Gotham and Dove are teaming up, with the 2023 NWSL champs signing a record-setting multi-year kit partnership with the beauty brand on Thursday.
As Dove's first major investment in a women's sports team, the move also ranks as the highest-ever back-of-jersey sponsorship deal in NWSL history.
While Gotham did not provide specific numbers, the contract surpasses Bay FC's then-record $500,000 deal with private equity giant Sixth Street.
Dove joins Gotham in fight to keep girls in sports
The partnership is a part of Gotham's "Keep Her in the Game" initiative, a community effort launched last August to help adolescent girls stay in sports. Dove will serve as the program's presenting sponsor.
"Dove is the ultimate leader in female strength and empowerment, and we could not be prouder to partner with the brand in a number of impactful ways," Gotham FC chief business officer Ryan Dillon said in the team's release. "We are excited to team up with Dove to create key pathways for young female athletes to stay in sports, develop confidence, and become strong future leaders."
"The partnership is taking effect at a crucial time when supporting girls in sports has never been more important."
With girls twice as likely as boys to abandon sports by age 14, "Keep Her in the Game" aims to bolster young athletes' resilience and amplify the joy and connection that happens on and off the playing field.
After impacting 30 local New Jersey and New York youth clubs and more than 500 players in 2024, the initiative is aiming to double its reach in 2025. It will also pass the proverbial mic to the young athletes themselves by creating a Youth Leadership Council.
"The data is clear: Sports build confidence, leadership skills and resilience in young women, benefiting them for years to come," stated Laura DiMiceli, the head of personal care sports marketing for Dove's parent company, Unilever North America. "Dove is committed to supporting 'Keep Her in the Game' as part of our overall mission to help young girls pursue sports and keep playing the games they love."
Welcome to another episode of Sports Are Fun! presented by TurboTax.
The second episode of Sports Are Fun! dropped today, with soccer icon Kelley O'Hara, sports journalist Greydy Diaz, and JWS intern BJ professing their hottest takes all things women's sports — joined this week by WNBA superstar and Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball co-founder Napheesa Collier.
"It felt like everyone is making money off of women's sports except for the women in the sports," Collier said, reflecting on developing the offseason league's profit-sharing business model.
"And so, we offer the highest average team salary in women's sports, and we're giving equity to everyone who's playing."
In addition to chatting with Collier about all things Unrivaled, the crew also gets into even more WNBA offseason moves, Midge Purce's return to Gotham, Hope Solo's TST team, South Carolina and UConn's upcoming NCAA battle, and so much more.
Collier gives 'Sports Are Fun!' the inside scoop on Unrivaled
Guest star Napheesa Collier takes the group on a deep dive into offseason league Unrivaled. She talks through everything from dealing with injuries and living with teammates 24/7 to handling a business and going head-to-head in this week's 1v1 tournament.
"I mean, we're all in in one place, right? Our locker rooms are all in one hallway, we share food spaces, training spaces like cold tubs, saunas — all communal areas except for locker rooms." Collier says, describing the league's Miami campus. "It's really fun to see that behind-the-scenes stuff happening in real time."
"I have my own room, which is unlike what happened in college," she continues with a laugh. "I would compare it more to the Wubble, except, you know, we have free will this time around. But the the close proximity I actually really like — I think it's really fun. I think it's super convenient, just having everyone in one space. Cutting back on travel also is so, so nice."
Of course, the future is bright for the first-year league. For its second season, Unrivaled is planning to take the show on the road, dropping into cities around the country to give fans a front-row seat to the 3×3 action.
"We are planning to do on-the-road games where we go to a city for a night and we basically play in a full arena and then we make it a whole event for the fans," Collier says, detailing Unrivaled's plans for a takeover tour similar to what the PWHL is currently staging around North America. "Definitely not all the games — just a couple. You can hit markets that aren't necessarily cities where you can bring [regular-season] basketball."
About 'Sports Are Fun!' with Kelley O'Hara
'Sports Are Fun!' is a show that’ll remind you why you fell in love with women's sports in the first place. Join World Cup champ, Olympic gold medalist, and aspiring barista Kelley O'Hara as she sits down with sports journalist Greydy Diaz and a revolving cast of co-hosts and friends. Together, they're talking the biggest, funnest, and most need-to-know stories in the world of women’s sports.
From on-court drama to off-field shenanigans, to candid (and silly) chats with the most important personalities in the space, this show screams "Sports Are Fun!"
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
USWNT attacker Midge Purce re-signed with Gotham FC on a one-year deal Wednesday. The move quieted speculation about the star's future with the club.
The 29-year-old announced her return in classic fashion. She simply adding a two-word quote to Gotham's press release on Wednesday: "I'm back."
Purce played a major role in Gotham's 2023 title-winning run. She earned NWSL Championship MVP honors after assisting on both goals in NJ/NY's trophy-clinching match. However, she was sidelined for much of the subsequent season — her fifth at Gotham — after a late March 2024 ACL tear.
"Midge brings a number of great qualities to our team, and her dynamism and experience are great additions to our talented attacking group," Gotham GM Yael Averbuch West said in a statement. "We are very excited to welcome her back into the mix."
Purce signing helps ease Gotham's 2025 concerns
Securing the striker eases some fears about Gotham's plans for 2025. This offseason saw a number of high-profile exits including USWNT stars Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams), Crystal Dunn, Jenna Nighswonger, among others.
"We fully understand our journey won't always follow a straight path, and we are realistic about the time, fortitude, and effort required to achieve our goals," Averbuch West recently told fans in an open letter.
"I know this offseason has been a time of uncertainty for our fans, and I want you to know we've worked tirelessly to build a team you’ll be excited to stand behind in 2025 and every season after."
Ultimately, Purce's return rounds out a still-solid Gotham squad. Of course, the roster remains punctuated by USWNT mainstays Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, and Tierna Davidson.
The team is currently in Spain for preseason training. They'll play a pair of closed-door scrimmages before returning to New Jersey to kick off the 2025 NWSL season.
It's safe to say Kelley O'Hara is enjoying retirement.
Check her social media and you’ll see that the two-time World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist has been traveling. She's been hitting the slopes, jetting to Miami for Unrivaled's opening day, and even got a chance to celebrate former USWNT teammate Heather O'Reilly's 40th birthday in Los Angeles.
And for the first time, there wasn't a voice in the back of her mind telling her she needed to get back to work. "The holiday season has never been relaxing for me," she tells Just Women's Sports. "I think people really don't realize the extent to which you have to prepare for preseason, and how little of a break we get as footballers."
That’s not to say that she didn't love playing soccer. O'Hara cherished every moment of her final season on the pitch with 2023 NWSL champs Gotham FC — one that was unfortunately shortened due to injury. But she's also very happy with the life she's created on the other side.
"Obviously, [playing] comes with its pitfalls or obstacles or annoyances, but I really loved it," she says. "So I'm surprised with how much I'm not missing it."
Lingering injury prompted O'Hara's retirement
O'Hara admits that some of her decision to retire was out of her hands prior to hanging up her cleats. She spent much of her prestigious career holding lingering injuries at bay, and the physical toll finally caught up to her. And with a full trophy case and little room for regrets, it felt like the right time to step away.
"I'm trying to sort out my knee. Unfortunately, it's pretty far gone," she continues. "So just managing it and figuring out how to do all the things I want to do, and enjoy life the way I want to enjoy it."
The sacrifice that led to success is still front of mind. O'Hara has already accepted that she will eventually have to undergo a knee replacement sooner rather than later.
But she also knows her second act is only just beginning.
O'Hara trades the pitch for the studio with 'Sports Are Fun!'
This week, the 36-year-old is diving headfirst into a new venture. After hosting multiple podcasts with JWS and trying her hand at broadcast commentary, O'Hara is stepping back into the studio to debut Sports Are Fun!, a new weekly women's sports show launching its first episode today.
O'Hara brings a championship-level of consistency to the podcast, set to run through the end of 2025. While the women's sports media space is used to player-hosted seasonal one-offs centered around major events, Sports Are Fun! is filling a significant gap: the regular, everyday coverage that’s long dominated the men's sports landscape.
"I'm looking forward to having this week-in and week-out show, to be able to connect with our fans, cover the sports, and have fun," she says. "Sports are fun!"
The show sets itself apart from long-form interview or analysis podcasts, shifting the format by focusing on real-life living room conversations women’s sports personalities are currently having. To bring that idea to fruition O'Hara will be joined by journalist and content creator Greydy Diaz as co-host in addition to a rotating cast of some of women’s sport’s biggest names. All that plus JWS intern BJ, there to add his own takes as the group's requisite Gen-Zer.
"Obviously we're gonna have guests come on that are relevant for whatever's happening in the world of sports, but it really is going to feel like a group hang," says O'Hara, noting that the show will draw just as heavily from pop culture as it will from the games on TV.
Tuning into the fun without losing the facts
"I love reality television, which is probably why I love sports, too — or maybe I love reality television because I love sports," O'Hara laughs. She personally enjoys podcasts that discuss the shows she's watching episode by episode, and thinks that same collaborative chatter can translate perfectly to the sports world.
"I'm not the be-all, end-all or the final word on women's sports," she says. "I might think one thing, and my guest co-host is gonna think another thing. To me, that just sparks more conversations."
For O'Hara, the idea is to lean into those conflicting perspectives, mirroring the way real sports fans engage with the week's biggest stories.
However, as a former athlete with close ties to many active players, O'Hara knows there's a fine line between having honest conversations and being condescending. She hopes that her first-person knowledge lends some weight to whatever thoughtful criticism Sports Are Fun! stirs up.
"You have to comment on your friends at times, and that's hard," she says. "But it's really good when you have people who have done it doing that, because they've been there."
O'Hara is all in on being a sports fan
While her playing career obviously influences her perspective as a sports commentator, O'Hara is also excited about just being a fan. "It's so funny, now that I am not having to play and work weekends, I'm like, 'Oh, I can go see all the things,'" she says.
And she really means all the things. In addition to hitting up Unrivaled 3×3 Basketball in Miami, she’s also getting into winter sports like Aspen's Snow League and she’s looking forward to making it down to Tampa for March Madness. She wants to experience it all.
"I'm a sports fan — put sports on and I'll pick a team," she says. "And I'll seem like I've been a lifelong fan, all in one game."
While fandom isn't exactly the same as playing in the pros, O'Hara is eager to tackle Sports Are Fun! with the same energy that fueled her soccer career.
"Anything I do, I want to win, and this is no different," she adds. "And winning is getting as many people as possible tuning in and creating this community that loves women's sports and loves talking about it."
Arsenal confirmed USWNT defender Jenna Nighswonger as their newest signing on Thursday, with the ex-Gotham FC midfielder becoming a symbolic center-point for the recent exodus of NWSL stars heading overseas.
The 2023 NWSL champion is just the latest in a number of Gotham FC's offseason departures, as the NY/NJ club's superteam experiment resulted in a roster that's bursting at the seams.
At 24 years old, Nighswonger also finds herself among a group of NWSL players currently moving away from the US league. She follows USWNT teammate Naomi Girma — who last week signed with Chelsea for a record fee — 2023 NWSL MVP Kerolin, and other standouts to England's top-flight Women's Super League (WSL).
These moves have reignited longstanding discussions surrounding parity and superiority within international women's leagues. And with so many moving parts, it's easy for a single player to get caught up in a worldwide debate that far eclipses their career. But as Nighswonger tells it, the decision to sign with Arsenal comes from a simpler, more personal place.
"Playing in England is just something that I've always wanted to do," she told Just Women’s Sports this week in the lead-up to Arsenal's announcement. "So sometimes when an opportunity presents itself, even if you're happy at a club, you just have to take a leap of faith."
Of course, Nighswonger is less interested in comparing the NWSL to the WSL, preferring instead to detail her own footballing journey. "I have nothing but positive things to say about Gotham and the NWSL," she continued. "I think [transferring] is just a fun opportunity to play in another country, and learn about a new culture."
The opportunity to join Arsenal came about quickly. Though Nighswonger noted that any offseason comes with the possibility of player movement.
"My agent just called me and I was through the moon, just so excited," she said.
A fitting positional pick-up for Nighswonger
Beyond the headlines, the transfer is clearly a good positional fit for Nighswonger's continued development. Despite originally launching her professional career as an attacking midfielder, she moved to left-back after winning 2023's NWSL Rookie of the Year award in the role.
"I'm so grateful for [Gotham]," she said. "Because when they picked me up out of college, I was an attacking mid, and they saw the vision and had confidence in me to be a left-back."
The 24-year-old's successful conversion piqued the attention of the USWNT senior team. Going from a position of depth to one that centers on consistency was especially appealing for the national team. Subsequently, Nighswonger featured as an option off the bench for the US during last summer's Olympic gold medal run. However, she has yet to unseat 32-year-old Crystal Dunn to claim a starting spot in any major competition.
Dunn herself is just one example of an attacking-minded player making the move to outside-back at the international level. As such, Nighswonger trusts that the more appearances she has on the flank, the more comfortable she will become.
"When I first changed to left-back, I was kind of like, 'What am I doing?'" she recalled. "I had a little bit of a moment — I thought I was the No. 10, that's what I've been for a while. Then switching to left-back, I started to love it more and more."
"I might not have the experience that all these other left-backs have," she added. "But I have talents coming from other positions that are useful as well."
Becoming a two-way player with Gotham
As she shifts through thirds on the pitch, Nighswonger is certainly attacking-focused. But she increasingly feels drawn to becoming a true two-way player at the highest level. The NWSL has a reputation for fast-paced play and a high level of transition. However, thanks in part to to Spanish head coach Juan Carlos Amorós's overseas experience, Gotham wasn't a stranger to favoring the possession-based style more often encountered in Europe.
Throughout the 2024 regular season, Gotham played a very fluid defensive formation that utilized Nighswonger's instincts as an attacker. The team would defend in a back four, but their offense saw the outside-backs pushing into the attacking third. Therefore, it wouldn't be uncommon to see Nighswonger alongside the center-backs on opposing goal kicks. But the moment Gotham won possession back, she'd be sprinting forward ready for service.
"The more I play this position and the more games I hopefully get on the national team or with Arsenal, challenges are gonna happen," she acknowledged. "It's just trying to work through those and accept that adversity is what's going to make you better in the long run."
Nighswonger talks overcoming adversity
While she downplays any talk of strife between her and her former NWSL club, some of the adversity she mentioned did show on the pitch. Nighswonger didn't start in Gotham's final regular season game — nor their two postseason matches — with the club instead featuring WSL product Jess Carter and longtime veteran Mandy Freeman.
With Gotham players Carter, Freeman, and Brazilian defender Bruninha all under contract through 2025, Nighswonger's position had become a little crowded. She also had her work cut out for her on the USWNT, struggling against the Netherlands alongside her teammates before coming off at halftime in 2024's hard-fought final friendly.
But none of those factors spell disaster for a young player. Instead, they might simply signal a need for a change. And Nighswonger won't be without Arsenal allies to get her through it. Soon, she'll be suiting up beside fellow USWNT star Emily Fox, who has excelled since joining the Gunners in early 2024.
It's 'full steam ahead' with Arsenal
Nighswonger named Fox as an important point of contact during her transfer decision. She also mentioned her excitement to learn as much as possible from Katie McCabe, with the Ireland captain having run Arsenal's left flank for years. And off the pitch, she's ready for every new challenge.
She's eager for Fox to show her around London. Additionally, she can't wait for her first match at the Emirates, the women's side's primary home this season. She's already heard good things about player housing. And when touring the facilities for her medical checkup, she was awestruck by the English club's rich history.
"I've wanted to come here since I was seven because I watched the Premier League," she said. "It's always been a dream of mine."
Nighswonger is now laser-focused on getting up to speed, integrating herself into the locker room culture Arsenal has already established. From there, it's all about competing for trophies against the other ambitious European sides. With Chelsea catapulting ahead in the WSL standings and a slew of top squads vying for this year's UEFA Champions League title, Arsenal's success will surely be a team effort.
"We're going after trophies," Nighswonger told JWS. "I'm here to help the team win, and I know they want to win, too. So full steam ahead."
After just one season on the roster, USWNT star Crystal Dunn has mutually parted ways with Gotham FC, the NWSL team announced on Tuesday.
Gotham originally added the 32-year-old free agent on a multi-year contract in December 2023. Dunn was a part of a wave of high-profile signings that included fellow USWNT standouts Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, and Tierna Davidson.
The decorated utility player eventually made a total 23 appearances across all competitions for NJ/NY. However, Dunn hasn't suited up for Gotham since late September.
"I can't even find the words to express how incredibly sad I am," Dunn, who grew up on Long Island, posted to Instagram on Tuesday. "Though my journey continues elsewhere, I am at least grateful to have played at home in front of my friends and family for even a short while. I’ll carry those memories with me always.... The city of New York will forever be my home, and it will always hold a special place in my heart."
"As I turn the page and prepare for a new chapter, I am filled with excitement for what lies ahead," she added.
Dunn joins flood of Gotham departures
Dunn is just the latest player to exit Gotham this offseason, joining a growing list that includes attackers Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams) and Yazmeen Ryan as well as midfielders Delanie Sheehan and Maitane López.
On Monday, USWNT defender Jenna Nighswonger added her name to Gotham's impending departures. The 24-year-old outside back expected to officially sign with WSL side Arsenal.
According to The Athletic, the NJ/NY team attempted to orchestrate a trade within the NWSL for Dunn, but struggled to reach any agreements due to a reportedly high asking price.
After winning the 2023 NWSL Championship and contending in the 2024 league semifinals, Gotham's depleted roster faces an uphill battle entering the 2025 season.
USWNT and Gotham defender Jenna Nighswonger is apparently UK-bound, with The Athletic reporting Monday that WSL side Arsenal will receive the 24-year-old in exchange for a $100,000 transfer fee.
The 2023 NWSL Rookie of the Year is technically under contract with Gotham through 2025, but the terms of the deal have reportedly been agreed upon by both teams.
A decorated pro debut
After going fourth overall in the 2023 NWSL Draft, the Florida State alum and 2021 NCAA champion helped Gotham earn their first-ever league title in 2023 before adding an Olympic gold medal to her resume with the USWNT last summer.
Despite her successes, a Gotham roster reshuffling saw Nighswonger's club minutes limited after she returned from Paris. The NJ/NY franchise tapped veteran defender Mandy Freeman for more playing time in the latter half of the 2024 NWSL season, plus boosted its backline by signing England international and five-time WSL champion Jess Carter to a multi-year contract last July.
Besides possibly offering Nighswonger an increase in competition minutes, a move to Arsenal would see the outside back link up with fellow USWNT star Emily Fox.
The two US defenders, as well as Australian left back Steph Catley and Ireland captain Katie McCabe, would diversify the defensive options for newly minted Arsenal head coach Renée Sleger as the fourth-place Gunners look to regain their grip on the league table.
Nighswonger joins growing trend of WSL-bound stars
If confirmed, Nighswonger will be the third NWSL player to defect to the WSL in the last 10 days, joining two-time NWSL Defender of the Year Naomi Girma and 2023 NWSL MVP Kerolin.
While the Brazilian forward and recent NC Courage standout joins Manchester City as a free agent, WSL leaders Chelsea FC had to shell out a record $1.1 million transfer fee to the San Diego to secure Girma's early exit from her Wave contract.
After finishing 2024 in last place, the Houston Dash have been raising eyebrows with a series of offseason moves primed to make a splash next NWSL season.
Houston's top-tier transaction period continued on Thursday, landing Gotham and USWNT forward Yazmeen Ryan for a league-record $400,000 in allocation money plus a 2025 international roster spot.
On Thursday, Gotham confirmed that Ryan had requested the trade, saying the club "worked tirelessly to honor her request." As part of the deal, Gotham also traded $80,000 in intra-league transfer funds to Houston.
Ryan joins a growing roster of savvy Dash pick-ups, including fellow Gotham standout Delanie Sheehan and San Diego defender Christen Westphal.
Subsequently, while they've yet to announce a new head coach, Houston has solidified their front office by bringing on ex-Angel City GM Angela Hucles Mangano as president of women's soccer.
Gotham FC sees mass NWSL exodus
For Gotham, Ryan's departure is just the latest in a high-profile exodus. Sheehan, forward Lynn Williams, goalkeeper Cassie Miller, and defenders Sam Hiatt and Maitane Lopez have all left the one-time superteam.
"I don't want to get into everything with the end of Gotham, but I am really excited to be a part of a team that looks like they're just enjoying each other and having fun," Lynn Williams told The Women's Game after her trade to Seattle was made public.
Jonas Eidevall enters NWSL as San Diego boss
The San Diego Wave hired ex-Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall as the NWSL team's new head coach, according to multiple reports released earlier this week.
Eidevall finished his tenure at Arsenal with an overall record of 80-24-16. However, he stepped down after failing to resign star forward Vivianne Miedema ahead of a sputtering 1-1-2 start to the 2024/25 WSL season.
Eidevall will be the fourth coach to take the reins in San Diego this year, after Casey Stoney's mid-season firing led to interim stints from Paul Buckle and former USMNT mainstay Landon Donovan.
San Diego's 2024 tumult wasn't limited to staffing. Founding members like Alex Morgan retired while impact players like Abby Dahlkemper and Sofia Jakobsson departed the club for other opportunities.
Embattled Wave president Jill Ellis also left the team, accepting a new role at FIFA earlier this month.
The Wave and Eidevall will kick off this new chapter seeking stability after a rollercoaster year. As such, both club and coach will bank on a strong 2025 to chart a new course.
Gotham FC and USWNT forward Lynn Williams is being traded to the Seattle Reign, according to multiple reports late Wednesday.
Sports Illustrated reports that Williams and goalkeeper Cassie Miller will join the Reign in exchange for midfielder Jaelin Howell and an undisclosed transfer fee.
Though still unconfirmed, the move reportedly comes at Williams’s request, with the 31-year-old Olympic gold medalist hoping to close out her club career on the West Coast, closer to her California home.
In her two seasons at Gotham, Williams scored 11 goals and tallied four assists en route to back-to-back NWSL Playoff runs.
Williams is a major score for Seattle
The addition of Williams — the NWSL’s all-time leading scorer and third on the career assists list — would be a massive win for the Reign, who are in desperate need of firepower after posting the league’s fourth-worst goal count and finishing in 13th place last season.
Plus, Williams knows how to win, arguably more than nearly any other player in the league.
Since entering the NWSL in 2015, Williams has lifted trophies with all three of her clubs, earning championships with the Western New York Flash (2016), the NC Courage (2018, 2019), and Gotham FC (2023). Those four titles surpass every other NWSL athlete except McCall Zerboni, who coincidentally was Williams's teammate for all of those championships.
That title-winning aptitude would be clutch for Seattle, who are still hunting a franchise-first NWSL championship despite competing in three league finals.
Howell, Miller on the move again
Both Howell and Miller will exit their respective clubs after short tenures.
Miller joined Gotham from Kansas City in January as a replacement for starting goalkeeper Abby Smith, who suffered a season-ending injury in August 2023. In April, however, the NJ/NY club snagged German international Ann-Katrin Berger — one of the best keepers in the world and the NWSL's 2024 Goalkeeper of the Year — leaving Miller in a backup role.
Logging an even shorter time at Seattle than Miller's 11-month Gotham stretch is Howell, who will join her third club in five months with this trade. The midfielder began her NWSL career with Racing Louisville in 2022, but was sent to Seattle in August in exchange for striker Bethany Balcer and $50,000.
The 25-year-old, who captained her Louisville team, has struggled to stay in form. That said, if Gotham can help Howell unlock consistency in her top-level play, her on-pitch potential and off-pitch leadership could be a boon for the NJ/NY side.
Ultimately, trading Williams for a player with more potential than top form reads as a possible rebuild for a club who entered a so-called superteam era just one year ago — particularly in light of Gotham's flood of defectors this offseason, which includes star midfielder Delanie Sheehan.
Three players exited Gotham FC in NWSL free agency last week, putting the NJ/NY club's superteam status in question as the early offseason brings a slew of roster shakeups.
Headlining the Gotham defectors is starting midfielder Delanie Sheehan, who notched two goals and logged the third-most minutes for the NWSL semifinalists last season. Sheehan will join the Houston Dash, inking a two-year contract with an addition option for the 2027 season last Wednesday.
Joining Sheehan in signing contracts with new clubs are defenders Maitane López, who joined the newly rebranded Chicago Stars FC on a two-year deal last Thursday, and Sam Hiatt, who inked a two-season contract with a 2027 option with the Portland Thorns on Friday.
Though Gotham has seen the biggest exodus since the end of the 2024 NWSL season, they're not the only club suffering losses. Last Wednesday, defender Madison Curry, who led Angel City in tackles by a mile with 45 in her 2024 rookie season, signed a three-year deal with the Seattle Reign.
NWSL salary cap, new CBA fuel player movement
Under the NWSL's new CBA, all players out of contract automatically become unrestricted free agents, giving athletes greater control over their professional and geographical futures as their careers progress.
Pay hikes, more playing time, and other personal and professional considerations influence player movement, encouraging league parity in light of the college draft's dissolution.
Along with individual athlete preferences and an exploding pool of free agents, NWSL front offices must still contend with the league's current salary cap. Illustrated by Sheehan's choice to join 2024 last-place Houston rather than stay with a Gotham side that won the 2023 championship and finished third last season, it can be difficult to maintain such hyper-talented rosters under the current salary cap.
This lineup reshuffling will only accelerate under the NWSL's planned two-team 2026 expansion, further burgeoning this new era of league-wide change.