Mallory Swanson made her NWSL return on Saturday, after having missed the majority of last season with a knee injury.
It was her first game with the Red Stars in 349 days, after she tore her patella tendon playing with the USWNT last April. She made her return to the USWNT earlier this year, coming in as a training camp player ahead of the Concacaf W Gold Cup. Interim head coach Twila Kilgore said that Swanson looked “phenomenal” in training.
On Saturday, Swanson got to showcase just how far she’s come in her recovery, being named to the Red Stars’ starting lineup.
Chicago got the 2-0 road win over Utah, and perhaps more importantly, Swanson looked like she hadn’t missed a beat. She wound up playing 80 minutes, which included two shots (one on target), passing accuracy of 81%, four crosses, four possession wins and two clearances.
All in a day's work for the USWNT and Chicago striker.
Lorne Donaldson, who coached Swanson during her time with youth club team Real Colorado, took over as the Red Stars coach in the offseason.
‘‘I haven’t seen the toughness in any player that I have seen in Mal,’’ Donaldson told the Chicago Sun-Times ahead of the match.
The fact that Swanson played 80 minutes means that she could be back to a full 90 sooner rather than later, which itself could lead to a full USWNT call-up and cap.
The Seattle Reign have officially been sold, with OL Groupe announcing on Monday the team has signed an agreement with a group that includes the Seattle Sounders ownership group.
The transaction still needs to be approved by the NWSL and MLS Board of Governors. Global investment firm Carlyle joins the Sounders ownership group in the purchasing of the club.
OL Groupe’s entire stake in the club will be sold, which amounts to 97% of the club’s share capital. They originally purchased the club in 2019 for approximately $3.5 million.
“The sale price is $58 million for 100% of the shares,” they said in a statement. Last October, Sportico had valued the club at $49 million.
According to OL Groupe, the sale is part of their strategy to refocus on men’s soccer. Recently, the group sold the women's side of Olympique Lyonnais to Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang.
"OL Groupe is delighted with this transaction as it ensures a locally-led group will continue OL Groupe's successful development of the Seattle franchise," the holding company said.
The Reign aren’t the first club to be sold this year, with the sale of the San Diego Wave for $113 million being announced last week. In August of last year, the Red Stars were sold to a group led by Laura Ricketts for $35.5 million and in January the Portland Thorns sold for $63 million, which was at the time the highest price ever paid for an NWSL team.
Angel City, the league’s most valuable team, is also reportedly exploring a sale of a controlling number of shares.
Angel City is seeking a new owner, according to Sportico, having hired a bank to start the process.
According to Sportico's report, Moelis & Company has been hired to explore the sale of equity to a new owner that would give them board control. Permission has reportedly been granted from all four primary owners – Alexis Ohanian, Kara Nortman, Natalie Portman and Julie Uhrman – to look for someone who would buy a stake that includes board control.
Currently, Ohanian is the team’s largest shareholder, but he does not control the board.
In addition to four primary owners, the team has a number of smaller investors, many of them celebrities.
The group has reportedly already had interest from some potential buyers, including former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry, according to Sportico. He is looking to make investments via Avenue Capital’s new sports fund.
In an email, Ohanian said that he wasn’t selling his equity. He, as well as representatives for Moelis, Angel City and the NWSL declined to comment on the report.
The club is currently valued at $180 million, which is the highest in the league, but Sportico also reports that the club is not profitable: "Angel City has by far the most revenue in NWSL, but it also spends the most."
Last week, Ron Burkle agreed to sell the San Diego Wave in a deal with the club valued at $113 million, nearly doubling the previous NWSL record.
The 2024 NWSL season kicks off on Friday with the Challenge Cup between reigning Shield winners San Diego and and reigning Champions Gotham FC.
Gotham will be without two of its star players, as both Lynn Williams and Rose Lavelle have injuries that will keep them out of the game. Williams reportedly has a thigh injury, while Lavelle is nursing a lower-leg injury.
San Diego, meanwhile, doesn’t have any significant injuries heading into their matchup, though they do have a number of players returning from the USWNT's Gold Cup run, who may be on a load restriction.
San Diego has won all four of the team's previous matchups.
Makenzy Doniak will be one to watch for the Wave, having scored against Gotham in each of their last two matchups. Alex Morgan, meanwhile, has a club-record 10 goals scored against Gotham.
The reigning NWSL champions reloaded in the off-season, having added Crystal Dunn, Emily Sonnett and Tierna Davidson, as well as Lavelle.
San Diego Wave FC is being sold at a record-breaking $113 million valuation, as Sportico first reported on Thursday.
Billionaire owner Ron Burkle is selling the club to the Levine Lichtman family in a two-part deal, which could later result in the transaction sitting at $120 million. It nearly doubles the previous NWSL high of $63 million paid by the Bhathal family for the Portland Thorns in 2023.
It’s also higher than the $90 million valuation that Sportico valued the team at in October of last year, and is second-highest in the league behind Angel City’s reported $180 million valuation.
According to The Athletic, part of the deal includes Burkle remaining as the club’s principal owner through the end of this season.
"We are proud of the unprecedented success we have had as an expansion team and I am confident that [the Levine Leichtman] family's investment will contribute to the growth of our team and the San Diego community," Burkle told Sportico in a statement that confirmed the family coming in as a minority investor.
The number is a massive turnaround for Burkle, who paid a $2 million expansion fee for the club, which began NWSL play in 2022. Burkle had backed out of a bid to bring an MLS club to Sacramento in 2021, instead opting to back San Diego’s NWSL bid.
Since beginning play, San Diego has been a NWSL powerhouse, winning the NWSL shield in 2023 – the fastest that an expansion side has ever earned a top trophy in the league. They also hold the most recent record for NWSL championship attendance, with 25,011 fans showing up in November 2023.
“We are excited to join forces with San Diego Wave FC and help build upon the impressive foundation established by Ron Burkle,” Lauren Leichtman said in a statement. “This investment aligns with our values and vision for supporting initiatives that empower women and foster opportunities for aspiring female athletes.”
The deal has already been approved by league owners. San Diego begins its season on Friday, playing defending NWSL champion Gotham FC in the Challenge Cup.
Vlatko Andonovski will return to the NWSL sidelines this weekend for the first time since 2019 when Kansas City takes on Portland.
Ahead of that, Andonovski spoke with ESPN about his return to the league and his first time coaching since departing the USWNT last August. Andonovski coached the USWNT from 2019 up through the 2023 World Cup. He led the team to a Round of 16 exit, which was the team’s worst-ever finish at the tournament.
To Andonovski, a return to the NWSL has meant a return to his element, as he’s found that the club game “suits him” more than the international game.
"It's something that is continuous -- that's the difference," Andonovski told ESPN. "Like, it's not, 'Oh, now let's take a break for two months. We'll see you in May.' Now we keep going. 'All right, we check this box but you got to check the next box.'”
It’s a return to Kansas City for Andonovski, who has lived there since 2000. He was the original coach of FC Kansas City, helping the team to two NWSL championships before it folded in 2017. He then coached Reign FC from 2018 until 2019 before taking the helm of the USWNT.
Twice, Andonovski was named NWSL Coach of the Year, winning it in the league’s inaugural season in 2013 and again in 2019.
He took a break from soccer following the World Cup, evaluating what he wanted to do next. It was during that time he says he realized “how much I cannot live without this game.” Andonovski says he entertained other offers, from head coaching in the USL to being an assistant coach in MLS, to other NWSL opportunities.
But the opportunity to stay home was too good to pass up.
"It's almost like they're so proud of what I've done or the successes that I've had for the city that they're not just supporting but they're also protective," Andonovski said of local fans supporting him after the World Cup.
Now, he’ll take on another challenge in a league that has changed dramatically since he was last on its sidelines, with a surge of investment and international talent. But his coaching, he says, has evolved as well. And he’s excited to showcase what he can do.
"I don't need to prove anything to anyone except myself," he said. "I can do this. I want to do well for certain people or groups of people, but I have nothing to prove. I was in the league [and I was] fairly successful. I got the job with the national team not because I was doing poorly -- it's because I was doing well. I'm here again because somebody believes that I can do it well. Nothing to prove. I'm just looking forward to doing anything possible to repay the trust that people put in me.”
Read the full article on ESPN.
Ashley Hatch is staying in D.C., with the Washington Spirit signing the forward to a new three-year contract.
Included is an option for 2027, and the contract will take effect immediately. It replaces the contract Hatch was on, which was set to expire after the 2024 season.
A former NWSL Golden Boot winner, Hatch started in all 22 regular season matches for the Spirit last season. She had nine goals and finished tied for third in the league – her highest finish since winning the Golden Boot in 2021.
“Hatchy has been a key component of the Spirit attacking third for the past six years and still has the prime of her career ahead of her,” said President of Soccer Operations/General Manager Mark Krikorian. “We’re thrilled to have her commit to the club for at least the next three seasons.”
Across 128 total matches, which includes time with the North Carolina Courage, Hatch has recorded 46 goals and six assists. She’s also spent time with the USWNT, although she did not make last summer’s World Cup roster.
She responded by putting up two goals and an assist in the team’s subsequent Challenge Cup games. In four consecutive seasons, she has scored at least seven goals. The only player to have more goals in the NWSL since 2021 is Portland’s Sophia Smith.
“Super excited and grateful to re-sign with the Spirit through 2027,” said Hatch. “I truly feel this is the best place for me to continue to grow and develop as a player and person. The DC community is home, and I am so glad to be a part of it for another 4 years!”
The NWSL continues to add international stars, with Zambian star striker Barbra Banda set to join the Orlando Pride.
The news was first reported by CBS Sports’ Sandra Herrera on Tuesday.
Banda would join the NWSL from Chinese club Shanghai Shengli, and will draw a near-record transfer fee of $740,000, according to ESPN.
The fee is the second-highest in world soccer history behind Zambian teammate Racheal Kundananji, who joined Bay FC last month and set the global record.
Orlando, who is looking to make the NWSL postseason for the first time since 2017, has reportedly signed Banda to a four-year deal valued at roughly $2.1 million, including bonuses. That number makes the forward one of the highest-paid players in the NWSL.
The Pride were reportedly in talks with Crystal Dunn earlier in the offseason before she signed with Gotham FC, and sent Messiah Bright – who had a standout rookie season last year – to Angel City. But they’ve picked up a number of Brazilian international standouts and signed forward Simone Charley in the offseason.
The addition of Banda further bolsters the Pride’s front line attack.
A breakout Tokyo Olympics saw Banda become the first woman in Olympic history to have back-to-back hat tricks and score two hat tricks in the same tournament.
She joins other international signings like Deyna Castellanos and Asisat Oshoala to Bay FC and Ji So-Yun to Seattle. It’s a good trend, as it indicates a healthy transfer market for NWSL clubs looking to sign big-name international players.
The Chicago Red Stars are appealing to the state government for public stadium funds.
They’re the latest Chicago sports team to do so, joining the White Sox and the Bears. New Red Stars co-owner Laura Ricketts and team president Karen Leetzow are citing equity in the conversation if such discussions are being had.
“Women’s sports need to have a seat at the table. We need to be in the mix because otherwise we’re just going to end up chasing our tail around how to grow women’s sports,” Leetzow told the Chicago Tribune.
“If you’re a politician, what better way for you to leave a lasting legacy in the state of Illinois or the city of Chicago than to do something that’s never been done, which is provide meaningful funding for women.”
Currently, the Red Stars play at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, which is outside of Chicago city limits. Since taking ownership Ricketts has been looking for a permanent solution to the team’s location issues, given that the current stadium is not easily accessible by public transit.
Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker has been noncommittal on the use of public funds for any private sports project, saying “I think I’ve been really clear about the fact that the taxpayers’ dollars are precious,” in a media appearance this week.
According to SBJ, the club is still in the fact-finding stage of the process, and has not yet determined the amount of funding that would be needed.
On social media, the Red Stars posted a statement, writing that “we deserve a seat at the table.”
The NWSL youth movement continues, with 13-year-old McKenna Whitham scoring in Gotham FC’s preseason friendly on Tuesday.
Whitham notched the game-winner on Tuesday night against Deportivo Cali, which was also the game’s lone goal.
Gotham will now move on to the finale of the preseason tournament, where they’ll play fellow NWSL club Racing Lousiville.
A member of the U.S. U-15 youth national team, Whitham is in camp with Gotham as a non-rostered invitee. She’s also trained previously with Kansas City and Washington.
Earlier this month, Whitham made headlines by becoming the youngest athlete in any sport to sign an NIL deal with Nike.
“The final minute goal from Mac was fantastic because obviously she is a special young player we decided to give a chance,” Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said after the game. “We’re very happy to see her score the game-winning goal.”