The San Diego Wave introduced Camille Ashton as their new general manager and sporting director yesterday, three weeks after Ashton resigned from her position as GM of the Kansas City Current.

The 34-year-old former NWSL pro will manage San Diego’s coaching staff and on-field budget, as well as lead player scouting and acquisitions. Ashton joins Wave FC president Jill Ellis and head coach Casey Stoney in an effort to lead the team back to their 2023 NWSL Shield-winning success.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc)

"I’ve known Cami from back in her playing days, and her impressive track record and deep understanding as both a General Manager and former player, combined with her passion and energy make her an exceptional fit with this club," Ellis said in a team statement.

Ashton left a Kansas City team that remains undefeated this season — a significant leap from last year’s 11th-place finish. While at the Current, Ashton inked top offseason free agent Debinha followed by international forwards Temwa Chawinga (Malawi) and Bia Zaneratto (Brazil).

However, not all of Ashton’s roster moves were as well received. High-profile players like Lynn Williams, Cece Kizer, and Alex Loera posted about the mishandling of their abrupt trades, while the parent of a waived 2023 NWSL draftee claimed her daughter was mistreated by Ashton and the club (a subsequent investigation did not result in any public consequences).

When asked about the criticism surrounding the trades, Ashton commented, "There could be a lot of debate… but at the end of the day, that’s the mechanism that we work with right now in the league." 

A Southern California native, Ashton will make the transition to the Wave in the coming weeks.

After Kansas City Current fired head coach Matt Potter just three games into the 2023 NWSL season, general manager Camille Ashton said Friday that Potter’s firing was not related to the concerns raised by the mother of draft pick Mykiaa Minniss.

In response to a question about Minniss, Ashton began by apologizing to the 2023 draft pick.

“I and the organization are sorry to hear that she has been dealing with the things that came to light,” she said. “We certainly were not aware of that, and we hope, genuinely, that she’s doing okay, most importantly.”

Ashton continued: “We honestly aren’t aware of any violations of the CBA and believe that we treat every player equally within this organization, regardless of whether they are contracted or not.”

In a social media post last month, Minniss’s mother said her daughter received “less than professional” treatment from the club. Minniss was selected by the Current in the third round of the NWSL draft but was cut from the roster during the preseason.

Minniss responded to Ashton’s comments on Twitter, asking, “Sorry to hear about the things I experienced or sorry for your part in it? You’d think a former player in the league would understand accountability better.”

Ashton played in the NWSL from 2014-2017 with three different clubs.

While both the NWSL and NWSLPA both said they were looking into Minniss’s claims earlier this month, it is unclear whether those inquiries will result in a formal investigation.