It’s been a busy offseason for the NWSL. Between big signings, major trades, and two extension teams added into the mix, the league looks different than it did last year.
With just a few weeks to go before kickoff, the voices of the NWSL are taking a close look at each club’s moves for some offseason grading. Did your favorite club ace free agency or are they in need of some extra credit?
ANGEL CITY FC
Analyst: Jordan Angeli
Grade: B+
Angel City did a lot of work at the end of the year, adding Nealy Martin and Hina Suigita – two NWSL champions to their roster. So even though this wasn't technically done in the offseason, it feels like it was so late in the year that it had the future in mind.
Emily Sams is a huge pick-up. The stability she will add to the backline can't be understated. I’m just curious how they will play since she is predominantly a right centerback. Bringing in Ary Borges gives Angel City grit in the midfield that they haven’t always had. With all these experienced NWSL players and a full preseason under Head Coach Alex Straus, Angel City has the opportunity to introduce a new identity in 2026.
BAY FC
Analyst: Merritt Mathias
Grade: B-
Bay FC enters the 2026 campaign defined by a significant technical and roster overhaul. The appointments of Head Coach Emma Coates and Assistant Gemma Davis signal a clear commitment to identifying and refining elite young talent. This “youth-first” philosophy is anchored by the landmark signing of Claire Hutton and supported by the likes of Anouk Denton and Alex Pfeiffer. The club is betting that this ambitious, malleable core can successfully offset the loss of veterans Abby Dahlkemper, Caprice Dydasco, and Emily Menges (maternity leave), as well as the departures of Rachel Hill and Kiki Pickett.
BOSTON LEGACY FC
Analyst: Jill Loyden
Grade: ?
It’s hard to know how this roster and coaching staff will pan out in the league. Most of their players and staff do not have any NWSL experience, so time will tell if the success of the international talents brought in will yield a competitive team in this league.
CHICAGO STARS FC
Analyst: Lori Lindsey
Grade: B-
I like their off season acquisitions. There’s a mix of top college players and experienced NWSL players, but trading Ludmilla to San Diego was a big move. Getting $800,000 for her is massive, but there isn't any information about what they plan on doing with that money. Of course, Mal Swanson should be back, which is key.
DENVER SUMMIT FC
Analyst: Lianne Sanderson
Grade: B
I am giving Denver a B. Lindsey Heaps signed. I know she won’t be there until later in the season, but what a signing. They have signed a lot of players that have NWSL experience which I think is amazing and valuable. Ally Brazier (Watt), Carson Pickett, Janine Sonis, and Kaleigh Kurtz to name a few. I like Head Coach Nick Cushing and his player coaching style. Jury is still out as an expansion team, but I think they have started with a great base and foundation.
GOTHAM FC
Analyst: Lori Lindsey
Grade: A
The reigning NWSL Champions went on to add top college players and Savannah MacCaskill to their roster. That gives the club more depth, specifically on the front line. To keep almost all of your team intact and add key pieces, that makes for a great offseason.
HOUSTON DASH
Analyst: Lianne Sanderson
Grade: C
Houston maintained most of the roster, but lost Michelle Alozie to Chicago. She will be a miss for me. They have added young players and lots of rookies. Last season they had the second oldest team in the NWSL. The new young additions will change that. Coach Fabrice Gautrat likes to high press and have energy, and I feel this will help them do that in addition to top players and leaders in Jane Campbell, Paige Nielsen and Avery Patterson.
They need more goalscorers so the additions of the players in the offseason will hopefully help that, along with a league vet in Makenzy Robbe joining. I still think they need more, but I like Fabrice and what he is doing.
KANSAS CITY CURRENT
Analyst: Marion Crowder
Grade: A-
While there is a decent level of uncertainty with Kansas City heading into the 2026 season, key pieces remaining and the thrilling addition of Croix Bethune outweigh most of those question marks. Some of those uncertainties include the return to play timelines of their star attacking talents as well as their newly appointed head coach. With Vlatko Andonovski acting as Sporting Director and the 2025 staff largely still in place, Chris Armas will be well supported to find the balance between maintaining the existing record-setting structures from 2025 and fine tuning this team to win knockout futbol.
As far as their available depth on the attacking side of the ball, and the loss of Bia Zanerrato, it is a question mark as to what the chemistry between the front three, four, and five will look like and how long that chemistry might take to build. But if we’re grading on the potential, I’m not sure there’s more exciting attacking potential in the league than Croix Bethune with the likes of Temwa Chawinga, Michelle Cooper, Debinha, and Ally Sentnor. Why the minus? I think we will all miss seeing Claire Hutton in this midfield setup.
NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE
Analyst: Jill Loyden
Grade: B+
The biggest pick up could be new manager, Mak Lind. He says he's “obsessed with scoring goals” which could be the perfect solution to an inconsistent and wasteful attack in 2025. With Marisa Bova and Casey Murphy moving on, Kailen Sheridan is the perfect fit for the style under previous leadership. Sheridan will help in building out to retain possession and has one of the best complement of midfielders in the league to work with. The sale of Jaedyn Shaw and Denise O’Sullivan should give a decent bag to go and spend for a few more pieces to add in 2026.
ORLANDO PRIDE
Analyst: Merritt Mathias
Grade: C
Orlando Pride’s roster looks a bit different than that of 2025 with major contributors like Ally
Brazier (Watt), Carson Pickett, and Emily Sams taking their talents elsewhere; it is currently unclear who on this 2026 roster will take advantage of the opportunity created out of vacancy. A player that has the potential of doing so is Hailie Mace. Signed by the Pride in the offseason, Mace has the attacking presence and defensive mind to bring a bit of spark and balance to this Orlando backline and roster.
PORTLAND THORNS FC
Analyst: Jordan Angeli
Grade: D+
No permanent head coach still, that automatically puts you below average when it comes to the offseason. And, on top of that, they let Sam Coffey go. I would give a higher grade if I knew the progress of all their injuries from last year (Marie Müller, Caiya Hanks, Morgan Weaver). With that information still unknown and a lot of money left in the bank after the Coffey sale, I have to rank this as a below-average off-season for the Thorns. I hope they change my mind.
I will give a massive positive – Sophia Smith is back, baby. I can’t wait to see her return to the pitch.
RACING LOUISVILLE FC
Analyst: Marion Crowder
Grade: B+
Their off season moves have shown that they are going to double down on their identity from 2025. I love the roster Coach Bev Yanez is building and trust her ability to develop players into what the team needs and feed the foundation she has created. They will be a young team lining up, which makes it hard to say they’ll improve in closing out games. However, the additions have improved their overall tactical flexibility. I would have liked to see a standout midfielder signing, someone to become a consistent presence that can control tempo and unlock defenses in a multitude of ways.
SAN DIEGO WAVE FC
Analyst: Jill Loyden
Grade: C
Kailen Sheridan, Savannah McCaskill, Delphine Cascarino, and Hanna Lundkvist all leaving is hard to ignore. Key players in every line of the field - ouch. Acquiring Ludmilla from Chicago was a BIG positive. The team that created so many chances and often lacked a lethal #9 has now filled that gap. They also get a veteran in Kiki Pickett who can play multiple positions.
SEATTLE REIGN FC
Analyst: McCall Zerboni
Grade: C-
The Reign maintained a majority of their players, but mostly added youth and Brittany Ratcliffe (whom i like for this roster). They haven’t upgraded any positions. It seems Laura Harvey believes in what she has to have better breakout seasons this year (Mia Fishel, Jordyn Huitema, and Maddie Dahlien) and will be banking on Lynn Biyendolo’s return for goal contributions. They were the team in the playoffs that scored the LEAST amount of goals last season with 32 and only scored more goals than four other clubs, which puts them in the bottom third of the table in recorded goals last season. I expected them to go after a prolific goal scorer to add to the roster but they didn’t, which is why they round down for a C-.
UTAH ROYALS FC
Analyst: McCall Zerboni
Grade: B
The Royals concentrated on bringing in quality assistance for Coach Jimmy Coenraets. With an assistant coach like John Griffitts by his side who has a lot of experience developing players in the women's game, it’s a positive.
They’re adding experienced depth to their roster and strengthening their midfield after losing Claudia Zornoza to retirement. While they haven’t signed any new, established A rated pros in the front line, the club worked to get players green cards, freeing up international roster spots. They still have the possibility of adding more top talent. I’m excited to watch the Japanese link up of play between Miyabi, Tanaka, and Narumi
WASHINGTON SPIRIT
Analyst: Jill Loyden
Grade: A+
(NOTE: This does not reflect the move to trade Croix Bethune to the Kansas City Current.)
Bringing Trinity Rodman back to the group was the best piece of work this offseason. One of the most exciting and best players in the world, it’s great business to keep her in the NWSL. They added Haley Carter as president of football operations, who is an NWSL Championship architect. She’s known for spearheading the transformation of the Orlando Pride by creating a vision and finding the right pieces to help change the narrative of the Pride. She helped to create a destination where players WANT to go.