The NWSL salary cap has become a hot topic in recent weeks, with big-name — and big-money — transfers like Angel City forward Alyssa Thompson's overseas move to Chelsea and North Carolina Courage striker Jaedyn Shaw's reportedly imminent trade to Gotham raising concerns about the league's financial edge.
While Shaw's reported league-record $1.25 million trade proves that US teams are willing to pay a premium for top talent, the disparity between flashy transfer fees and salary limitations could be holding the NWSL back.
"I know that in the NWSL there are ambitious clubs that want to be able to compete with the likes of a Chelsea, with the likes of a Barcelona," retired USWNT star Tobin Heath said on last week's episode of The RE—CAP Show. "These teams are capped out, they can't compete. They're going to lose their best players."
The league's most recent collective bargaining agreement sets each NWSL club's current salary cap at $3.3 million, which will titrate up to $5.1 million by 2030 while also adding potential revenue sharing options.
In 2024, the average league salary was $117,000. However, with 22- to 26-player rosters, teams often low-ball some athletes in order to afford to pay out for superstars.
Soft salary cap overseas lures soccer's top players
In comparison, the UK's WSL and second-tier WSL2 operate with soft caps, recently shifting to a framework that allows teams to spend up to 80% of their revenue plus a capped contribution from club owners on player salaries.
"We have no intent to kind of 'cap' any players' earnings," WSL Football COO Holly Murdoch told The Guardian earlier this month. "We're at the investment stage of women's football, so we don't want to deter investment. We don't want to put in rules that don't make us an attractive investment."
With NWSL top earners Sophia Wilson and Trinity Rodman becoming free agents in 2026, the US league might need to rethink its model to stay competitive in an increasingly aggressive global market.
The WSL hit some opening day snags over the weekend, with a last-minute media deal causing broadcasts Stateside to generate confusion and widespread technical difficulties as the UK league's big-name US talent pool took the pitch.
First, in Friday's 2025/26 season kick-off match, ESPN+ served fans an error screen during the first 15 minutes of six-time defending WSL champion Chelsea's 2-1 win over Manchester City.
Then on Saturday morning, skips and lags continuously interrupted Arsenal's 4-1 victory over the recently promoted London City Lionesses.
Notably, the WSL media rights extension deal with ESPN+ — the 2024/25 US carrier of the top-flight UK league —came together at the very last minute.
As such, the WSL left fans in the dark by omitting US coverage details from all promotions in the lead-up to the 2025/26 season's opening weekend — possibly missing out on a big Stateside moment as USWNT stars like Naomi Girma, Catarina Macario, Emily Fox, and Alyssa Thompson kick off their club campaigns in the UK.
"The delays weren't about lack of interest so much as the sheer number of changes the league has been managing," former head of broadcast at WSL Football Andrea Ekblad told The Athletic this week.
"Of course, nobody wants a broadcast deal announced only hours before kickoff. That's not ideal," she continued. "But continuing the [ESPN] partnership makes great sense."
Chelsea FC star Sam Kerr is officially back, as the 31-year-old Australian striker gears up to make her first appearance for her WSL club in 20 months after suffering an ACL tear in January 2024.
"Sam Kerr is on the squad, so she will be involved in the game [against Manchester City]," Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor told reporters on Thursday as the Blues gear up for their 2025/26 WSL season opener on Friday.
"[Kerr] is in a good place, she has been training well, she's physically in a good position," Bompastor continued. "She's also mentally in a good position, because again I think she's one of the players everyone wants to see on the pitch."
Kerr's return to play is just the latest boost for the six-time reigning WSL champions this week, with Chelsea officially finalizing the near-$1.5 million transfer of USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson from NWSL side Angel City.
Thompson signed a five-year deal with the London club just hours before the WSL's transfer window closure on Thursday evening.
Chelsea quickly accelerated interest in the 20-year-old rising US star after Colombian striker Mayra Ramirez suffered a significant right hamstring injury in a preseason match last weekend.
How to watch Sam Kerr in Chelsea FC's 2025/26 WSL opener
The Blues will begin their hunt for a record-extending seventh consecutive WSL trophy on Friday, when Chelsea hosts Manchester City to open the UK league's 2025/26 season.
The clash kicks off at 2:30 PM ET with live coverage streaming on ESPN+.
USWNT rising star Alyssa Thompson is officially on her way to London, with the NWSL's Angel City and WSL side Chelsea FC finalizing the 20-year-old's reported £1 million transfer ahead of the UK league's 2025/26 season kick-off on Friday.
The two clubs reached a verbal agreement with Thompson readying to ink a five-year contract on Thursday, just hours before the WSL's 6 PM ET transfer window closure — with six-time reigning league-winners Chelsea set to open their next WSL campaign against Manchester City in a mere 24 hours.
Chelsea has been aggressive in the transfer market this year, as the WSL titan fields mounting pressure from clubs eager to upend the top of the table.
Second-place 2024/25 finishers Arsenal enter the season as UWCL champions, coming off Canadian star Olivia Smith's splashy £1 million transfer while also signing Smith's former Liverpool teammate Taylor Hinds.
Man City will also be looking to better their fourth-place 2024/25 run, hoping for a healthy Bunny Shaw to combine with Dutch phenom Vivianne Miedema while adding ex-Arsenal defender Laura Wienroither and decorated German midfielder Sydney Lohmann to their ranks.
This weekend's WSL action will also feature the newly promoted London City Lionesses, kicking off their top-flight entry against Arsenal on Saturday.
Backed by US-based multi-team owner Michele Kang, London City has also been busy this offseason, bringing on a laundry list of talent including midfielder Daniëlle van de Donk (OL Lyonnes) and forward Nikita Parris (Brighton) plus their own Angel City finds in midfielder Katie Zelem and defender Alanna Kennedy.
How to watch the Barclays WSL season kick-off this weekend
The 2025/26 WSL action kicks off with Chelsea hosting Manchester City at 2:30 PM ET on Friday, before league debutants London City visit Arsenal at 8:30 AM ET on Saturday.
Currently, WSL matches will likely stream live on YouTube, though an official US media partner has not yet been announced.
Chelsea FC is once again looking across the pond to bolster their roster, with the six-time reigning WSL champions reportedly aiming to make a deal with NWSL side Angel City to acquire ACFC and USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson, per The Guardian this week.
Though the two clubs have yet to reach terms, Chelsea would need to have the deal signed before the WSL transfer window closes next Thursday.
Any agreement for Chelsea to snag Thompson from Angel City will likely feature yet another historic transfer fee, with cost projections topping former Tigres UANL star Lizbeth Ovalle's record $1.5 million transfer to the Orlando Pride earlier this month.
The 20-year-old phenom is currently under contract with ACFC through the 2028 season after inking a three-year extension this past January.
With six goals and two assists in her 16 regular-season appearances in 2025 so far, the 2023 NWSL Draft No. 1 pick is trailing only rookie Riley Tiernan's seven goals on this year's Angel City scoresheet.
Should the transfer go through, Thompson would be the third ACFC player in a week to be moving to the UK, with the NWSL club transferring defender Alanna Kennedy and midfielder Katie Zelem to the newly WSL-promoted London City Lionesses on Wednesday.
As for Chelsea, the Blues have been a major player in recruiting US players over the last few seasons, with Thompson potentially joining her USWNT teammates Catarina Macario and Naomi Girma in suiting up for the WSL side's upcoming 2025/26 season.
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.
Aiming to make a significant splash in their debut season in the top-flight WSL, the newly promoted London City Lionesses are gearing up by trying to bolster their roster with big names — including the club's newest target, Arsenal forward Beth Mead.
According to reports, London City owner Michele Kang has reportedly made a formal offer to acquire the longtime Arsenal star, who has suited up for the Gunners for the last eight years.
In her 225 appearances for the club, Mead has scored 78 goals en route to snagging Arsenal the 2018/19 WSL championship as well as a trio of League Cups.
Most recently, the 30-year-old attacker helped the Gunners shockingly upend powerhouse Barcelona to claim the 2024/25 Champions League crown — the WSL's first UWCL title in 18 years.
The WSL's all-time assists leader added another international trophy to her case just last month, as the England national booked a second straight Euro title to go along with her Golden Boot-winning tournament in 2022.
Regardless of the outcome, London City's offer makes a serious statement as the Lionesses ascend the ranks of women's football behind Kang's growing multi-team empire.
London City has already picked up players like Swedish legend Kosovare Asllani, Dutch midfielder Daniëlle Van de Donk, and former Manchester United forward Nikita Parris, signaling the Lionesses' intentions to keep rising ahead of their inaugural 2025/26 WSL campaign.
Denver Summit FC has a coach, tapping former Manchester City manager Nick Cushing to serve as the NWSL expansion club’s inaugural leader this week.
The hiring subsequently rounds out the team's front office build, with Denver coach Cushing joining president Jen Millet and GM Curt Johnson ahead of the team’s 2026 kick-off.
Denver is also stocking its player roster. The team signed Orland Pride star Ally Watt earlier this week, with Watt also expected to join the Summit in 2026.
"Denver Summit FC’s commitment to building a world-class soccer organization really inspired me," said Cushing in a team statement. "We have a passionate, committed fanbase and we have to put a team on the field that replicates that."
"Our team will play an attacking form of the game that excites our stadium and makes things difficult for our opponents," he continued. "We want to create a winning team as well as a great experience for all of Colorado."
Cushing most recently acted as Man City’s interim manager after the WSL side fired coach Gareth Taylor in March, returning to helm the team he coached to six major trophies from 2013-2020.
"In order to be successful right away, you need people that have experienced environments like this, have built organizations, and have had success," said Curt Johnson, Denver Summit FC general manager.
"Nick brings world-class experience, a passion for player development, and a tactical vision that will excite Summit supporters. He’s won major trophies and is the right leader to guide us into our first season and beyond."
Legendary USWNT attacker Tobin Heath officially announced her retirement from soccer on Thursday, nearly three years after playing her final professional match.
"Over New Year's, I actually came to the full acceptance that I wasn't going to be playing," the 37-year-old explained on her podcast, The RE-CAP Show.
In her 13 years with the senior national team, Heath — widely regarded as one of the most technical players in US history — earned two World Cup titles (2015, 2019) and three Olympic medals (gold in 2008 and 2012, and bronze in 2021).
Across her 181 USWNT caps, the 2016 US Soccer Athlete of the Year logged 36 goals and 42 assists, making her final appearance for the States on October 26th, 2021.
At the club level, Heath spent seven seasons with the Portland Thorns, helping the team to NWSL Championships in 2013 and 2017, as well as the 2016 NWSL Shield.
While her career also included European stints with the Première Ligue's PSG as well as WSL sides Manchester United and Arsenal, Heath ended her pro run with the 2022 NWSL Shield-winning Seattle Reign, playing what would be her final soccer match on August 14th of that year.
Injury ends Heath's soccer career
The end of Heath's career is not what the creative, nutmegging winger anticipated.
"I thought I was literally going to be peeled off the field," Heath told The Athletic on Wednesday.
However, a 2022 serious left knee injury left Heath unable to play soccer — even at a casual level — ultimately forcing her retirement.
"I tried f---ing everything to get back, I spent tens of thousands of dollars and [had] two surgeries, one crazy surgery," Heath said on her podcast. "And the whole time I believed I was going to get back."
"Football is a 360-degree sport, and I can't do it," she told The Athletic. "So that part is the hardest part. The actual playing of soccer is gone."
Heath still working to lift up women's soccer in retirement
Despite coming to terms with the end of her on-pitch career, Heath isn't leaving the world of soccer anytime soon, helping lead the newly launched World Sevens Football and joining FIFA's technical study group for the men's Club World Cup.
Elevating football — particularly the women's game — is a pursuit that began for Heath with the Portland Thorns.
"[Portland] showed what women's sports could be," she explained. "I was dreaming of the world that I wanted to create."
The 2019 World Cup run then solidified that mission, with the USWNT adding a fourth star to their crest while also facing a pressure-cooker of expectations amid political tension and a contentious fight for equal pay.
"You can't feel what we felt...and not believe that you're doing something so f---ing important for the world," said Heath.
"You feel that responsibility — and that's what it is — and you want to keep carrying that responsibility as far forward as you can."
USWNT and Chelsea FC forward Mia Fishel is officially heading back to the States, with the Seattle Reign announcing that the 24-year-old signed with the NWSL club on Thursday.
The multi-year deal will see Fishel join Seattle through the 2029 season on a contract reportedly worth nearly $2.5 million — the largest cumulative deal in NWSL history.
"We're absolutely thrilled to bring Mia into our squad," said Seattle head coach Laura Harvey in a club statement. "Mia's ability to disrupt defenses, finish in different ways makes her a dangerous addition to our group."
"Mia is a player with tremendous upside — a goal-scorer with presence, creativity, and a drive to keep growing," added Reign GM Lesle Gallimore.
Notably, though the Orlando Pride originally drafted the San Diego product and UCLA alum in 2022, this week's move will see Fishel make her domestic debut, with the young talent opting to start her pro career in Mexico.
In her single season with powerhouse Tigres UANL, Fishel notched 17 goals in 17 games to become the first foreign athlete to win the Liga MX Golden Boot, all while leading the team to a league championship.
Following her Liga MX success, Fishel signed with Chelsea, spending two seasons with the WSL champions — though a February 2024 ACL tear limited the young attacker's impact on both club and country over the last 16 months.
Nicknamed "Big Fish," the NWSL debutant has big plans for her upcoming lengthy tenure with Seattle.
"I knew coming to the States, I'm gonna be on a team for the long run," Fishel told reporters. "I wasn't expecting to just hop from team to team. Like, no, I want to put stakes in the ground. I want to eventually lead this team."