The Portland Thorns inked a new deal with Becky Sauerbrunn on Tuesday, which will keep her in the Rose City for one more year.
The two-time Women’s World Cup winner and three-time NWSL champion extends her stay in Portland after originally joining the team in the 2020 season. Sauerbrunn’s contract was announced a day after fellow veteran Christine Sinclair confirmed her own one-year stay with the Thorns, who are now under new ownership after RAJ Sports officially took over the club earlier this month.
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Sauerbrunn’s deal comes as NWSL teams begin their preseason training, and towards the end of a busy offseason. The league’s second-ever free agency window saw a lot of headline-making movement, most notably NJ/NY Gotham FC’s splashy efforts to land sought-after quartet Crystal Dunn, Tierna Davidson, Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett. The NWSL’s record for highest-paid player was also set twice in the buildup to the 2024 season, first by the Houston Dash by signing Maria Sanchez to a deal reportedly worth around $1.5 million and then by the Chicago Red Stars, who will reportedly pay Mallory Swanson nearly $2 million.
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With the 2024 season rapidly approaching, here’s an updating list on the deals that have crossed the line so far and players who are still on the market.
| 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 | Chicago Red Stars (one-year deal) | Washington Spirit |
| GK | Emily Boyd | TBD | Chicago Red Stars |
| DEF | Amber Brooks | TBD | Washington Spirit |
| FWD | Simone Charley | Orlando Pride (two-year deal) | Angel City FC |
| DEF | Allysha Chapman | Houston Dash (option exercised) | 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 | Kansas City Current (two-year deal) | 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 | Houston Dash (option exercised) | 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 | Announced retirement | Kansas City Current |
| GK | Cassie Miller | NJ/NY Gotham FC (traded after signing one-year deal with the Kansas City Current) | Kansas City Current |
| FWD | Nadia Nadim | TBD | Racing Louisville FC |
| FWD | Yuki Nagasato | Houston Dash (two-year deal) | Chicago Red Stars |
| DEF | Kiki Pickett | Bay FC (two-year deal) | 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 | Portland Thorns FC (one-year deal) | 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 | Portland Thorns FC (one-year deal) | 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 | NJ/NY Gotham FC (two-year deal) | 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 |
