In two blockbuster trades, the Spirit sent star midfielder Ashley Sanchez to the North Carolina Courage with the fifth pick and $250,000 in allocation money, and sent defensive stalwart Sam Stave to the Chicago Reds with the third pick. Released to the Stars.
The deal gives the Spirit four first-round picks, the most of any of the 14 teams in Anaheim, California. The club used them to put together a strong group: Georgia midfielder Croix Bethune (third place) and Clemson University midfielder Hal Hirschfeld (second place). 5), Penn State defender Kate Wiesner (7th) and Clemson defender Makenna Morris (13th).
But they came at a price. Sanchez, drafted fourth overall by Washington in 2020, was a standout offensive midfielder for the Spirit with the skillset and electric footwork that made him one of the most exciting young players in the NWSL. The 24-year-old has appeared in 27 games for the U.S. national team and was included in the 2023 World Cup squad.
“Ashley is an exceptionally talented player with a fierce competitive spirit,” general manager Mark Krikorian said in a news release. “We appreciate everything she has brought to D.C. as a player and as a professional and wish her every success in the next steps of her career.”
Stave, 26, was selected by the Spirit with the fourth pick in the 2019 draft and has become a mainstay on the back line. She played every minute of Washington’s last three seasons, setting an NWSL record with 90 consecutive regular season starts. The centre-back earned Best Eleven honors in 2023 and was also a finalist for the league’s Defender of the Year award.
“I can’t say enough about Sam’s reliability and defensive acumen during his five years with the team,” Krikorian said. “Since joining her Spirit, she has truly been an unsung hero and her organization wishes her all the best in her promising career.”
Bethune is the Spirit’s highest pick since they took Trinity Rodman with the No. 2 pick in 2021. One of the most creative prospects in her draft, she has scored 30 goals in four college seasons and is likely the candidate to fill the void left by Sanchez. In the middle. Morris, a Germantown native, was a two-time All-Met at St. John’s.
The Spirit added Arkansas forward Anna Podzil with the 35th pick and Utah midfielder Courtney Brown with the 49th pick.
The Utah Royals and Bay FC, the two expansion teams entering the NWSL this season, held the first two picks in the draft. Allie Sentner, a 19-year-old forward/midfielder from North Carolina, was selected No. 1 by the University of Utah. Bay FC selected Tar Heels defenseman Sabie King (18) with the second pick.
Florida State’s Lauren Flynn (Yorktown) and Penn State’s Ellie Wheeler (Fairfax Station) were selected in the second round by Utah State and Kansas City Current, respectively. University of Virginia defender Talia Staude faced Courage in the second round.
Spirit announced on Tuesday the appointment of Barcelona’s Jonathan Giraldes as their next manager. On Wednesday, they signed U.S. national team defender Casey Krueger. Free agent forward Brittany Ratcliffe is an eight-year NWSL veteran and former U-Va. He was a standout and also joined Washington on a three-year deal.
Note: The NWSL hopes to announce its regular season schedule by the end of this month, commissioner Jessica Berman said at a pre-draft press conference. …The league is aiming for a complete rebrand next year and plans to add two expansion teams in 2026, Boston and a location to be determined. …The salary cap this offseason is $2.75 million, a 40 percent increase from last season.
