who was last with Angel City
  • Nigerian midfielder Favour Emmanuel, who most recently played for ZhFK Lokomotiv Moskva in Russia.
  • U-20 Colombian defender Sintia Cabezas, who will be loaned to USL Super League club Lexington SC for the 2025 season.

Haračić was only signed to a one-season contract, while Emmanuel and Cabezas were signed via two-year contracts. Emmanuel’s deal also includes a 2027 mutual option.

In other player news, the Washington Spirit used their freshly acquired international roster spot for Scotland goalkeeper Sandy MacIver, and Racing Louisville added another rookie: Virginia Tech defender Allie George.

Continue reading “NWSL News of Note: Wave sign three, including DiDi Haračić; Spirit acquire Sandy MacIver; Racing inks Virginia Tech’s Allie George”

NWSL News of Note: Christen Press re-ups with Angel City, Dash acquire Abby Smith from Gotham, Courage signs Hannah Betfort, Racing signs Nebraska’s Sarah Weber, Pride trades international spot to Spirit

Leading the notables for Friday, January 17th, is the news that forward Christen Press will return to the NWSL and Angel City for at least one more season.

In other player news…

  • Gotham FC trades goalkeeper Abby Smith to the Houston Dash for $20,000 in intra-league transfer funds.
  • The North Carolina Courage signs free agent forward Hannah Betfort through 2026 with a mutual option for 2027.
  • Racing Louisville signs senior Nebraska forward Sarah Weber via a two-year contract.

Additionally, the Washington Spirit have room for another international signing after acquiring an international slot from the Orlando Pride.

Continue reading “NWSL News of Note: Christen Press re-ups with Angel City, Dash acquire Abby Smith from Gotham, Courage signs Hannah Betfort, Racing signs Nebraska’s Sarah Weber, Pride trades international spot to Spirit”

NWSL News of Note: Orlando signs Wake Forest’s Zara Chavoshi, Spirit acquire Brazilian Tamara Bolt, Wave acquire Nigerian Chiamaka Okwuchukwu, Reign re-sign Maddie Mercado

With the Utah Royals getting their own NWSL News of Note special edition, here are the other notables from elsewhere in the league:

  • Wake Forest defender Zara Chavoshi, who appeared in the 2022 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup for Canada, has been signed to a one-year deal by the Orlando Pride.
  • The Washington Spirit have acquired relative unknown Tamara Bolt via a transfer from Brazilian club SC Internacional.
  • 19-year-old Nigerian striker Chiamaka Okwuchukwu was signed by the San Diego Wave via a transfer.
  • The Seattle Reign have retained midfielder Maddie Mercado, who was a free agent after her 2024 rookie season.
Continue reading “NWSL News of Note: Orlando signs Wake Forest’s Zara Chavoshi, Spirit acquire Brazilian Tamara Bolt, Wave acquire Nigerian Chiamaka Okwuchukwu, Reign re-sign Maddie Mercado”

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.

Continue reading “NWSL News of Note: 11 Rookie signings during first full week of 2025”

NWSL News of Note, Extensions Edition: Marta, Tara McKeown, Mandy McGlynn, Paige Monaghan, Manaka Matsukubo, Marisa Bova, and Jordyn Bloomer all extend

During the first full week of 2025, several NWSL players signed new contracts with their respective clubs.

Leading the signings is Brazilian legend Marta, who inked a new two-year deal that should keep her with the Orlando Pride through the 2026 season.

The Washington Spirit’s converted center-back Tara McKeown has been mutually optioned for the 2028 season. Meanwhile, Utah Royals goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn is now under contract through the 2029 NWSL season.

McGlynn’s Royals teammate, forward Paige Monaghan, re-signed through the 2027 season.

Japanese forward/midfielder Manaka Matsukubo signed a new contract with the North Carolina Courage that should keeper in the NWSL through the 2026 season.

Additionally, backup goalkeepers Marisa Bova of the North Carolina Courage and Jordyn Bloomer of Racing Louisville signed extensions through 2027 and 2026, respectively.

Continue reading “NWSL News of Note, Extensions Edition: Marta, Tara McKeown, Mandy McGlynn, Paige Monaghan, Manaka Matsukubo, Marisa Bova, and Jordyn Bloomer all extend”

NWSL News of Note: Gotham signs Gabi Portilho, Shelby Hogan traded from Thorns to Gotham, Bay FC signs Cal’s Karlie Lema, Royals signs Texas goalkeeper Mia Justus, Jéssica Silva signs half-season extension with Gotham, Nicole Barnhart announces retirement

Leading the notables for the last two days of 2024 are Gotham’s signing of Brazilian international forward Gabi Portilho and its acquisition of goalkeeper Shelby Hogan. Hogan was acquired via a trade with the Portland Thorns, who received an international roster spot for 2025.

Also, two clubs announced the signings of recent NCAA players:

  • Forward Karlie Lema, who is the 2024 ACC Offensive Player of the Year, has been signed by Bay FC after four seasons at the University of California, Berkeley.
  • The Utah Royals have bolstered their goalkeeping corps with the addition of Mia Justus, who played for the University of Texas and Florida State.

Meanwhile, Portuguese international forward Jéssica Silva has committed to another half-season with Gotham FC.

Additionally, former United States Women’s National Team goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart announced her retirement from professional soccer.

Continue reading “NWSL News of Note: Gotham signs Gabi Portilho, Shelby Hogan traded from Thorns to Gotham, Bay FC signs Cal’s Karlie Lema, Royals signs Texas goalkeeper Mia Justus, Jéssica Silva signs half-season extension with Gotham, Nicole Barnhart announces retirement”

NWSL News of Note: Denver takes the lead; Becky Sauerbrunn retires; Narumi Miura moves to Spirit; Angel City signs Julie Dufour and retains M.A. Vignola; Coachella teams

Leading this edition’s notables is the news that the league “is entering exclusive negotiations” with the Denver bid for the second 2026 expansion franchise.

Former USWNT defender Becky Sauerbrunn announced her retirement from professional soccer on Tuesday.

In other player news, Washington Spirit has landed free agent midfielder Narumi Miura, previously of the North Carolina Courage, while Angel City has signed 23-year-old French international Julie Dufour and re-signed defender M.A. Vignola.

Additionally, six NWSL teams have announced that will play preseason friendlies at the 2025 Coachella Valley Invitational.

Continue reading “NWSL News of Note: Denver takes the lead; Becky Sauerbrunn retires; Narumi Miura moves to Spirit; Angel City signs Julie Dufour and retains M.A. Vignola; Coachella teams”