Mallory Swanson and the Chicago Red Stars made NWSL history on Tuesday when the club announced a deal that would make her the league’s highest-paid player.
The player inked a four-year deal with an option for another year that runs close to being worth $2 million overall, cementing her status as the focal point of a new look Red Stars. The club is under new leadership after Laura Rickeets, a co-owner of MLB’s Chicago Cubs and the WNBA’s Sky, bought the Red Stars last September and following the hiring of ex-Jamaica coach Lorne Donaldson. Swanson’s commitment to the Red Stars will allow her to reunite with Donaldson, who worked with him when she was a youth player in her native Colorado.
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The league’s second-ever free agency period has been a busy one, most notably through NJ/NY Gotham FC, who signed USWNT quartet Crystal Dunn, Tierna Davidson, Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett. Several eye-popping names remain available, including Becky Sauerbrunn and Sam Mewis. Their respective contracts with the Portland Thorns and the Kansas City Current have expired, and Mewis’ departure from the Current has already been confirmed.
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Here’s an updating list of players who are on the move — and where they end up — as the NWSL’s second free agency period gets underway.
| Position | Player | Signed with | Old team |
|---|---|---|---|
| MID | Angelina | Orlando Pride (three-year deal) | Seattle Reign |
| MID | Taylor Aylmer | TBD | Racing Louisville FC |
| GK | Nicole Barnhart | Washington Spirit (one-year deal) | Washington Spirit |
| GK | Michelle Betos | TBD | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
| DEF | Camryn Biegalski | TBD | Washington Spirit |
| GK | Emily Boyd | TBD | Chicago Red Stars |
| DEF | Amber Brooks | TBD | Washington Spirit |
| FWD | Simone Charley | TBD | Angel City FC |
| DEF | Allysha Chapman | TBD | Houston Dash |
| MID | Emily Curran | TBD | Houston Dash |
| DEF | Tierna Davidson | NJ/NY Gotham FC (three-year deal) | Chicago Red Stars |
| GK | Ella Dederick | TBD | Houston Dash |
| FWD | Makenzy Doniak | San Diego Wave FC (two-year deal) | San Diego Wave FC |
| FWD | Imani Dorsey | Utah Royals (two-year deal) | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
| FWD | Crystal Dunn | NJ/NY Gotham FC (three-year deal) | Portland Thorns FC |
| DEF | Caprice Dydasco | Bay FC (two-year deal) | Houston Dash |
| MID | Elizabeth Eddy | Angel City FC (two-year deal) | Angel City FC |
| FWD | Emina Ekic | Melbourne City | Racing Louisville FC |
| MID | Sinead Farrelly | NJ/NY Gotham FC (option exercised) | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
| MID | Bayley Feist | TBD | Washington Spirit |
| DEF | Sabrina Flores | TBD | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
| DEF | Emily Fox | Arsenal | North Carolina Courage |
| MID | Makamae Gomera-Stevens | TBD | Houston Dash |
| DEF | Sarah Gorden | Angel City FC (three-year deal) | Angel City FC |
| FWD | Paulina Gramaglia | TBD | Houston Dash |
| FWD | Shea Groom | Chicago Red Stars (two-year deal) | Houston Dash |
| DEF | Madison Hammond | Angel City FC (two-year deal) | Angel City FC |
| MID | Tori Huster | Announced retirement | Washington Spirit |
| GK | Brittany Isenhour | TBD | Angel City FC |
| GK | Devon Kerr | TBD | Houston Dash |
| FWD | Tziarra King | Seattle Reign (one-year deal) | Seattle Reign |
| DEF | Meghan Klingenberg | Portland Thorns FC (one-year deal) | Portland Thorns FC |
| DEF | Ali Krieger | Announced retirement | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
| DEF | Casey Krueger | Washington Spirit (three-year deal) | Chicago Red Stars |
| DEF | Natalia Kuikka | Chicago Red Stars (three-year deal) | Portland Thorns FC |
| MID | Rose Lavelle | NJ/NY Gotham FC (three-year deal) | Seattle Reign |
| MID | Jordyn Listro | TBD | Orlando Pride |
| MID | Allie Long | TBD | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
| FWD | Cheyna Matthews | Announced retirement | Chicago Red Stars |
| DEF | Merritt Mathias | Angel City FC (one-year deal) | Angel City FC |
| MID | Savannah McCaskill | San Diego Wave (three-year deal) | Angel City FC |
| FWD | Jessica McDonald | TBD | Racing Louisville FC |
| DEF | Tegan McGrady | TBD | Portland Thorns FC |
| DEF | Addisyn Merrick | Utah Royals (two-year deal) | Kansas City Current |
| MID | Sam Mewis | TBD | Kansas City Current |
| GK | Cassie Miller | TBD | Kansas City Current |
| FWD | Nadia Nadim | TBD | Racing Louisville FC |
| FWD | Yuki Nagasato | Houston Dash (two-year deal) | Chicago Red Stars |
| DEF | Kiki Pickett | TBD | North Carolina Courage |
| DEF | Madison Pogarch | Utah Royals (two-year deal) | San Diego Wave FC |
| MID | Taylor Porter | TBD | Portland Thorns FC |
| FWD | Megan Rapinoe | Announced retirement | Seattle Reign |
| FWD | Brittany Ratcliffe | Washington Spirit (three-year deal) | North Carolina Courage |
| DEF | Cari Roccaro | Chicago Red Stars (two-year deal) | Chicago Red Stars |
| DEF | Maria Sanchez | Houston Dash (three-year deal) | Houston Dash |
| DEF | Becky Sauerbrunn | TBD | Portland Thorns FC |
| MID | Desiree Scott | TBD | Kansas City Current |
| DEF | Kayla Sharples | Bay FC (two-year deal) | Chicago Red Stars |
| FWD | Marissa Sheva | TBD | Washington Spirit |
| MID | Mana Shim | TBD | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
| DEF | Cheyenne Shorts | TBD | San Diego Wave FC |
| FWD | Christine Sinclair | TBD | Portland Thorns FC |
| DEF | Emily Sonnett | NJ/NY Gotham FC (three-year deal) | Seattle Reign |
| DEF | Bianca St-Georges | North Carolina Courage (two-year deal) | Chicago Red Stars |
| MID | Nikki Stanton | Seattle Reign (one-year deal) | Seattle Reign |
| MID | Ella Stevens | TBD | Chicago Red Stars |
| DEF | Kylie Strom | Orlando Pride (three-year deal) | Orlando Pride |
| FWD | Mallory Swanson | Chicago Red Stars (four-year deal) | Chicago Red Stars |
| MID | Emily Van Egmond | San Diego Wave FC (two-year deal) | San Diego Wave FC |
| FWD | Michele Vasconcelos | Utah Royals (two-year deal) | Portland Thorns FC |
| MID | Marisa Viggiano | Racing Louisville (two-year deal) | Houston Dash |
| MID | Dani Weatherholt | North Carolina Courage (two-year deal) | Angel City FC |
| FWD | Mallory Weber | TBD | Kansas City Current |
| DEF | Christen Westphal | San Diego Wave FC (two-year deal) | San Diego Wave FC |
| MID | McCall Zerboni | TBD | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
