As another NWSL transfer window shutters, big-name trades, transfers, and loans are reshaping rosters ahead of the 2025 regular-season's home stretch.
On Wednesday, No. 10 Angel City announced that the LA club is transferring Australian defender Alanna Kennedy and English midfielder Katie Zelem to the WSL, with billionaire multi-team owner Michele Kang's newly promoted London City shelling out undisclosed transfer fees to add the pair to the Lionesses' roster.
Zelem joined Angel City in August 2024, while Kennedy was an even more recent 2025 offseason addition to the LA side.
Also joining the NWSL transaction fray this week is Racing Louisville, with the No. 7 club hoping to add to their firepower by picking up versatile forward Makenna Morris from the No. 2 Washington Spirit for $115,000 in allocation funds.
In her debut season, Morris notably tied teammate and Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune for the most goals from first-year players in 2024, with each attacker scoring five times despite missing multiple months due to injury.
While this year's secondary transfer window is over, teams are still able to make deals for intra-league trades and loans until the October 9th roster freeze — as well as sign upcoming free agents anytime before the end of the 2025 NWSL regular season.
Many top talents remain unattached for 2026, including a trio of USWNT vets in Spirit star Trinity Rodman, Chicago Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, and Gotham forward Midge Purce.
Saturday's soccer lineup underlines a brewing East Coast rivalry, as the Washington Spirit hosts Gotham FC for the first time since knocking the Bats out of the 2024 NWSL semifinals.
"Just playing against them, you feel that fire," Spirit forward Makenna Morris told JWS this week, with Washington's Audi Field anticipating a large crowd for Saturday's match.
Both clubs know each other well, with 2021 NWSL champions Washington and 2023 trophy-winners Gotham seeing a number of big-name players migrating between New York and DC in recent years.
After finishing 2024 in the league's top four, both teams continue to lurk near the top of NWSL table this season, cementing the idea that the best rivalries blossom between winning sides.
"The [team] that poses the most challenge to you, it just makes you want to beat them so bad," said Washington midfielder Gabby Carle.
"You hate to play them because they're good, but you also love it because it's so competitive," echoed Morris.
Ultimately, familiarity is breeding healthy resentment between two of the NWSL's winningest sides, providing a little extra incentive to secure all three points in this weekend’s matchup.
How to watch NWSL rivals Washington vs. Gotham this weekend
The Spirit will host East Coast rival Gotham at 1 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage of the 2024 NWSL semifinals rematch airing on CBS.