2023 Washington Spirit season

The 2023 Washington Spirit season was the team's eleventh season as a professional women's soccer team. The Spirit played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top tier of women's soccer in the United States.

Washington Spirit
2023 season
OwnerY. Michele Kang
General managerMark Krikorian
Head coachMark Parsons
StadiumAudi Field
(capacity: 20,000)
League8th
Challenge CupGroup Stage
Top goalscorerAshley Hatch (8)
Highest home attendance12,232
(May 6 vs. SD)
Lowest home attendance7,073
(Apr 22 vs. HOU)
Average home league attendance9,940
Biggest win3–1
(May 6 vs. SD)
Biggest defeat0–3
(Jul 1 vs. ORL)
← 2022
2024 →
All statistics correct as of July 8, 2023.

Background edit

The Spirit failed to defend their 2021 championship during the 2022 season, and also failed to qualify for the NWSL Playoffs, finishing in 11th place of 12 teams.[1] The team fired championship-winning Kris Ward after a 1–6–9 start and allegations of misconduct toward players, leaving Albertin Montoya to finish the season as interim head coach. Ward was later banned indefinitely by the NWSL following a league investigation into the allegations.[2] The team also hired Mark Krikorian, formerly head coach of the Florida State Seminoles women's soccer team, as its new general manager in June 2022.[3]

 
The Spirit hired former manager Mark Parsons as the team's new head coach in November 2022

Hirings edit

In November 2022, the Spirit announced several technical and front-office hirings, including:

Offseason transactions edit

On February 7, 2023, the Spirit signed Olympique Lyon midfielder Inès Jaurena,[7] who had ended her contract with Lyon by mutual consent on January 29.[8]

On March 3, 2023, the Spirit signed midfielder Chloe Ricketts, who at 15 years and 283 days old had signed her NWSL contract at an age three days' younger than Olivia Moultrie in June 2021, setting a new NWSL record for youngest signing.[9] The record was broken again 18 days later, when San Diego Wave FC signed Melanie Barcenas at 15 years and 138 days old. Rickett was signed using the league's new under-18 entry mechanism added by the collective bargaining agreement signed near the start of the NWSL preseason.[10]

Change in colors edit

The Spirit abandoned its red, white, and blue color scheme for monochromatic white and black kits with a metallic chrome crest. The team debuted the kits and crest to premium season ticket holders, supporters' group members, and sponsors at the Penn Social event space on March 1, 2023.[11] Spirit owner Y. Michele Kang said the changes represent a clean-slate transition toward a planned club rebranding.[12]

Summary edit

March/April edit

The Spirit went undefeated in its first five league matches and did not trail an opponent during that span,[13] but lost its 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup opener to NJ/NY Gotham FC 1–0 on April 19.[14] The unbeaten stretch included the professional debut of Ricketts on April 15 against North Carolina Courage.[15]

On April 7, the Spirit announced the hiring of Mami Yamaguchi, a former Japan national team player and former player and assistant coach to Mark Krikorian at Florida State, as an assistant coach. She had most recently served as an assistant coach and player-coach at Detroit City FC and AFC Ann Arbor.[16][17]

May edit

The Spirit continued winning through the start of May, with wins of 3–1 against San Diego Wave FC on May 6, 4–2 against Orlando Pride in the second match of Challenge Cup group play, and 1–0 against Angel City FC on May 13 to move to the top of the NWSL table. The team's time atop the standings ended with its next match on May 20, its first league loss of the season, falling 2–1 at Orlando Pride.[18] The Spirit finished May tied for second with 16 points with OL Reign, San Diego Wave FC, and Portland Thorns FC after a 1–1 draw against leaders NJ/NY Gotham FC on May 28, equalizing on a Paige Metayer goal in the 69th minute.[19]

Kang bids for OL Féminin edit

On May 13, Olympique Lyon won the Coupe de France féminine 2–1 over Paris Saint-Germain, its 10th victory in the competition, on a brace by Ada Hegerberg.[20] The match was attended by Spirit owner Y. Michele Kang, who also raised the trophy with Lyon.[21] On May 16, Olympique Lyon holding company OL Groupe and Kang announced the formation of a separate entity that would be composed of the Spirit and Olympique Lyon Féminin. OL Groupe would retain a 48% stake in the resulting new entity, and Kang would become the club's majority owner and CEO, pending regulatory approval.[22][23][24][25]

June edit

The Spirit opened June with a 1–1 draw at home against Racing Louisville FC, scoring through Trinity Rodman in the 3rd minute. Louisville equalized on a 51st-minute penalty kick by Savannah DeMelo, then lost Elli Pikkujämsä to a straight red card in the 77th minute. Despite the advantage, the Spirit failed to convert again.[26]

On June 10, the Spirit ended a three-match winless streak by defeating Angel City FC 2–1 at home on goals by Ashley Hatch and Ashley Sanchez, while the defense limited Angel City to one shot on goal in the second half. Goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury suffered a head injury in the 90th minute and was substituted out for backup Nicole Barnhart.[27]

On June 14, the Spirit lost to North Carolina Courage 2–1 at home in a Challenge Cup match, conceding the losing goal in second-half stoppage time. The team played without starters Hatch, Rodman, Sanchez, and Andi Sullivan, while Kingsbury remained out while recovering from the head injury sustained against Angel City.[28] Barnhart was team captain for the match, making her 151st appearance across competitions and passing Ashley Harris for second-most appearances by a goalkeeper in league history. Her start alongside 16-year-old Chloe Ricketts resulted in the largest age gap between starting players in a league match, at 25 years, 7 months, and 13 days. Riley Tanner also made her first career start for the Spirit in the match.[29]

On June 18, the Spirit rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat Kansas City Current 3–2 on the road. The first concession was by Michelle Cooper 22 seconds into the match, setting a new league record for the fastest goal scored in a match, followed by a second goal conceded in the 23rd minute by Debinha on a penalty kick called for a Spirit handball foul in the penalty area. The Spirit's rally began with a Sanchez goal in the 37th minute, a Metayer equalizer in the 82nd minute, and an 88th-minute match winner by Tara McKeown, a defender who played as a forward until the start of the 2023 season.[30]

The Spirit then lost 4–2 on the road to Portland Thorns FC on June 23, conceding a hat-trick to Sophia Smith. The Spirit equalized twice, through Hatch in the 13th minute and Sanchez in the 46th minute.[31]

On June 30, the Spirit signed French forward Ouleymata Sarr, whose contract with Paris FC had expired, to a three-year contract.[32]

World Cup period edit

Six Spirit players left the team in late June to play for their national teams in the 2023 Women's World Cup:[33]

On June 28, the Spririt signed Mariana Speckmaier and Jordan Thompson to cap-exempt short-term national team replacement player contracts allowed by league rules.[34]

In the Spirit's first regular-season match without its World Cup callups on July 1, the team lost 3–0 at home against Orlando Pride. Nicole Barnhart started in goal for Kingsbury,[33] Hatch took on captaincy of the team, Amber Brooks moved into the midfield, and Nicole Douglas and Lena Silano took on starting roles.[35]

On July 6, the Spirit signed French defender Annaïg Butel, formerly of Paris FC, to a two-year contract with an option for an additional year.[36]

Style of play edit

The Spirit's 4–4–2 diamond formation as deployed against Racing Louisville FC on June 3[37]

Under newly appointed head coach Mark Parsons, the Spirit deployed a 4–4–2 diamond formation and a fast-paced, direct style of play that relied in the first half of the season on shorter passing sequences than any other team in the NWSL.[38]

Stadium and facilities edit

The Spirit continued to play in Audi Field, their full-time home since the team's 2022 season. The Spirit moved its training to a temporary facility shared with Major League Soccer franchise D.C. United at Segra Field.[39] As of 26 March 2023, Spirit ownership continued searching for available land for plans toward a permanent, stand-alone Spirit training facility.[40]

Broadcasting edit

On March 30, 2023, Monumental Sports & Entertainment announced a partnership to broadcast nine Spirit road matches on NBC Sports Washington and provide social media coverage of the team.[41]

Team edit

Staff edit

As of May 12, 2023.[42][43]
Sporting operations staff
General manager
President of soccer operations
  Mark Krikorian
Senior director of soccer operations   Nathan Minion
Technical staff
Head coach   Mark Parsons
Assistant coach   Angela Salem
Assistant coach
Director of player personnel
  Mike Bristol
Player development coach   Morinao Imaizumi
Assistant coach
Player development coach
  Mami Yamaguchi
Performance staff
Vice president of performance,
medical, and innovation
  Dawn Scott
Athletic trainer Alessandro Ciarla
Athletic trainer Rylee Learn

Players edit

As of July 6, 2023.[44]
First-team roster
No. Pos. Nation Name Birthday (age) Since Previous team Notes
1 GK   USA Aubrey Kingsbury (1991-11-20)November 20, 1991 (aged 31) 2018   Orlando Pride
18 GK   USA Lyza Bosselmann (2001-07-27)July 27, 2001 (aged 21) 2023   Gonzaga
28 GK   USA Nicole Barnhart (1981-10-10)October 10, 1981 (aged 41) 2022   Kansas City Current
3 DF   USA Sam Staab (1997-03-28)March 28, 1997 (aged 25) 2019   Clemson
5 DF   FRA Anaïg Butel (1992-02-15)February 15, 1992 (aged 31) 2023   Paris FC INT[a]
9 DF   USA Tara McKeown (1999-07-02)July 2, 1999 (aged 23) 2021   University of Southern California
14 DF   CAN Gabrielle Carle (1998-10-12)October 12, 1998 (aged 24) 2022   Kristianstads DFF INT[a]
16 DF   USA Maddie Elwell (1999-08-01)August 1, 1999 (aged 23) 2023   Vanderbilt
19 DF   USA Dorian Bailey (1997-01-28)January 28, 1997 (aged 26) 2019   University of North Carolina
21 DF   USA Anna Heilferty (1999-04-17)April 17, 1999 (aged 23) 2021   Boston University SEI[b][45]
22 DF   USA Amber Brooks (1991-01-23)January 23, 1991 (aged 32) 2022   OL Reign
30 DF   USA Camryn Biegalski (1998-08-11)August 11, 1998 (aged 24) 2021   Chicago Red Stars
37 DF   USA Jordan Thompson 2023   Gonzaga Bulldogs NTR[c]
7 MF   FRA Inès Jaurena (1991-05-14)May 14, 1991 (aged 31) 2023   Olympique Lyon INT[a]
10 MF   USA Ashley Sanchez (1999-03-16)March 16, 1999 (aged 24) 2020   University of California, Los Angeles
12 MF   USA Andi Sullivan (1995-12-20)December 20, 1995 (aged 27) 2018   Stanford
13 MF   USA Bayley Feist (1997-03-14)March 14, 1997 (aged 26) 2019   Wake Forest D45[d]
17 MF   ENG Nicole Douglas (2000-07-31)July 31, 2000 (aged 22) 2023   Arizona State INT[a]
23 MF   USA Tori Huster (1989-09-23)September 23, 1989 (aged 33) 2013   Western New York Flash SEI[b]
25 MF   IRL Marissa Sheva (1997-04-22)April 22, 1997 (aged 25) 2022   Utah Royals FC
26 MF   USA Paige Metayer (2000-09-23)September 23, 2000 (aged 22) 2023   University of California
27 MF   PAN Riley Tanner (1999-10-15)October 15, 1999 (aged 23) 2023   Alabama
39 MF   USA Chloe Ricketts (2007-05-23)May 23, 2007 (aged 15) 2023   AFC Ann Arbor[46] U18[e]
2 FW   USA Trinity Rodman (2002-05-20)May 20, 2002 (aged 20) 2021   Washington State
8 FW   FRA Ouleymata Sarr (1995-10-08)October 8, 1995 (aged 27) 2023   Paris FC INT[a]
20 FW   USA Civana Kuhlmann (1999-04-14)April 14, 1999 (aged 23) 2023   University of Colorado Boulder
24 FW   USA Lena Silano (2000-02-28)February 28, 2000 (aged 23) 2023   Long Beach State
33 FW   USA Ashley Hatch (1995-05-25)May 25, 1995 (aged 27) 2018   North Carolina Courage
37 FW   VEN Mariana Speckmaier (1997-12-26)December 26, 1997 (aged 25) 2023   Valur NTR[c]
  1. ^ a b c d e INT: International player
  2. ^ a b SEI: Season-ending injury list
  3. ^ a b NTR: Short-term National Team Replacement signing
  4. ^ D45: 45-day disabled list
  5. ^ U18: Under-18 signing

Competitions edit

NWSL Challenge Cup edit

Group stage edit

April 19, 2023 (2023-04-19) 1 NJ/NY Gotham FC 0–1 Washington Spirit Harrison, New Jersey
7:30 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Attendance: 7,543
Referee: Shawn Tehini
May 10, 2023 (2023-05-10) 2 Washington Spirit 4–2 Orlando Pride Washington, D.C.
7:30 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 4,991
Referee: Joshua Encarnación
June 14, 2023 (2023-06-14) 3 Washington Spirit 1–2 North Carolina Courage Washington, D.C.
7:30 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 5,778
Referee: Matthew Corrigan
July 22, 2023 (2023-07-22) 4 North Carolina Courage 6–0 Washington Spirit Cary, North Carolina
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 4,063
Referee: Thomas Snyder
July 28, 2023 (2023-07-28) 5 Washington Spirit 4–2 NJ/NY Gotham FC Washington, D.C.
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 4,732
Referee: Danielle Chesky
August 4, 2023 (2023-08-04) 6 Orlando Pride 0–1 Washington Spirit Orlando, Florida
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 3,661
Referee: Brad Jensen

East Division standings edit

Pos Team Pld W T L GF GA GD Pts Qualification NC NJY WAS ORL
1 North Carolina Courage 6 3 2 1 15 5 +10 11 Advance to knockout stage 1–1 6–0 0–0
2 NJ/NY Gotham FC 6 3 2 1 10 7 +3 11 2–0 1–0 1–1
3 Washington Spirit 6 3 0 3 10 13 −3 9 1–2 4–2 4–2
4 Orlando Pride 6 0 2 4 5 15 −10 2 1–1 1–3 0–1
Source: NWSL

Results by matchday edit

Matchday123456
StadiumAHHHAA
ResultLWLLWW
Position323
Updated to match(es) played on June 14, 2023. Source: NWSL
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Regular season edit

Matches edit

March 26, 2023 (2023-03-26) 1 Washington Spirit 1–0 OL Reign Washington, D.C.
4:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 11,281
Referee: Alyssa Nichols
March 25, 2023 (2023-03-25) 2 Racing Louisville FC 2–2 Washington Spirit Louisville, Kentucky
3:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium
Attendance: 4,861
Referee: Sergii Demianchuk
April 15, 2023 (2023-04-15) 3 North Carolina Courage 1–2 Washington Spirit Cary, North Carolina
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park
Attendance: 5,160
Referee: Adorae Monroy
April 22, 2023 (2023-04-22) 4 Washington Spirit 0–0 Houston Dash Washington, D.C.
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 7,073
Referee: Elton Garcia
April 29, 2023 (2023-04-29) 5 Chicago Red Stars 1–1 Washington Spirit Bridgeview, Illinois
7:00 p.m. CDT (UTC-5)
Report
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium
Attendance: 3,610
Referee: Mathew Corrigan
May 6, 2023 (2023-05-06) 6 Washington Spirit 3–1 San Diego Wave FC Washington, D.C.
1:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 12,232
Referee: Matthew Thompson
May 13, 2023 (2023-05-13) 7 Angel City FC 0–1 Washington Spirit Los Angeles, California
7:00 p.m. PDT (UTC-7)
Report
Stadium: BMO Stadium
Attendance: 17,427
Referee: JC Griggs
May 20, 2023 (2023-05-20) 8 Orlando Pride 2–1 Washington Spirit Orlando, Florida
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Exploria Stadium
Attendance: 4,290
Referee: Thomas Snyder
May 28, 2023 (2023-05-28) 9 Washington Spirit 1–1 NJ/NY Gotham FC Washington, D.C.
5:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 11,545
Referee: Karen Callado
June 3, 2023 (2023-06-03) 10 Washington Spirit 1–1 Racing Louisville FC Washington, D.C.
8:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 8,515
Referee: Rebecca Pagan
June 10, 2023 (2023-06-10) 11 Washington Spirit 2–1 Angel City FC Washington, D.C.
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
NWSL report
ESPN report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 10,032
Referee: Alyssa Nichols
June 18, 2023 (2023-06-18) 12 Kansas City Current 2–3 Washington Spirit Kansas City, Kansas
6:00 p.m. CDT (UTC-5)
Report
Stadium: Children's Mercy Park
Attendance: 9,644
Referee: Natalie Simon
June 23, 2023 (2023-06-23) 13 Portland Thorns FC 4–2 Washington Spirit Portland, Oregon
7:30 p.m. PDT (UTC-7)
Report
Stadium: Providence Park
Attendance: 20,254
Referee: Katja Koroleva
July 1, 2023 (2023-07-01) 14 Washington Spirit 0–3 Orlando Pride Washington, D.C.
8:19 p.m. EDT (UTC-4)
Report
Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 8,901
Referee: Anya Voigt
Note: Kickoff delayed from 7:00 p.m. by thunderstorms in the area.
July 8, 2023 (2023-07-08) 15 San Diego Wave FC 2–2 Washington Spirit San Diego, California
7:00 p.m. PDT (UTC-7)
Report
Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium
Attendance: 14,362
Referee: Adam Kilpatrick
August 19, 2023 (2023-08-19) 16 Houston Dash 1–1 Washington Spirit Houston, Texas
7:30 p.m. CDT (UTC-5) Sanchez   90+1' Report Sanchez   63' Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium
Attendance: 4,822
Referee: Eric Tattersall
August 27, 2023 (2023-08-27) 17 Washington Spirit 1–1 Portland Thorns FC Washington, D.C.
5:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) Hatch   90+2' (pen.) Report Weaver   64' Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 13,048
Referee: Jeremy Scheer
September 3, 2023 (2023-09-03) 18 Washington Spirit 0–2 Chicago Red Stars Washington, D.C.
5:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) Report St. Georges   48' Nagasato   60' Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 10,035
Referee: Brandon Stevis
September 16, 2023 (2023-09-16) 19 NJ/NY Gotham FC 2–0 Washington Spirit Harrison, New Jersey
7:30 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) González   65' González   70' Report Stadium: Red Bull Arena
Attendance: 6,202
Referee: Adorae Monroy
September 30, 2023 (2023-09-30) 20 Washington Spirit 2–1 Kansas City Current Washington, D.C.
7:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) Sarr   19' Rodman   90+1' Report Debinha   21' (pen.) Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 11,607
Referee: Eric Tattersall
October 6, 2023 (2023-10-06) 21 OL Reign 0-0 Washington Spirit Seattle, Washington
7:00 p.m. PDT (UTC-7) Report Stadium: Lumen Field
Attendance: 34,130
Referee: Thomas Snyder
October 15, 2023 (2023-10-15) 22 Washington Spirit 0-1 North Carolina Courage Washington, D.C.
5:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) Rodman   23' Report Lussi   25' Stadium: Audi Field
Attendance: 15,479
Referee: Ricardo Fierro

Regular season standings edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
6 NJ/NY Gotham FC (C) 22 8 7 7 25 24 +1 31 Playoff quarterfinals
7 Orlando Pride 22 10 1 11 27 28 −1 31
8 Washington Spirit 22 7 9 6 26 29 −3 30
9 Racing Louisville FC 22 6 9 7 25 24 +1 27
10 Houston Dash 22 6 8 8 16 18 −2 26
Source: NWSL
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
(C) Champions

Results summary edit

Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
22 7 9 6 26 29  −3 30 4 4 3 11 12  −1 3 5 3 15 17  −2

Last updated: July 8, 2023.
Source: NWSLsoccer.com

Results by matchday edit

Matchday12345678910111213141516171819202122
StadiumHAAHAHAAHHHAAHAAHHAHAH
ResultWDWDDWWLDDWWLLDDDLLWDL
Position5325431453214458
Updated to match(es) played on July 9, 2023. Source: NWSL
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Statistics edit

As of matches played July 8, 2023.[47]
Goalscorers, per competition
Player Goals by competition
Pos. No. Nat. Name NWSL Cup Playoffs Total
FW 33   USA Ashley Hatch 8 0 8
MF 10   USA Ashley Sanchez 4 1 5
FW 2   USA Trinity Rodman 4 0 4
MF 26   USA Paige Metayer 3 0 3
DF 3   USA Sam Staab 1 1 2
DF 9   USA Tara McKeown 1 1 2
MF 25   IRL Marissa Sheva 0 1 1
FW 24   USA Lena Silano 0 1 1
Own goals 1 0 0
Total 22 5 27
Assists by player, per competition
Player Assists by competition
Pos. No. Nat. Name NWSL Cup Playoffs Total
DF 19   USA Dorian Bailey 3 0 3
FW 33   USA Ashley Hatch 3 0 3
FW 2   USA Trinity Rodman 2 0 2
FW 24   USA Lena Silano 1 1 2
MF 7   FRA Inès Jaurena 1 0 1
MF 26   USA Paige Metayer 1 0 1
MF 39   USA Chloe Ricketts 0 1 1
MF 10   USA Ashley Sanchez 1 0 1
MF 3   USA Sam Staab 1 0 1
MF 27   PAN Riley Tanner 0 1 1
Total 13 3 16
Clean sheets by goalkeeper, per competition
Player Clean sheets by competition
Pos. No. Nat. Name NWSL Cup Playoffs Total
GK 1   USA Aubrey Kingsbury 3 0 3
Total 3 0 3
Disciplinary cards by player, per competition
Player NWSL Cup Playoffs Total
Pos. No. Nat. Name                
FW 33   USA Ashley Hatch 3 0 1 0 4 0
DF 9   USA Tara McKeown 3 0 0 0 3 0
MF 26   USA Paige Metayer 2 1 0 0 2 1
MF 12   USA Andi Sullivan 3 0 0 0 3 0
DF 14   CAN Gabrielle Carle 2 0 0 0 2 0
MF 7   FRA Inès Jaurena 1 0 1 0 2 0
FW 2   USA Trinity Rodman 2 0 0 0 2 0
DF 3   USA Sam Staab 2 0 0 0 2 0
DF 19   USA Dorian Bailey 1 0 0 0 1 0
DF 30   USA Camryn Biegalski 0 0 1 0 1 0
DF 22   USA Amber Brooks 1 0 0 0 1 0
MF 39   USA Chloe Ricketts 1 0 0 0 1 0
MF 25   IRL Marissa Sheva 1 0 0 0 1 0
MF 10   USA Ashley Sanchez 0 0 1 0 1 0
Total[a] 22 1 4 0 26 1
  1. ^ Does not include three yellow cards issued to manager Mark Parsons.

Awards edit

NWSL monthly awards edit

Best XI of the Month
Month Pos. Nat. Player Ref.
March/
April
DF   USA Sam Staab [48]
May DF   USA Sam Staab (2) [49]
Rookie of the Month
Month Pos. Rookie of the Month Statline Ref.
June
MF
  USA Paige Metayer 1 goal, 1 assist; tied for league scoring lead among rookies (3) [50]

NWSL weekly awards edit

As of June 29, 2023
Wk. Pos. Nat. Player Won Ref.
6   USA Ashley Hatch Nom. [51]
10   USA Trinity Rodman Nom. [52]
11   USA Ashley Sanchez Nom. [53]
12   USA Tara McKeown Won [54]
Wk. Pos. Nat. Player Won Ref.
4   USA Aubrey Kingsbury Nom. [55]

Transactions edit

Draft selections edit

Draft selections are not automatically signed to the team roster. The 2023 NWSL Draft was held on January 12, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

2023 NWSL Draft selections, by round
Round Pick Pos. Nat. Player College Status Ref.
3 26   ENG Nicole Douglas Arizona State Signed to a two-year contract and rostered as a midfielder. [56]
28   USA Lyza Bosselmann Gonzaga Signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. [56]
30   PAN Riley Tanner Alabama Signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year and rostered as a midfielder. [56]
34   USA Lena Silano Long Beach State Signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. [56]
4 37   USA Civana Kuhlmann Colorado Signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. [56]
40   USA Delaney Graham Duke Not signed; recovering from surgery. [56]

Contracts edit

Contract expirations
Date Pos. Nat. Player Notes Ref.
November 15, 2022   USA Taylor Aylmer Contract option declined. [57]
  USA Alia Martin
  USA Averie Collins Contract expired.
  CAN Devon Kerr [57][58]
  MEX Karina Rodríguez [57][59]
  USA Audrey Harding [60]
Contract re-signings
Date Pos. Nat. Player Notes Ref.
November 15, 2022   USA Sam Staab Contract option exercised. [57]
  USA Jordan Baggett
  USA Dorian Bailey
  USA Bayley Feist
  USA Anna Heilferty
  USA Maddie Elwell
  USA Tara McKeown
November 30, 2022   IRL Marissa Sheva Re-signed to a one-year contract. [61][62]
December 8, 2022   USA Tori Huster Re-signed to a one-year contract. [63]
December 12, 2022   CAN Gabrielle Carle Re-signed to a two-year contract with an option for a third year. [61][64]
December 13, 2022   USA Camryn Biegalski Re-signed to a one-year contract. [61][65]
December 19, 2022   USA Amber Brooks Free agent re-signed to a one-year contract. [61][66]
December 22, 2022   USA Nicole Barnhart Free agent re-signed to a one-year contract. [61][67]
January 16, 2023   USA Sam Staab Signed to a new three-year contract, replacing her previous contract. [68]
January 17, 2023   USA Anna Heilferty Signed to a new two-year contract with a team option for an additional year, replacing her previous contract. [69]
January 18, 2023   USA Jordan Baggett Signed to a new two-year contract, replacing her previous contract. [61][70]
January 19, 2023   USA Tara McKeown Re-signed to a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year. [61][71]
January 30, 2023   USA Aubrey Kingsbury Signed to a new three-year contract with an option for a fourth year. [61][72]
February 17, 2023   USA Dorian Bailey Signed to a new three-year contract, replacing her existing contract expiring after the 2023 season. [73]
June 20, 2023   CAN Gabrielle Carle Signed a new three-year contract with an option for an additional year, modifying her existing contract signed in 2022. [74]
  USA Ashley Hatch Contract option for 2024 exercised. [75]
  USA Andi Sullivan Signed a new three-year contract with an option for an additional year, replacing her previous contract expiring in 2023. [76]

Transfers edit

Transfers in
Date Pos. Nat. Player Former club Fee/notes Ref.
February 7, 2023   FRA Inès Jaurena   Olympique Lyon Signed a one-year contract as a free agent. [61][7][8]
March 3, 2023   USA Chloe Ricketts   AFC Ann Arbor Signed a three-year contract as an under-18 player, with an option for a fourth year. [61][9]
June 28, 2023   VEN Mariana Speckmaier   Valur Signed a short-term national team replacement contract. [34]
  USA Jordan Thompson   Gonzaga Bulldogs
June 30, 2023   FRA Ouleymata Sarr   Paris FC Signed a three-year contract as a free transfer. [32]
July 5, 2023   FRA Annaïg Butel   Paris FC Free transfer; Signed a two-year contract through 2024 with an option for an additional year. [36][77]
Transfers out
Date Pos. Nat. Player Destination club Fee/notes Ref.
April 25, 2023   USA Jordan Baggett   Racing Louisville FC Traded in exchange for a second-round pick and conditional third-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft. [61][78]

Retirements edit

Player retirements
Date Pos. Nat. Player Ref.
November 2022   USA Gaby Vincent [79]

References edit

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