Veterans and the newbies. How the latest NWSL transfers are hoping to improve their new teams
The NWSL took a month-long break in June while the 2027 FIFA Men’s World Cup took over stadiums and training grounds across the country. Many clubs saw this hiatus as an opportunity to improve their squads as they signed new players from both inside and outside of the league. How will some of these acquisitions impact their new teams?
Reliable veterans bolstering squads
One of the first signings this summer was former Barcelona goalkeeper Sandra Paños joining San Diego Wave FC on a free transfer from Liga MX’s Club América. Paños was a much needed addition to a team that was suffering from a lack of a quality keeper in the first part of the season — despite allowing the fewest expected goals of any NWSL team, the Wave have conceded the eighth-most goals in the league, mostly due to poor shotstopping from their goalkeepers. Paños has only been eligible to play in one match since NWSL play resumed and did not make an appearance in that game, but she will likely have a huge impact on this team that desperately needs more quality between the goalposts.
Gotham FC had a splashy summer transfer window, bringing in global superstars Sam Kerr and Denise O’Sullivan. Sam Kerr has made three appearances so far for her new club, coming off the bench for around 25 minutes each time. In her second appearance, she was able to help the team rally back from a 2:0 deficit, assisting the winning goal and creating chances summing to 0.75 expected goals in only 27 minutes. She scored her first goal in the new jersey on her third appearance when she was in the starting XI for the first time.
Midfielder Denise O’Sullivan had a similar instant impact, making her club debut while the team was down 2:1 and helping her team retain possession of the ball to score two more goals and pull off the comeback. She completed 12 out of 13 passes in just 10 or so minutes, playing a crucial role in the late-game performance. Gotham FC manager Juan Carlos Amorós was full of praise for O’Sullivan, commenting that “Denise is a player who is one of the best midfielders on the planet – the way she understands and reads the game, it's something that can bring a lot for the players, for the team, for our fans.”
Young players joining the league from Europe
In addition to bringing in proven veterans, NWSL teams have also turned to younger players with their whole careers ahead of them. Most recently, the Washington Spirit signed 21-year-old Cameroonian international midfielder Monique Ngock out of French club Fleury for an undisclosed transfer fee. Ngock has the potential to fill the void left by former Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune, who left the team ahead of the 2026 season, in attacking midfield. Ngock hasn’t made an appearance for the club in the two matches that she’s been eligible to play but the Spirit clearly see potential in her; Sporting Director James Hocken noted that, “Monique is a player with qualities very compatible with our roster and style of play.”
Another player filling a void in attacking midfield is Erica Meg Parkinson. Parkinson joined the North Carolina Courage on July 1, two days before the transfer of Manaka Matsukubo to Chelsea FC Women was announced. She joined the Courage on a free transfer from Portuguese side Valadares Gaia a few months after earning her first senior national team call up to the Lionesses at the age of 17. She made her club debut on July 18th, playing 45 minutes in a 3:0 loss to Bay FC. Parkinson has big shoes to fill, coming in just as Manaka is leaving, but she’s been touted as a prodigy by many pundits, so it seems like she just might deliver.
Finally, the Portland Thorns signed Dutch international midfielder Nina Nijstad on July 7th from PSV Eindhoven for an undisclosed fee. The Thorns are also looking to plug a gap after losing stalwart defensive midfielder Sam Coffey to Manchester City ahead of the 2026 NWSL season. Nijstad is primarily a central midfielder but has the flexibility to play anywhere in the midfield, so she will be a crucial part of this team for the next four years.
Intra-league transfers making a splash
Teams have not just looked abroad to strengthen their squads, several clubs have gone shopping within the NWSL for players who have a proven record in the US. On June 17th, Bay FC announced that the club had acquired attacking midfielder Kennedy Fuller from Angel City FC in exchange for $520,000 in total funds. Fuller had a stellar career at Angel City, since she joined the club in 2024 at the age of 16, registering seven goals and five assists during her time there. She’s made an instant impact for Bay, getting on the scoresheet in just her second appearance for the club.
Fuller left behind a hole in Angel City’s roster that they quickly plugged by signing USWNT star Ally Sentnor on June 19th from the Kansas City Current in exchange for $850,000 in intra-league transfer funds. Sentnor has appeared for the senior USWNT squad 22 times, scoring seven goals and three assists for country. On the club side, she’s scored six goals and registered seven assists across her 2.5 seasons in the league, making her one of the league’s most prolific attacking midfielders. She comes with the added bonus of attracting defenders, freeing up space for some of Angel City’s other dangerous attackers like Sveindís Jónsdóttir and Maiara Niehues.
Finally, also on June 17th, expansion side Boston Legacy announced that they had acquired 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale from Gotham FC in exchange for $400,000 in total funds. The 23-year-old defender has played every single minute for her hometown club since joining during the break, and has overseen the club’s first two clean sheets in history while playing as a wingback on the left side. Reale, who also plays for the senior national team, has provided invaluable support on both the attacking and defensive ends and will continue to do so as one of the country’s brightest young footballers.
