NWSL Expansion Teams Take Shape
Volume 02 | Issue 05 | July 2025
The NWSL took an international break throughout July, with regular season play returning August 1, followed by NWSL Rivalry Weekend August 8-10.
nwsl News
2026 NWSL Expansion Team Updates
The two NWSL expansion teams commencing play in 2026 made major announcements during the international break.
Boston Legacy FC
Boston Legacy FC signed its first player to the roster: midfielder Annie Karich. Karich’s contract with the Legacy extends through the 2027 season with the option to renew for the 2028 season. Karich is from California and was previously with SC Freiburg in Germany.
Forward Aïssata Traoré signed with the Legacy through the 2028 season, making Traoré the first-ever Mali player to sign with an NWSL team. Traoré is from Bamako, the capital of Mali, and currently plays with FC Fleury 91 in France.
Defender Emerson Elgin signed a two-year contract with the Legacy. Elgin is from New Jersey and was most recently contracted with NJ/NY Gotham FC as an injury replacement player.
Laurel Ansbrow, another defender, also signed a two-year contract with the Legacy and has a team-held extension option for the 2028 season. Ansbrow is from North Carolina and currently plays in the USL Super League with Fort Lauderdale United.
Midfielder Alba Caño contracted with the Legacy through the end of the 2027 season with a team-held extension option for the 2028 season. Caño is from Puiggròs, Spain, and currently plays for FC Barcelona.
These players, along with the rest of the future roster, will be under the guidance of head coach Filipa Patão.
In addition to player signings, the Legacy also announced plans for a $27 million performance center that is expected to open prior to the 2026 season. The center will serve as the club’s training facility and will include a bubble down for weather condition training, lighted fields (which will also be made available for use by the youth community), a 30,000 square foot training building, and six total fields, two of which will be natural grass surfaces and one that will be heated.
Boston released the club’s official crest in June.
Denver Summit FC
Denver NWSL hosted a brand launch party for fans shortly after the club dropped the name, color palette, and crest for the team.
Denver Summit FC was the name chosen by the fans for the 16th NWSL expansion team. The club released its official crest and color palette, drawing inspiration from the red sky of local sunsets, the multitude of sunny days in the city, and the mountain peaks surrounding the area.
2026 NWSL Season Framework AnnounceD
The framework for the 2026 NWSL season was announced earlier this month, with the season kicking off on February 20 with the NWSL Challenge Cup.
Regular season play is scheduled to begin on March 13. The 2026 season will comprise 248 matches across the 16 teams, including an eight-team playoff tournament and the Challenge Cup match.
The 27-week regular season will conclude on November 1, and the playoffs begin on November 6.
The 2026 NWSL Championship game will be held on November 21.
NWSL Player Updates
Ashley Hatch announced that she and her husband, Jeff Van Buren, are expecting their first child. Hatch was an early contender for the NWSL Golden Boot this season with four goals in the first four games for the Washington Spirit.
Hatch joins other fellow players who recently announced that they and their partners are expecting, including Mal Swanson, Sophia Wilson, Andi Sullivan, and Kailen Sheridan.
After being spotted supporting her boyfriend, Ben Shelton, at Wimbledon, Trinity Rodman was seen training with the Spirit after recovering from a recurring back injury.
Bethany Balcer returned to the pitch for Racing Louisville FC after taking a five-month-long mental health break from the sport.
Forward Mia Fishel signed with Seattle Reign FC through the 2029 NWSL season. Fishel has earned three caps with the USWNT and transferred to the Reign from Chelsea.
Dudinha signed with San Diego Wave FC through the 2027 NWSL season, transferring from São Paulo FC. The forward also represents Brazil’s national team.
Portland Thorns FC announced it will be inducting Christine Sinclair into the Thorns Hall of Fame as the first-ever inductee. Sinclair retired from international soccer at the end of 2023 after 23 years of playing for the Canada Women’s National Team, and she retired from the NWSL at the end of 2024, marking 12 years with the Thorns.
USWNT News
USWNT Beats Canada 3-0
The USWNT beat Canada 3-0 at Audi Field in Washington, DC on July 2. The game against Canada came just days after the USWNT defeated Ireland in two friendly matches at the end of June.
USWNT head coach Emma Hayes called up 25 players to the June and July camp roster, with all players selected from the NWSL, with the exception of Naomi Girma, who wore the captain’s band in the match on July 2.
The 25-player camp roster included
Goalkeepers (3): Angelina Anderson, Claudia Dickey, and Mandy McGlynn
Defenders (10): Kerry Abello, Jordyn Bugg, Naomi Girma, Lilly Reale, Tara McKeown, Avery Patterson, Izzy Rodriguez, Emily Sams, Emily Sonnett, and Gisele Thompson.
Midfielders (6): Croix Bethune, Sam Coffey, Claire Hutton, Rose Lavelle, Sam Meza, and Olivia Moultrie
Forwards (6): Lynn Biyendolo, Michelle Cooper, Yazmeen Ryan, Emma Sears, Ally Sentnor, Alyssa Thompson
Hayes stayed committed to her developmental process to find the foundational pool for the upcoming 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games.
Six players (Anderson, Bugg, Dickey, Meza, Reale, and Rodriguez) joined the USWNT camp with no caps to their name, and seven players were called up with fewer than five caps (Abello, Bethune, Hutton, McGlynn, Patterson, Sams, and G. Thompson).
In the USWNT’s sole match in July, the US took an early lead with a goal from Sam Coffey in the 17th minute. Rose Lavelle sent the ball in off a set piece from the left side of the pitch. The ball bounced around in the box before being brought down by Avery Patterson. Patterson looked primed for a shot, but Coffey pounced on the ball and tucked it into the back of the net.
Canada responded by applying pressure to the US’s backline and testing out goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. However, Dickey and the defense held their ground and stopped Canada’s advances.
Claire Hutton scored her first international career goal with the USWNT in the 36th minute off another set piece by Lavelle. Lavelle sent the ball soaring into the box off a corner kick, finding Hutton’s head, and giving the US a 2-0 lead going into halftime.
Canada’s defense held off the US’s attack for most of the second half, until Yazmeen Ryan was substituted into the game in the 81st minute. Within ten minutes of play time, Ryan scored her second international goal, shooting the ball through the legs of a Canadian defender and bringing the final score to 3-0.
Despite the final score, Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan played an incredible game against the US, blocking five of the eight shots on goal and facing 22 total shots. Sheridan also plays for the San Diego Wave FC.
The USWNT plays in October with three friendlies scheduled in the US:
October 23 vs Portugal at Subaru Park in Chester, PA
October 26 vs Portugal at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, CT
October 29 vs TBD at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, MO
Visit www.ussoccer.com for the full USWNT schedule
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