The 2023 season is rapidly approaching with the NWSL kicking off this Saturday, March 25! The 11^th year of league action will feature 12 teams with the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup featuring mid-season.
In a team-by-team preview, we’ll break down each squad’s big moves, massive matches, and more of what to know as we get ready for the regular season opener.
**Washington Spirit**
2022 Season : 11 ^th | 3-9-10 – 19 points
Big Additions : * Gabrielle Carle – Canadian international most recently with Swedish side Kristianstads DFF * Inès Jaurena – French international with experience for Lyon, Bordeaux among other clubs * Chloe Ricketts – 2^nd youngest NWSL professional in history
Key Games : * March 26: OL Reign (H) – Regular Season Opener * April 19: NJ/NY Gotham FC – Challenge Cup Opener
What to Know :
New but returning head coach Mark Parsons is new in the sense that he was brought on in November 2022, but returning in the sense that he was previously at the helm from 2013 to 2015. Now back, Parsons will be tasked with getting his Spirit side off of near the bottom of the table after last season’s 11 ^th place finish. With him is a mix of returning players and fresh faces, with the club welcoming nine new players in the offseason.
Goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury is back and is joined by Nicole Barnhart and 2023 draftee Lyza Bosselman in goal, while the club’s defense is without Kelley O’Hara, who left for Gotham FC, Emily Sonnett, who was traded to OL Reign, and Julia Rodder, who started in all 15 games she appeared in last season and is now in Sweden. However, defender Amber Brooks is back will settle into a defensive line that also include Sam Staab, Tara McKeown, and Dorian Bailey, among others. Defender Gabrielle Carle, who is linking up with her college head coach and current Spirit President of Soccer Operations Mark Krikorian, will also be new to the back line.
The club’s midfield features more familiar faces including Jordan Baggett, Ashley Sanchez, Andi Sullivan, and others, and Inès Jaurena’s arrival will help provide depth there as well. When announced, midfielder Chloe Ricketts had become the youngest professional signing in NWSL history, and though the record was recently broken by San Diego forward Melanie Barcenas, the club still has high hopes for Ricketts in her budding career.
The forward line features two of the club’s most influential and vital players as well—Ashley Hatch and Trinity Rodman. Hatch and Rodman were the club’s leading scorers with nine and four goals respectively, and Sanchez and McKeown chipped in three apiece as Washington aims to increase their attacking output. Two of the club’s other 2023 NWSL Draft selections in Civana Kuhlmann and Leah Silano will look to make an immediate impact as well with the season just around the corner.