Washington Spirit trade Tegan McGrady to San Diego for draft protection

The San Diego Wave continue to build their roster ahead of the NWSL Expansion Draft, adding defender Tegan McGrady in a trade with the Washington Spirit on Wednesday. In exchange, the Spirit received protection from San Diego in the expansion draft on Dec. 16.

We are excited to announce another signing, defender Tegan McGrady! Another Californian coming home and our team gets stronger.

Welcome to #WaveFC, @teganmcgrady9! pic.twitter.com/HOMegHQ34r

— San Diego Wave FC (@SanDiegoNWSL) December 1, 2021

Along with McGrady, San Diego will receive an international spot in 2022 and the Spirit’s natural first-round pick of the 2022 NWSL Draft, which the club acquired from OL Reign in a previous trade.

“Tegan is a great addition to our roster and will bring valuable winning experience to our back line,” Wave FC head coach Casey Stoney said in a release. “She has great college pedigree and many caps at youth national level and has shown her qualities during her time in the NWSL. I am looking forward to working with Tegan and developing and supporting her to achieve even more within the game.”

McGrady, the seventh overall pick of the 2019 draft, has been a key part of the Spirit’s backline, starting 28 of the 34 games she’s appeared in over three years. During the club’s championship-winning season, McGrady started at left back in 11 of 16 matches and in all three postseason games. Each season, she registered a successful pass rate of 72 percent or better and her passing accuracy in the defensive half of the field was 78 percent or better.

“It’s been an honor to coach Tegan this season,” Spirit interim head coach Kris Ward said in a statement. “She’s made a positive impact on the field and off, and it is clear that she is just at the beginning of what will continue to be a successful career. She will be greatly missed.”