The NWSL is already home to some of the world's brightest stars, but now that the summer transfer window has closed, the league will welcome a new wave of international talent ready to showcase their skills on the biggest stage in club soccer.
One of the major policy changes impacting recent transfer windows is the allotment of seven international slots per team instead of five. This new increase gives teams more license to enter global player markets, opening up opportunities not only to sign known international players, but to also find and develop future stars.
But policy changes alone haven’t eased talent acquisition for teams, the NWSL has increasingly become more attractive for players, especially with the new collective bargaining agreement (finalized in August), which puts the athlete front and center. The new CBA establishes full free agency through the elimination of the draft and features increased minimum salaries and salary cap. With these changes for both teams and players, the NWSL is primed and ready to solidify itself as the top league in the world for years to come.
Here are some of the international newcomers to keep an eye on as the NWSL goes global.
Cloé Lacasse - Forward - Utah Royals FC
Cloé Lacasse is a traveling magician. She has every trick up her sleeve. Now she lands in Utah, with the intention of making life miserable for NWSL defenders across the country.
The Canadian forward has done it all. After scoring 43 goals in 85 games for the University of Iowa, Lacasse moved to Iceland, then to Portugal, then to England, scoring at every stop. Lacasse clocked 178 goals across 266 combined appearances for ÍBV, Benfica, and Arsenal.
She is liquid. Seemingly teleporting herself and the ball between defenders, through tight spaces and around corners. She will make a fullback think they have her cornered. Rest assured, they do not. Lacasse will make them pay for that oversight. Dangerous. Clinical. Deadly.
There’s only so many options for a defender facing Lacasse. Call for defensive support, call for a sub, call the fire department. All are equally futile.
Now that she’s joined the NWSL ranks, Lacasse is ready to leave defenders in a pile of limbs on the ground, wondering how she got away.
Katie Zelem - Midfielder - Angel City FC
The mailman is going to be busy at Katie Zelem’s house for the next few months. A gift basket from Sydney Leroux, a flower arrangement from Christen Press, a box of fancy chocolates from Alyssa Thompson.
Because being teammates with Katie Zelem brings chances, and chances bring goals.
Katie Zelem is a ball-playing midfielder in every sense of the word. The English pass-master makes her way to the City of Angels from Manchester, where she captained Manchester United to an FA Cup trophy earlier this spring.
Zelem definitely has a goal in her, but her primary skill is creating chances out of thin-air. She is surgical from a set piece, but equally dangerous collecting the ball from the backline, turning, and playing the type of beautiful forward pass that leaves handfuls of opponents useless, chasing the ball back towards their own goal.
ACFC is hoping Zelem’s scalpel of a right foot can cut through NWSL defenses and unlock a talented forward line that has been largely held in first gear so far in 2024.
Jess Carter - Defender – NJ/NY Gotham FC
As they prepare to brush aside 13 other teams who are coming for their NWSL Championship, it’s only right that NJ/NY Gotham FC bring in players who know how to win.
For Jess Carter, winning seems to be a birthright.
For the last 6 years, the former Chelsea defender has won everything there is to win in England, helping lead a Chelsea backline that has dominated in every competition. Claiming the last six WSL titles, with three FA Cups, two League Cups, and a Community Shield for good measure.
Steady on the ball, and always in the right position, Carter will strengthen what is already one of the NWSL’s most dependable backlines, containing the likes of USWNT gold medalists Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett, and Jenna Nighswonger.
If Carter can settle in well, she can become a key factor in keeping the rest of the NWSL’s attackers as far away from Gotham FC’s goal, and the NWSL Championship Trophy, as humanly possible.
Jéssica Silva - Forward – NJ/NY Gotham FC
After a brief stint in NWSL with the Kansas City Current in 2021, Jéssica Silva signed a contract this August to bring her back to the United States, this time with Gotham FC.
As a veteran player, the 29-year-old Portuguese forward has made a name for herself at some of the most prestigious clubs in Europe, dazzling fans all across the continent with her highlight-reel skills and dribbles that make even the most seasoned defenders look like amateurs.
She is a bona fide artist with the ball at her feet. It’s hard to watch her for even a few minutes without seeing a flick, a step-over, or a nutmeg that deserves a space on the wall in the Louvre.
After struggling translating her skills into goals in an early phase of her career, Silva has recently rediscovered her goalscoring form in her home country for Benfica, bagging 24 goals in 38 games over the last 3 seasons.
Silva joins a Gotham FC team already rich with attacking options, and the Gotham FC faithful will hope her unique set of skills can open up defenses and create decisive goals as they look to defend their crown.
Esme Morgan - Defender - Washington Spirit
Esme Morgan joins Washington Spirit full of self-belief after her move across the pond from Manchester City.
A versatile defender, Morgan hopes that her experience battling at the top of the WSL for the past several years will give her an edge when competing with the top attacking threats that she’ll be up against in the NWSL.
After claiming her first England cap at just 21-years old, the 23-year-old hopes to continue the promising trajectory of her career in Washington, where she can use her versatility to provide quality and depth all across the back-line, and even in deeper-lying midfield positions.
A good passer, and excellent at knowing when to progress forward and put pressure on an opposition’s midfield, Morgan looks like the perfect signing for a Washington club that are poised to make a run at the NWSL Championship.
Nérilia Mondésir - Forward - Seattle Reign FC
Nérilia Mondésir lands in the Pacific Northwest after seven years and 123 appearances with Montpellier in the French league.
The Haitian international and captain of the national team has also earned 25 caps for her country, scoring 30 goals in those 25 matches, a mouthwatering total that will have Reign fans optimistic for the future of a front line that is firmly entrenched in a ‘rebuilding stage’ after the departure of veteran goal scorer Bethany Balcer in a trade to Racing Louisville.
The situation is perfect for Seattle Reign to give Mondésir time to acclimate to the pace and physicality of the NWSL and begin to weaponize her talent as she enters the prime of her career.
Rosemonde Kouassi - Forward - Washington Spirit
Ivorian forward Rosemonde Kouassi may be the least seasoned of NWSL’s new arrivals, but still brings tons of excitement.
They say speed kills, and the 22-year-old has pace to burn. The Washington Spirit is ready to mold the youngster into a dynamic attacking threat, which doesn’t seem like a difficult challenge considering she’s scored 9 goals in 16 appearances in her short career in France
With an already prolific attacking group firing on all cylinders in the U.S. capital, the Spirit can bring Kouassi along slowly, being patient as she grows into her role at the club. But a 20-minute cameo in Washington’s 4-1 win against KC Current is enough to get Spirit fans excited about their new attacking talent.
Ángela Barón - Defender - Racing Louisville FC
Another young and promising NWSL signing is headed to Racing Louisville in the form of defender Ángela Barón.
The 20-year-old Texan heads back to the U.S. from Atlético Nacional, where she began her professional career after a short stint at the University of Arizona.
After seeing Barón’s experience with the Colombian National Team, Racing Louisville are hoping that her vision, instincts, and skill with the ball can bolster a team looking to capture a playoff berth for the first time in the club’s history.
Racing Louisville believe that Barón can be a key part of growing a perennially competitive NWSL squad, and after a busy August transfer window, she’ll have every opportunity to show what she can do in Derby City.
So, what’s next?
As the NWSL brings in new stars from around the globe, the league’s future looks brighter than ever, with a more global appeal and even more competitive landscape. So now that we’ve covered all the new names, you can look forward to an electrifying second half of the season. Let’s see which of these newcomers can turn the tide of the playoff race and put their teams in a Championship position.