Meet the NWSL’s NTRPs

Taylor Vincent
Taylor Vincent, Resident NWSL ExpertJuly 23, 2024
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With international players off at the Olympics, NWSL teams are able to sign National Team Replacement Players (NTRP’s) in order to fill out their rosters and in some cases meet the NWSL x  Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup minimum gameday roster requirements of 18 players. 

NTRPs must be domestic players and will be paid equivalent to the league minimum salary. When the national team player is no longer with their respective national team and can return to play, the contract will be released. Historically, some players may be able to leverage their performance as NTRPs into contracts for the remainder of the season. 

With a record 56 NWSL players at the Olympics, currently there are 19 NTRPs signed across eight different NWSL teams. Those 19 consist of seven defenders, six midfielders, three forwards, and three goalkeepers. 

All three of Utah’s NTRP’s saw action this past weekend, along with one of Gotham’s, one of Orlando’s, one of Portland’s, as well as Kansas City and Houston’s sole NTRPs. Washington Spirit defender Jenna Butler and forward Olivia Stone were the only NTRP to earn a start in weekend 1 of Summer Cup action. 

Five teams have yet to announce signing any NTRPs: Seattle Reign, Chicago Red Stars, Racing Louisville, Bay FC, and Angel City

RELATED: NWSL Transactions

North Carolina Courage 

Players on INTL duty: 5
NTRP’s signed: 1

Victoria Haugen

Position: Defender
Previous Experience: Haugen joined the Courage as an NRI and has continued to train with the Courage throughout the season. She was a key member of the NC Courage TST team which reached the final. Haugen has both US and Norwegian citizenship and started in friendly matches for the Norway U23 team in 2021. 

Gotham FC 

Players on INTL duty: 7
NTRP’s signed: 4

Nicole Baxter

Position: Midfielder
Previous Experience: Baxter was signed with the club in 2019 as an NTRP, and ended up earning a contract and staying with the club through 2022 when she initially retired from professional soccer

Gabriella Cuevas

Position: Defender
Previous Experience: During the 2023 season, Cuevas played in the Polish league, and on the international side she captains the Dominican Republic national team. She started and played in all three group match games for the Dominican Republic at this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. 

Sabrina Flores

Position: Defender
Previous Experience: Flores was initially signed to Gotham as an NTRP in 2019 and then went on to play with Sevilla FC before returning to Gotham in 2020 where she remained until 2023, winning an NWSL Championship with the club. 

Mackenzie Pluck

Position: Midfielder
Previous Experience: Pluck was drafted by Angel City in the 2023 Draft and signed to a one year contract through 2023. She was a non-rostered invitee (NRI) with Louisville in January, then joined Gotham as a NRI and practice player. Before declaring for the draft, Pluck played collegiately for Duke university where she set a school-record 107 matches in her career, scoring 21 goals and earning 29 assists. 

Orlando Pride 

Players on INTL duty: 7
NTRP’s signed: 2

Claire Winter

Position: Midfielder
Previous Experience: Winter previously was signed as a NTRP with Gotham in 2021 during the Tokyo Olympics. She then completed stints with Thisted FC of the Danish 2nd division and Treaty United FC in Ireland. 

Kenna Caldwell

Position: Goalkeeper
Previous Experience: Caldwell joined the Pride as an NRI in preseason and continued training with the team following up her finishing her collegiate career at Texas A&M. Her final year in College Station she started 17 matches in goal, tallying 55 saves. 

Utah Royals 

Players on INTL duty: 4
NTRP’s signed: 3

Ellie Boren

Position: Midfielder
Previous Experience: Boren just finished her collegiate career at BYU, making 91 appearances from 2019 to 2024, all the while scoring 10 goals and earning 14 assists. Her senior season she started every regular season match for the Cougars.

Darielle O’Brien

Position: Defender
Previous Experience: Since 2019, O’Brien has played for United City FC, notching 19 goals and earning 32 assists as well as assisting winning multiple UPSL Women, SWPL League, and Alianza de Futbol titles. 

Shaelan Murison

Position: Midfielder
Previous Experience: From 2021 to 2022, Murison played for Thróttur Reykjavík FC in Iceland, scoring three goals. Most recently, she had been playing with USL W League side Oakland Soul where she won Team of the Month honors for the month of June. 

San Diego Wave

Players on INTL duty: 5
NTRP’s signed: 2

Chai Cortez

Position: Defender 
Previous Experience: Cortez was initially signed as an NTRP last June and when players returned from the World Cup her contract was switched to an injury replacement contract. In 2023 she made three appearances for the Wave, including two starts. Prior to declaring for the draft in 2023, Cortez played collegiately at the University of Oregon. 

Caroline DeLisle

Position: Goalkeeper 
Previous Experience: DeLisle first joined the Wave as a NRI at the beginning of the preseason. Collegiately DeLisle played at the University of Central Florida from 2018-2024 where she made a career total of 301 saves, and became the program leader in career shutouts. 

Washington Spirit

Players on INTL duty: 6
NTRP’s signed: 3

Jenna Butler

Position: Defender 
Previous Experience: Butler played collegiately at North Carolina State University from 2018 to 2022 starting in all 86 matches she appeared in scoring seven goals and earning eight assists. 

Kaylie Collins

Position: Goalkeeper 
Previous Experience: Collins joined the Spirit as a training player in late June and has since provided additional depth in the goalkeeper position while Bosselmann recovers from injury. Collins was drafted by Orlando in 2021 and signed an NTRP contract that season before signing a two year contract with Orlando ahead of the 2022 season. She was loaned out to Australian club Western Sydney Wanderers last September. Most recently, she was signed as a goalkeeper replacement for the Seattle Reign during Claudia Dickey’s injury. 

Olivia Stone

Position: Forward 
Previous Experience: Stone just finished up her collegiate career at the University of San Diego after spending time at Vanderbilt and Northwestern. Her final year, she competed in all 18 games for the Torero’s including 17 starts and had the most minutes by a non-goalkeeper on the roster. 

Kansas City Current

Players on INTL duty: 2
NTRP’s signed: 1

Grace Bahr 

Position: Midfielder
Previous Experience: Bahr is joining the Current from the USL W side Indy Eleven. Last season with the Indianapolis-based side she was named to the all-league second team, helping to bring the club its first championship and second straight division title. 

Portland Thorns 

Players on INTL duty: 6
NTRP’s signed: 2

Marissa DiGenova

Position: Defender 
Previous Experience: Most recently, DiGenova played and captained the Lancaster Inferno of the USL W League. She also spent time with Puerto Rico Sol FC in the top level in Puerto Rico, who then went on to win the league title in 2022. Collegiately, she played five seasons at Temple University. 

Rebekah Valdez 

Position: Forward 
Previous Experience: Collegiately Valdez spent her final two years at Grand Canyon University where she scored 12 goals and tallied 13 assists in her years there. Prior to joining GCU, Valdez spent three years at University of San Diego. 

Houston Dash

Players on INTL duty: 3
NTRP’s signed: 1

Madison Wolfbauer 

Position: Forward 
Previous Experience: Most recently, the forward led the NC Courage TST team to the finals, and won the Women’s Golden Boot for the tournament alongside being named to the Women’s Best Seven team. Before that, Wolfbauer spent time playing in both France (Thonon Evian Grand Genève FC) and Iceland ( ÍBV-íþróttafélag and Keflavík ÍF) in 2022 and 2023.

 


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