USWNT and Chicago star Mallory Swanson is back, returning to the pitch for the first time since 2024 in Saturday’s 4-0 loss to No. 8 North Carolina.
Swanson subbed on in the 76th minute, registering one shot for the No. 16 Stars in her first competitive appearance since giving birth in November — and hinting at the possibility of rejoining the US as early as next month’s Brazil friendlies.
“For me, it’s just checking the next box, checking the next progression, and just continuing to feel everything as it comes,” Swanson said postmatch.
Ranked last in the NWSL standings on an -18 goal differential, Chicago will need Swanson at her best this season. However, the Olympic gold medalist wasn’t sweating the details.
“I don’t feel like it was a journey to the finish line, I feel like it was a journey to the start line,” she added. “Because I feel like I’m a whole new person.”
“Mal is Mal and now she’s back, which will be huge for us,” Stars manager Martin Sjögren said. “But we also need to understand that now she made her first minutes after being away for a very, very long time, so we can’t put too much pressure on her.”
Mallory Swanson Continues Her NWSL Return Sunday
Swanson could be back in a Chicago uniform on Sunday, as the Stars visit Bay FC at 5 PM ET, live on ESPN.
Chicago pulled off an epic comeback on Sunday, when the Stars avenged last week's 4-0 season-opening loss to Angel City by humbling reigning NWSL Shield-winners Kansas City 2-1.
Stars rookie defender Tessa Dellarose opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, with the UNC alum notching her first NWSL goal in her first professional start, before recent signing Jordyn Huitema doubled the tally in the 49th minute of Chicago's home opener in Evanston.
While Kansas City forward Haley Hopkins responded with a second-half strike, the Stars held on to earn their first win of the year.
After a dominant 2025 run, the Current has been slow to warm up in both of their matches this season, conceding goals before finding the back of the net against both the Stars and their 2026 opening opponent, the Utah Royals.
"We're going to respond like champions and winners," said Kansas City head coach Chris Armas. "We've got to recover, regroup, and respond in a way that you'd expect the professionals that we have in that locker room to do so."
How to watch the Chicago Stars, Kansas City Current this week
Neither team will have much time to regroup, as both the Stars and Current will be back in action on Wednesday night.
Chicago will first take on the Orlando Pride at 8 PM ET on Victory+ before the Seattle Reign hosts Kansas City at 9 PM ET, airing live on NWSL+.
The Chicago Stars are still looking for a permanent home, as the NWSL club put its plan to move to Northwestern University's new Ryan Field on ice this week following local pushback.
"Our goal has always been one of unity — galvanizing the Evanston community in support of the club, our athletes, and the advancement of equity for women's sports," the team said in a Wednesday statement.
"We believe that this is what Evanston residents seek as well, but have also heard a call for more dialogue and understanding about who we are and the impact our presence will have on the community," the statement continued.
The Stars relocated from the club's previous Bridgeview home at SeatGeek Stadium to Northwestern's temporary Martin Stadium ahead of the 2026 NWSL season, but recently applied for a permit to relocate 15 to 17 future games to Ryan Field starting in 2027.
However, the team faced opposition from area politicians and resident advocacy groups voicing concerns about the new stadium hosting any non-Northwestern programming.
How to watch the Chicago Stars this weekend
The Stars will welcome fans to Martin Stadium for the first time this season in their 2026 home opener on Sunday, when Chicago faces the Kansas City Current at 2:15 PM ET.
The match will air live on ESPN2.
The NWSL saw another major move on Tuesday, as the San Diego Wave acquired Brazil international Ludmila from the Chicago Stars in a trade worth up to $1 million, signing the standout attacker through the 2028 season.
The Stars received $800,000 in transfer funds for the 31-year-old striker, plus an estimated $200,000 in conditional incentives — making Ludmila's trade one of the most lucrative intraleague deals in NWSL history.
"I scored my first NWSL goal against San Diego and [it] always was a team I admired. I loved the supporters, the energy of the team, and the vibes of the city when I visited. I'm very happy to be part of this Club's history," Ludmila said in the Wave's Thursday statement. "I'm very excited to show my football in front of all the supporters and score many goals in these colors."
Second only to Jaedyn Shaw's $1.25 million transfer from the North Carolina Courage to Gotham FC last September, this week's Ludmila transaction underlines the soaring price tags to roster — and retain — top talent.
"[Ludmila's] versatility allows her to operate in multiple attacking roles, giving our coaches more tactical options in different game situations," said Wave GM Camille Ashton. "We're confident she will be a valuable asset to the Club's success moving forward."
The signing of Ludmila comes as news emerges that San Diego Wave star Delphine Cascarino is on the brink of exiting the league entirely, with L'Équipe reporting on Tuesday that the French forward is closing in on a deal to join WSL debutants, the London City Lionesses.
The Stars are investing in the future, with the Chicago NWSL team announcing on Tuesday that it's planning to build a club-owned training and performance center on a 10-acre site in suburban Bannockburn, Illinois.
"This facility will set the standard in women's professional soccer by providing the infrastructure our players need to develop to their highest level of performance," said executive chairperson Laura Ricketts in a club statement. "This new facility isn't just an investment in the Stars, it's an investment in the future of women's soccer."
Set to break ground in this spring, the Chicago Stars' private training ground will include two full pitches, a goalkeeper pitch, and a 45,000 square foot performance center as the founding NWSL club doubles down on its new identity after finishing the 2025 season in last place.
Along with a brand overhaul, the Stars announced last year that the club will relocate from Bridgeview's SeatGeek Stadium to Northwestern University's Martin Stadium in 2026.
"Providing our players with a private facility will be pivotal in their development and performance," said incoming head coach Martin Sjögren. "The environment will eliminate distractions to maximize the energy and focus our athletes are able to dedicate to their craft. This includes a focus on the whole person — optimizing both mental and physical health to drive results and help us continue to draw top level talent to Chicago."
One NWSL legend isn't hanging up her club boots just yet, as former USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher signed a one-year contract to remain in net for the Chicago Stars this week.
The 2026 NWSL season will mark the 37-year-old's 11th season with the Stars, where she holds the club record for regular-season starts and appearances (165), minutes played (14,821), and saves (512).
"I feel like I still have more to give and want to be out there competing with my teammates and continue to push this organization forward," Naeher said in a Wednesday club statement. "We made a lot of positive strides to close out last season and I want to build on that."
Naeher and her veteran presence will be a boost for Chicago as the team welcomes new head coach Martin Sjögren, with the Stars aiming for consistency after cycling through three interim sideline leaders following Lorne Donaldson's April firing.
The Stars finished the 2025 season in last place, and have not made it past the first round of the NWSL Playoffs since 2021.
"If you feel like you can still give 100% to what you're trying to do, then keep going," Naeher told fellow NWSL vet Ali Riley on Monday's episode of BFFR. "If you don't think that you can, then it's not fair to yourself or the team to do that."
The NWSL salary cap is back in the headlines, as ESPN's annual anonymous GM survey surfaced widespread concerns about the cap's impact on attracting and retaining talent on Tuesday.
A full 85% of executives from 15 of the 16 league franchises in the survey said the $3.5 million salary cap — even with its CBA-mandated yearly increase — is holding the NWSL back, as big-name players continue to seek out more lucrative European contracts.
"Right now, top talent is going only one way," one GM said. "We're not seeing players that are in top clubs in their prime coming this way…. If that becomes a trend, then that will be an issue."
The GMs also weighed in on commissioner Jessica Berman's performance as well as league expansion, the player development pipeline, other domestic and international leagues, the NWSL's strongest and weakest teams, and more.
While over half (54%) of those interviewed gave Berman's performance three to three-and-a-half stars out of a possible five, just 40% voiced support for the commissioner's longterm plan to grow the NWSL to 32 teams.
As for individual clubs, the majority said that the 2025 NWSL Shield-winning Kansas City Current are elevating the league the most, while 40% said this year's last-place Chicago Stars are "holding the league back," with one GM stating, "The ones at the bottom of the standings are there for a reason."
The world No. 2 USWNT is stocking up to close out 2025, with head coach Emma Hayes dropping her 26-player roster on Wednesday morning ahead of a set of year-end friendlies against rising European star No. 12 Italy.
Hayes selected a blend of both Europe-based and NWSL talent, calling up formerly injured Chelsea standout Naomi Girma for the first time since July as well as Gotham FC standouts Jaedyn Shaw and Jaelin Howell — with Howell returning to the squad for the first time since 2022.
After an up-and-down October window, the US will look to finish the year strong against Le Azzure in Florida, taking on Italy in Orlando on November 28th before the pair square off again in Fort Lauderdale on December 1st.
Notably left out of the player pool are a pair of injured stars in Washington Spirit striker Trinity Rodman (MCL strain) and Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce (fractured eye socket).
On the other hand, Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz, Chicago Stars forward Jameese Joseph, and Washington Spirit defender Kate Wiesner all head to training camp uncapped.
The roster's seven Spirit and Gotham FC players will have the tightest turnaround, jetting off to camp immediately following Saturday's 2025 NWSL Championship clash.
"We've accomplished a lot of goals, expanded the player pool, and made strides in our game model, so this camp will be an extension of that, but it will also set the groundwork for 2026, which will be our World Cup qualifying year," Hayes said in a statement. "Games against top European teams are so valuable… I know our players with embrace that challenge."
The year-end 2025 USWNT roster
- Goalkeepers: Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC)
- Defenders: Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Naomi Girma (Chelsea), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Lilly Reale (Gotham), Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (Gotham), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave), Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit)
- Midfielders: Croix Bethune (Washington Spirit), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Jaelin Howell (Gotham), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Rose Lavelle (Gotham), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes)
- Forwards: Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars), Catarina Macario (Chelsea), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea)
How to watch the USWNT vs. Italy friendlies
Both the Friday, November 28th, and Monday, December 1st friendlies will kick off at 7 PM ET, with live coverage airing on TNT and HBO Max.
The 2025 Women's World Cup journey of the U-17 USWNT came to an end on Tuesday, when the US fell to the Netherlands in the tournament's Round of 16 after a 1-1 draw led to a tense penalty shootout.
FC Twente forward Liv Pennock gave the Dutch a one-goal lead in the third minute before a bullet from Chicago Stars attacker Micayla Johnson pulled the USWNT level in the game's second half, but the US couldn't finish the job, losing 7-6 in penalties.
The USWNT has never won a U-17 Women's World Cup, finishing as runners-up in the tournament's inaugural 2008 competition before taking third in the 2024 edition.
With three pros on the roster — Johnson, Gotham FC striker Mak Whitham, and Utah Royals forward KK Ream — as well as one player, defender Sydney Schmidt, on an amateur contract with USL Super League side Sporting JAX, the U-17 USWNT did manage to put together their most impressive group-stage performance yet, taking all nine points from their three opening matches for the first time in team history.
Even more, the team did so in dominant fashion, taking down Ecuador 3-0 and China 5-2 before blasting Norway 5-0 to advance to the knockouts.
The young USWNT will have another shot at a world championship next year, when the now-annual U-17 World Cup returns for its second straight edition in Morocco.
Star striker Temwa Chawinga is nearing yet another trophy, as the 2024 NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner lifted her No. 1 Kansas City Current over No. 4 Gotham FC with her 15th goal of the season on Saturday — taking the lead in the 2025 scoring race.
Chawinga's 51st-minute tally secured the 2-0 victory, as the 2025 Shield-winners became the first-ever NWSL team to reach 20 wins in a single season — and the first to ever snag more than 60 points in a single campaign.
The Malawian international is now just the second player in league history to score at least 15 goals across multiple seasons, joining former NWSL star Sam Kerr's 2017, 2018, and 2019 runs for Sky Blue and Chicago.
With two regular-season matchdays left, the 2025 NWSL Golden Boot race is down to Chawinga and Gotham FC attacker Esther, with the Spain star chasing the Kansas City standout with 13 goals of her own.
Besides the two-goal advantage, Chawinga also currently holds the edge in momentum, with the Current striker scoring in her last four NWSL matches while Esther has been silent on goal since September 13th.
Trailing Chawinga and Esther in this year's Golden Boot race with a still-impressive 10 goals apiece are No. 8 Racing Louisville's Emma Sears and No. 14 Chicago Stars' Ludmila.