Washington Spirit
2023 season
OwnerY. Michele Kang
General managerMark Krikorian
Head coachMark Parsons
StadiumAudi Field
(capacity: 20,000)
Top goalscorerAshley Hatch (8)
Highest home attendance12,232
(May 6 vs. SD)
Lowest home attendance7,073
(Apr 22 vs. HOU)
Average home league attendance9,940
Biggest win3–1
(May 6 vs. SD)
Biggest defeat0–3
(Jul 1 vs. ORL)
All statistics correct as of July 8, 2023.

The 2023 Washington Spirit season was the team's eleventh season as a professional women's soccer team. The Spirit played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top tier of women's soccer in the United States.

Background

The Spirit failed to defend their 2021 championship during the 2022 season, and also failed to qualify for the NWSL Playoffs, finishing in 11th place of 12 teams.[1] The team fired championship-winning Kris Ward after a 1–6–9 start and allegations of misconduct toward players, leaving Albertin Montoya to finish the season as interim head coach. Ward was later banned indefinitely by the NWSL following a league investigation into the allegations.[2] The team also hired Mark Krikorian, formerly head coach of the Florida State Seminoles women's soccer team, as its new general manager in June 2022.[3]

The Spirit hired former manager Mark Parsons as the team's new head coach in November 2022

Hirings

In November 2022, the Spirit announced several technical and front-office hirings, including:

Offseason transactions

On February 7, 2023, the Spirit signed Olympique Lyon midfielder Inès Jaurena,[7] who had ended her contract with Lyon by mutual consent on January 29.[8]

On March 3, 2023, the Spirit signed midfielder Chloe Ricketts, who at 15 years and 283 days old had signed her NWSL contract at an age three days' younger than Olivia Moultrie in June 2021, setting a new NWSL record for youngest signing.[9] The record was broken again 18 days later, when San Diego Wave FC signed Melanie Barcenas at 15 years and 138 days old. Rickett was signed using the league's new under-18 entry mechanism added by the collective bargaining agreement signed near the start of the NWSL preseason.[10]

Change in colors

The Spirit abandoned its red, white, and blue color scheme for monochromatic white and black kits with a metallic chrome crest. The team debuted the kits and crest to premium season ticket holders, supporters' group members, and sponsors at the Penn Social event space on March 1, 2023.[11] Spirit owner Y. Michele Kang said the changes represent a clean-slate transition toward a planned club rebranding.[12]

Summary

March/April

The Spirit went undefeated in its first five league matches and did not trail an opponent during that span,[13] but lost its 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup opener to NJ/NY Gotham FC 1–0 on April 19.[14] The unbeaten stretch included the professional debut of Ricketts on April 15 against North Carolina Courage.[15]

On April 7, the Spirit announced the hiring of Mami Yamaguchi, a former Japan national team player and former player and assistant coach to Mark Krikorian at Florida State, as an assistant coach. She had most recently served as an assistant coach and player-coach at Detroit City FC and AFC Ann Arbor.[16][17]

May

The Spirit continued winning through the start of May, with wins of 3–1 against San Diego Wave FC on May 6, 4–2 against Orlando Pride in the second match of Challenge Cup group play, and 1–0 against Angel City FC on May 13 to move to the top of the NWSL table. The team's time atop the standings ended with its next match on May 20, its first league loss of the season, falling 2–1 at Orlando Pride.[18] The Spirit finished May tied for second with 16 points with OL Reign, San Diego Wave FC, and Portland Thorns FC after a 1–1 draw against leaders NJ/NY Gotham FC on May 28, equalizing on a Paige Metayer goal in the 69th minute.[19]

Kang bids for OL Féminin

On May 13, Olympique Lyon won the Coupe de France féminine 2–1 over Paris Saint-Germain, its 10th victory in the competition, on a brace by Ada Hegerberg.[20] The match was attended by Spirit owner Y. Michele Kang, who also raised the trophy with Lyon.[21] On May 16, Olympique Lyon holding company OL Groupe and Kang announced the formation of a separate entity that would be composed of the Spirit and Olympique Lyon Féminin. OL Groupe would retain a 48% stake in the resulting new entity, and Kang would become the club's majority owner and CEO, pending regulatory approval.[22][23][24][25]

June

The Spirit opened June with a 1–1 draw at home against Racing Louisville FC, scoring through Trinity Rodman in the 3rd minute. Louisville equalized on a 51st-minute penalty kick by Savannah DeMelo, then lost Elli Pikkujämsä to a straight red card in the 77th minute. Despite the advantage, the Spirit failed to convert again.[26]

On June 10, the Spirit ended a three-match winless streak by defeating Angel City FC 2–1 at home on goals by Ashley Hatch and Ashley Sanchez, while the defense limited Angel City to one shot on goal in the second half. Goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury suffered a head injury in the 90th minute and was substituted out for backup Nicole Barnhart.[27]

On June 14, the Spirit lost to North Carolina Courage 2–1 at home in a Challenge Cup match, conceding the losing goal in second-half stoppage time. The team played without starters Hatch, Rodman, Sanchez, and Andi Sullivan, while Kingsbury remained out while recovering from the head injury sustained against Angel City.[28] Barnhart was team captain for the match, making her 151st appearance across competitions and passing Ashley Harris for second-most appearances by a goalkeeper in league history. Her start alongside 16-year-old Chloe Ricketts resulted in the largest age gap between starting players in a league match, at 25 years, 7 months, and 13 days. Riley Tanner also made her first career start for the Spirit in the match.[29]

On June 18, the Spirit rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat Kansas City Current 3–2 on the road. The first concession was by Michelle Cooper 22 seconds into the match, setting a new league record for the fastest goal scored in a match, followed by a second goal conceded in the 23rd minute by Debinha on a penalty kick called for a Spirit handball foul in the penalty area. The Spirit's rally began with a Sanchez goal in the 37th minute, a Metayer equalizer in the 82nd minute, and an 88th-minute match winner by Tara McKeown, a defender who played as a forward until the start of the 2023 season.[30]

The Spirit then lost 4–2 on the road to Portland Thorns FC on June 23, conceding a hat-trick to Sophia Smith. The Spirit equalized twice, through Hatch in the 13th minute and Sanchez in the 46th minute.[31]

On June 30, the Spirit signed French forward Ouleymata Sarr, whose contract with Paris FC had expired, to a three-year contract.[32]

World Cup period

Six Spirit players left the team in late June to play for their national teams in the 2023 Women's World Cup:[33]

On June 28, the Spririt signed Mariana Speckmaier and Jordan Thompson to cap-exempt short-term national team replacement player contracts allowed by league rules.[34]

In the Spirit's first regular-season match without its World Cup callups on July 1, the team lost 3–0 at home against Orlando Pride. Nicole Barnhart started in goal for Kingsbury,[33] Hatch took on captaincy of the team, Amber Brooks moved into the midfield, and Nicole Douglas and Lena Silano took on starting roles.[35]

On July 6, the Spirit signed French defender Annaïg Butel, formerly of Paris FC, to a two-year contract with an option for an additional year.[36]

Style of play

The Spirit's 4–4–2 diamond formation as deployed against Racing Louisville FC on June 3[37]

Under newly appointed head coach Mark Parsons, the Spirit deployed a 4–4–2 diamond formation and a fast-paced, direct style of play that relied in the first half of the season on shorter passing sequences than any other team in the NWSL.[38]

Stadium and facilities

The Spirit continued to play in Audi Field, their full-time home since the team's 2022 season. The Spirit moved its training to a temporary facility shared with Major League Soccer franchise D.C. United at Segra Field.[39] As of 26 March 2023, Spirit ownership continued searching for available land for plans toward a permanent, stand-alone Spirit training facility.[40]

Broadcasting

On March 30, 2023, Monumental Sports & Entertainment announced a partnership to broadcast nine Spirit road matches on NBC Sports Washington and provide social media coverage of the team.[41]

Team

Staff

As of May 12, 2023.[42][43]
Sporting operations staff
General manager
President of soccer operations
Mark Krikorian
Senior director of soccer operations Nathan Minion
Technical staff
Head coach Mark Parsons
Assistant coach Angela Salem
Assistant coach
Director of player personnel
Mark Bristol
Player development coach Morinao Imaizumi
Assistant coach
Player development coach
Mami Yamaguchi
Performance staff
Vice president of performance,
medical, and innovation
Dawn Scott
Athletic trainer Alessandro Ciarla
Athletic trainer Rylee Learn

Players

As of July 6, 2023.[44]
First-team roster
No. Pos. Nation Name Birthday (age) Since Previous team Notes
1GKUnited States USAAubrey Kingsbury (1991-11-20)November 20, 1991 (aged 31) 2018United States Orlando Pride
18GKUnited States USALyza Bosselmann (2001-07-27)July 27, 2001 (aged 21) 2023United States Gonzaga
28GKUnited States USANicole Barnhart (1981-10-10)October 10, 1981 (aged 41) 2022United States Kansas City Current
3DFUnited States USASam Staab (1997-03-28)March 28, 1997 (aged 25) 2019United States Clemson
5DFFrance FRAAnaïg Butel (1992-02-15)February 15, 1992 (aged 31) 2023France Paris FC INT[lower-alpha 1]
9DFUnited States USATara McKeown (1999-07-02)July 2, 1999 (aged 23) 2021United States University of Southern California
14DFCanada CANGabrielle Carle (1998-10-12)October 12, 1998 (aged 24) 2022Sweden Kristianstads DFF INT[lower-alpha 1]
16DFUnited States USAMaddie Elwell (1999-08-01)August 1, 1999 (aged 23) 2023United States Vanderbilt
19DFUnited States USADorian Bailey (1997-01-28)January 28, 1997 (aged 26) 2019United States University of North Carolina
21DFUnited States USAAnna Heilferty (1999-04-17)April 17, 1999 (aged 23) 2021United States Boston University SEI[lower-alpha 2][45]
22DFUnited States USAAmber Brooks (1991-01-23)January 23, 1991 (aged 32) 2022United States OL Reign
30DFUnited States USACamryn Biegalski (1998-08-11)August 11, 1998 (aged 24) 2021United States Chicago Red Stars
37DFUnited States USAJordan Thompson 2023United States Gonzaga Bulldogs NTR[lower-alpha 3]
7MFFrance FRAInès Jaurena (1991-05-14)May 14, 1991 (aged 31) 2023France Olympique Lyon INT[lower-alpha 1]
10MFUnited States USAAshley Sanchez (1999-03-16)March 16, 1999 (aged 24) 2020United States University of California, Los Angeles
12MFUnited States USAAndi Sullivan (1995-12-20)December 20, 1995 (aged 27) 2018United States Stanford
13MFUnited States USABayley Feist (1997-03-14)March 14, 1997 (aged 26) 2019United States Wake Forest D45[lower-alpha 4]
17MFEngland ENGNicole Douglas (2000-07-31)July 31, 2000 (aged 22) 2023United States Arizona State INT[lower-alpha 1]
23MFUnited States USATori Huster (1989-09-23)September 23, 1989 (aged 33) 2013United States Western New York Flash SEI[lower-alpha 2]
25MFRepublic of Ireland IRLMarissa Sheva (1997-04-22)April 22, 1997 (aged 25) 2022United States Utah Royals FC
26MFUnited States USAPaige Metayer (2000-09-23)September 23, 2000 (aged 22) 2023United States University of California
27MFPanama PANRiley Tanner (1999-10-15)October 15, 1999 (aged 23) 2023United States Alabama
39MFUnited States USAChloe Ricketts (2007-05-23)May 23, 2007 (aged 15) 2023United States AFC Ann Arbor[46] U18[lower-alpha 5]
2FWUnited States USATrinity Rodman (2002-05-20)May 20, 2002 (aged 20) 2021United States Washington State
8FWFrance FRAOuleymata Sarr (1995-10-08)October 8, 1995 (aged 27) 2023France Paris FC INT[lower-alpha 1]
20FWUnited States USACivana Kuhlmann (1999-04-14)April 14, 1999 (aged 23) 2023United States University of Colorado Boulder
24FWUnited States USALena Silano (2000-02-28)February 28, 2000 (aged 23) 2023United States Long Beach State
33FWUnited States USAAshley Hatch (1995-05-25)May 25, 1995 (aged 27) 2018United States North Carolina Courage
37FWVenezuela VENMariana Speckmaier (1997-12-26)December 26, 1997 (aged 25) 2023Iceland Valur NTR[lower-alpha 3]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 INT: International player
  2. 1 2 SEI: Season-ending injury list
  3. 1 2 NTR: Short-term National Team Replacement signing
  4. D45: 45-day disabled list
  5. U18: Under-18 signing

Competitions

NWSL Challenge Cup

Group stage

April 19, 2023 (2023-04-19) 1 NJ/NY Gotham FC 0–1 Washington Spirit Harrison, New Jersey
7:30 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Attendance: 7,543
Referee: Shawn Tehini
May 10, 2023 (2023-05-10) 2 Washington Spirit 4–2 Orlando Pride Washington, D.C.
7:30 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 4,991
Referee: Joshua Encarnación
June 14, 2023 (2023-06-14) 3 Washington Spirit 1–2 North Carolina Courage Washington, D.C.
7:30 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 5,778
Referee: Matthew Corrigan
July 22, 2023 (2023-07-22) 4 North Carolina Courage 6–0 Washington Spirit Cary, North Carolina
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 4,063
Referee: Thomas Snyder
July 28, 2023 (2023-07-28) 5 Washington Spirit 4–2 NJ/NY Gotham FC Washington, D.C.
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 4,732
Referee: Danielle Chesky
August 4, 2023 (2023-08-04) 6 Orlando Pride 0–1 Washington Spirit Orlando, Florida
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 3,661
Referee: Brad Jensen

East Division standings

Pos Team Pld W T L GF GA GD Pts Qualification NC NJY WAS ORL
1 North Carolina Courage 6 3 2 1 15 5 +10 11 Advance to knockout stage 1–1 6–0 0–0
2 NJ/NY Gotham FC 6 3 2 1 10 7 +3 11 2–0 1–0 1–1
3 Washington Spirit 6 3 0 3 10 13 3 9 1–2 4–2 4–2
4 Orlando Pride 6 0 2 4 5 15 10 2 1–1 1–3 0–1
Source: NWSL

Results by matchday

Matchday123456
StadiumAHHHAA
ResultLWLLWW
Position323
Updated to match(es) played on June 14, 2023. Source: NWSL
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Regular season

Matches

March 26, 2023 (2023-03-26) 1 Washington Spirit 1–0 OL Reign Washington, D.C.
4:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 11,281
Referee: Alyssa Nichols
March 25, 2023 (2023-03-25) 2 Racing Louisville FC 2–2 Washington Spirit Louisville, Kentucky
3:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium
Attendance: 4,861
Referee: Sergii Demianchuk
April 15, 2023 (2023-04-15) 3 North Carolina Courage 1–2 Washington Spirit Cary, North Carolina
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 5,160
Referee: Adorae Monroy
April 22, 2023 (2023-04-22) 4 Washington Spirit 0–0 Houston Dash Washington, D.C.
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 7,073
Referee: Elton Garcia
April 29, 2023 (2023-04-29) 5 Chicago Red Stars 1–1 Washington Spirit Bridgeview, Illinois
7:00 p.m. CDT (UTC-5)
Report
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium
Attendance: 3,610
Referee: Mathew Corrigan
May 6, 2023 (2023-05-06) 6 Washington Spirit 3–1 San Diego Wave FC Washington, D.C.
1:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 12,232
Referee: Matthew Thompson
May 13, 2023 (2023-05-13) 7 Angel City FC 0–1 Washington Spirit Los Angeles, California
7:00 p.m. PDT (UTC-7)
Report
Stadium: BMO Stadium
Attendance: 17,427
Referee: JC Griggs
May 20, 2023 (2023-05-20) 8 Orlando Pride 2–1 Washington Spirit Orlando, Florida
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 4,290
Referee: Thomas Snyder
May 28, 2023 (2023-05-28) 9 Washington Spirit 1–1 NJ/NY Gotham FC Washington, D.C.
5:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 11,545
Referee: Karen Callado
June 3, 2023 (2023-06-03) 10 Washington Spirit 1–1 Racing Louisville FC Washington, D.C.
8:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 8,515
Referee: Rebecca Pagan
June 10, 2023 (2023-06-10) 11 Washington Spirit 2–1 Angel City FC Washington, D.C.
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
NWSL report
ESPN report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 10,032
Referee: Alyssa Nichols
June 18, 2023 (2023-06-18) 12 Kansas City Current 2–3 Washington Spirit Kansas City, Kansas
6:00 p.m. CDT (UTC-5)
Report
Stadium: Children's Mercy Park
Attendance: 9,644
Referee: Natalie Simon
June 23, 2023 (2023-06-23) 13 Portland Thorns FC 4–2 Washington Spirit Portland, Oregon
7:30 p.m. PDT (UTC-7)
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 20,254
Referee: Katja Koroleva
July 1, 2023 (2023-07-01) 14 Washington Spirit 0–3 Orlando Pride Washington, D.C.
8:19 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 8,901
Referee: Anya Voigt
Note: Kickoff delayed from 7:00 p.m. by thunderstorms in the area.
July 8, 2023 (2023-07-08) 15 San Diego Wave FC 2–2 Washington Spirit San Diego, California
7:00 p.m. PDT (UTC-7)
Report
Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium
Attendance: 14,362
Referee: Adam Kilpatrick
August 19, 2023 (2023-08-19) 16 Houston Dash 1–1 Washington Spirit Houston, Texas
7:30 p.m. CDT (UTC-5) Sanchez 90+1' Report Sanchez 63' Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
Attendance: 4,822
Referee: Eric Tattersall
August 27, 2023 (2023-08-27) 17 Washington Spirit 1–1 Portland Thorns FC Washington, D.C.
5:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) Hatch 90+2' (pen.) Report Weaver 64' Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 13,048
Referee: Jeremy Scheer
September 3, 2023 (2023-09-03) 18 Washington Spirit 0–2 Chicago Red Stars Washington, D.C.
5:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) Report St. Georges 48' Nagasato 60' Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 10,035
Referee: Brandon Stevis
September 16, 2023 (2023-09-16) 19 NJ/NY Gotham FC 2–0 Washington Spirit Harrison, New Jersey
7:30 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) González 65' González 70' Report Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Attendance: 6,202
Referee: Adorae Monroy
September 30, 2023 (2023-09-30) 20 Washington Spirit 2–1 Kansas City Current Washington, D.C.
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) Sarr 19' Rodman 90+1' Report Debinha 21' (pen.) Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 11,607
Referee: Eric Tattersall
October 6, 2023 (2023-10-06) 21 OL Reign 0-0 Washington Spirit Seattle, Washington
7:00 p.m. PDT (UTC-7) Report Stadium: Lumen Field
Attendance: 34,130
Referee: Thomas Snyder
October 15, 2023 (2023-10-15) 22 Washington Spirit 0-1 North Carolina Courage Washington, D.C.
5:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) Rodman Red card 23' Report Lussi 25' Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 15,479
Referee: Ricardo Fierro

Regular season standings

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
6 NJ/NY Gotham FC 22 8 7 7 25 24 +1 31 Playoffs – quarterfinals
7 Orlando Pride 22 10 1 11 27 28 1 31
8 Washington Spirit 22 7 9 6 26 29 3 30
9 Racing Louisville FC 22 6 9 7 25 24 +1 27
10 Houston Dash 22 6 8 8 16 18 2 26
Source: NWSL
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

Results summary

OverallHomeAway
PldWDLGFGAGDPtsWDLGFGAGDWDLGFGAGD
22 7 9 6 26 29  −3 30 4 4 3 11 12  −1 3 5 3 15 17  −2

Last updated: July 8, 2023.
Source: NWSLsoccer.com

Results by matchday

Matchday12345678910111213141516171819202122
StadiumHAAHAHAAHHHAAHAAHHAHAH
ResultWDWDDWWLDDWWLLDDDLLWDL
Position5325431453214458
Updated to match(es) played on July 9, 2023. Source: NWSL
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Statistics

As of matches played July 8, 2023.[47]
Goalscorers, per competition
Player Goals by competition
Pos. No. Nat. Name NWSL Cup Playoffs Total
FW33United States USAAshley Hatch 808
MF10United States USAAshley Sanchez 415
FW2United States USATrinity Rodman 404
MF26United States USAPaige Metayer 303
DF3United States USASam Staab 112
DF9United States USATara McKeown 112
MF25Republic of Ireland IRLMarissa Sheva 011
FW24United States USALena Silano 011
Own goals 100
Total 22527
Assists by player, per competition
Player Assists by competition
Pos. No. Nat. Name NWSL Cup Playoffs Total
DF19United States USADorian Bailey 303
FW33United States USAAshley Hatch 303
FW2United States USATrinity Rodman 202
FW24United States USALena Silano 112
MF7France FRAInès Jaurena 101
MF26United States USAPaige Metayer 101
MF39United States USAChloe Ricketts 011
MF10United States USAAshley Sanchez 101
MF3United States USASam Staab 101
MF27Panama PANRiley Tanner 011
Total 13316
Clean sheets by goalkeeper, per competition
Player Clean sheets by competition
Pos. No. Nat. Name NWSL Cup Playoffs Total
GK1United States USAAubrey Kingsbury 303
Total 303
Disciplinary cards by player, per competition
Player NWSL Cup Playoffs Total
Pos. No. Nat. Name Yellow cardRed card Yellow cardRed card Yellow cardRed card Yellow cardRed card
FW33United States USAAshley Hatch 301040
DF9United States USATara McKeown 300030
MF26United States USAPaige Metayer 210021
MF12United States USAAndi Sullivan 300030
DF14Canada CANGabrielle Carle 200020
MF7France FRAInès Jaurena 101020
FW2United States USATrinity Rodman 200020
DF3United States USASam Staab 200020
DF19United States USADorian Bailey 100010
DF30United States USACamryn Biegalski 001010
DF22United States USAAmber Brooks 100010
MF39United States USAChloe Ricketts 100010
MF25Republic of Ireland IRLMarissa Sheva 100010
MF10United States USAAshley Sanchez 001010
Total[lower-alpha 1] 22140261
  1. Does not include three yellow cards issued to manager Mark Parsons.

Awards

NWSL monthly awards

style="text-align:left"|Best XI of the Month
Month Pos. Nat. Player Ref.
March/
April
DFUnited States USASam Staab [48]
May DFUnited States USASam Staab (2) [49]
style="text-align:left"|Rookie of the Month
Month Pos. Rookie of the Month Statline Ref.
June
MF
United States USAPaige Metayer 1 goal, 1 assist; tied for league scoring lead among rookies (3) [50]

NWSL weekly awards

As of June 29, 2023
Wk. Pos. Nat. Player Won Ref.
6 United States USAAshley Hatch Nom. [51]
10 United States USATrinity Rodman Nom. [52]
11 United States USAAshley Sanchez Nom. [53]
12 United States USATara McKeown Won [54]
Wk. Pos. Nat. Player Won Ref.
4 United States USAAubrey Kingsbury Nom. [55]

Transactions

Draft selections

Draft selections are not automatically signed to the team roster. The 2023 NWSL Draft was held on January 12, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

2023 NWSL Draft selections, by round
Round Pick Pos. Nat. Player College Status Ref.
3 26 England ENGNicole Douglas Arizona State Signed to a two-year contract and rostered as a midfielder. [56]
28 United States USALyza Bosselmann Gonzaga Signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. [56]
30 Panama PANRiley Tanner Alabama Signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year and rostered as a midfielder. [56]
34 United States USALena Silano Long Beach State Signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. [56]
4 37 United States USACivana Kuhlmann Colorado Signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. [56]
40 United States USADelaney Graham Duke Not signed; recovering from surgery. [56]

Contracts

Contract expirations
Date Pos. Nat. Player Notes Ref.
November 15, 2022 United States USATaylor Aylmer Contract option declined. [57]
United States USAAlia Martin
United States USAAverie Collins Contract expired.
Canada CANDevon Kerr [57][58]
Mexico MEXKarina Rodríguez [57][59]
United States USAAudrey Harding [60]
Contract re-signings
Date Pos. Nat. Player Notes Ref.
November 15, 2022 United States USASam Staab Contract option exercised. [57]
United States USAJordan Baggett
United States USADorian Bailey
United States USABayley Feist
United States USAAnna Heilferty
United States USAMaddie Elwell
United States USATara McKeown
November 30, 2022 Republic of Ireland IRLMarissa Sheva Re-signed to a one-year contract. [61][62]
December 8, 2022 United States USATori Huster Re-signed to a one-year contract. [63]
December 12, 2022 Canada CANGabrielle Carle Re-signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. [61][64]
December 13, 2022 United States USACamryn Biegalski Re-signed to a one-year contract. [61][65]
December 19, 2022 United States USAAmber Brooks Free agent re-signed to a one-year contract. [61][66]
December 22, 2022 United States USANicole Barnhart Free agent re-signed to a one-year contract. [61][67]
January 16, 2023 United States USASam Staab Signed to a new three-year contract, replacing her previous contract. [68]
January 17, 2023 United States USAAnna Heilferty Signed to a new two-year contract with a team option for an additional year, replacing her previous contract. [69]
January 18, 2023 United States USAJordan Baggett Signed to a new two-year contract, replacing her previous contract. [61][70]
January 19, 2023 United States USATara McKeown Re-signed to a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year. [61][71]
January 30, 2023 United States USAAubrey Kingsbury Signed to a new three-year contract with an option for a fourth year. [61][72]
February 17, 2023 United States USADorian Bailey Signed to a new three-year contract, replacing her existing contract expiring after the 2023 season. [73]
June 20, 2023 Canada CANGabrielle Carle Signed a new three-year contract with an option for an additional year, modifying her existing contract signed in 2022. [74]
United States USAAshley Hatch Contract option for 2024 exercised. [75]
United States USAAndi Sullivan Signed a new three-year contract with an option for an additional year, replacing her previous contract expiring in 2023. [76]

Transfers

Transfers in
Date Pos. Nat. Player Former club Fee/notes Ref.
February 7, 2023 France FRAInès Jaurena France Olympique Lyon Signed a one-year contract as a free agent. [61][7][8]
March 3, 2023 United States USAChloe Ricketts United States AFC Ann Arbor Signed a three-year contract as an under-18 player, with an option for a fourth year. [61][9]
June 28, 2023 Venezuela VENMariana Speckmaier Iceland Valur Signed a short-term national team replacement contract. [34]
United States USAJordan Thompson United States Gonzaga Bulldogs
June 30, 2023 France FRAOuleymata Sarr France Paris FC Signed a three-year contract as a free transfer. [32]
July 5, 2023 France FRAAnnaïg Butel France Paris FC Free transfer; Signed a two-year contract through 2024 with an option for an additional year. [36][77]
Transfers out
Date Pos. Nat. Player Destination club Fee/notes Ref.
April 25, 2023 United States USAJordan Baggett United States Racing Louisville FC Traded in exchange for a second-round pick and conditional third-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft. [61][78]

Retirements

Player retirements
Date Pos. Nat. Player Ref.
November 2022 United States USAGaby Vincent [79]

References

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