Washington Spirit – Page 3 – Women's Soccer Express

NWSL News of Note: Dahlkemper to Bay FC, Proulx to Juventus, Nielsen and Wheeler Re-Up, Free Agency Lists

A few more days are left in the August transfer and the hits keep on coming.

Here are the headlines since the last update:

Abby Dahlkemper Traded from the San Diego Wave to Bay FC
Canadian goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx Traded from Bay FC to Juventus
Paige Nielsen Signs New Four-Year Contract with the Houston Dash
Ellie Wheeler Signs New Four-Year Contract with the Kansas City Current
Portland Thorns Trade Portuguese forward Ana Dias to Tigres UANL
Washington Spirit Upgrade NTR Players to Season Contracts

Also, the initial lists of free agents for the 2025 season were released.

NWSL News of Note: Olympics Break Catch-Up: Balcer-Howell Swap, Katie Zelem to Angel City, Jess Carter to Gotham, and Lots More

After a seven week break for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the USWNT once again won gold, the second-half of the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League season gets underway on Friday, August 23rd.

During the Olympic break, most of the teams were involved in player trades, signings, and other roster moves. The most notable (and shocking) trade during the break, just happened on Monday, when the Seattle Reign and Racing Louisville swapped forward Bethany Balcer for Racing’s captain, midfielder Jaelin Howell. Meanwhile, the most surprising signing was not a player, but an interim head coach: Landon Donovan, with the San Diego Wave.

Updates:

August 20th: Racing signs Colombian defender Ángela Barón, NC Courage loan defender Talia Staude to USL Super League side Tampa Bay Sun…

For player-related moves, as well as other developments involving all fourteen NWSL teams, including Angel City FC’s sale to Willow Bay and Bob Iger, keep reading…

NWSL News of Note: Gotham Signs 14-Year-Old Mak Whitham, Dash Fire GM, Audi Field Turf Issues

On Friday, July 26th, Gotham FC announced that they had signed U-15 USWYNT player McKenna “Mak” Whitham. Whitham is the youngest player ever signed to an NWSL club.

Elsewhere, the Washington Spirit’s home stadium, Audi Field, is receiving a new grass surface next week, and, on Thursday, July 25th, the Houston Dash announced that they have “parted ways” with General Manager Alex Singer.

New League: Updates on Possible League Name, Plus Team Names, and Some Miscellany

According to a New Jersey Star-Ledger article published Tuesday, the name for the new women’s professional league in the United States may be the “Women’s Professional Soccer Association.” The article, written by veteran reporter Frank Giase, has multiple quotes from Sky Blue FC owner Thomas Hofstetter, who is likely the source for this possible confirmation. Also on Tuesday, the Washington, D.C. franchise unveiled its name – “Washington Spirit” – and logo. Additionally, the Portland franchise will unveil its name and logo on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. PT (Twitter). Continue reading “New League: Updates on Possible League Name, Plus Team Names, and Some Miscellany”