2025 NWSL Initial Preseason Rosters Wrap Up

Taylor Vincent
Taylor Vincent, Resident NWSL ExpertJanuary 29, 2025
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All 14 NWSL teams have officially started their preseasons and have submitted their initial rosters to the league — requiring 40-player compliant rosters. With all teams at their maximum roster compliance of 26 signed active players, there are 364 positions to be filled in the NWSL. Currently, there are 353 players under contract for the 2025 season—including 2024 SEI’s, but not players currently out on loan. 

There are 54 non-rostered invitees (NRIs) who have joined squads in the preseason looking to earn one of the remaining coveted positions. The league is averaging almost 4 NRI’s per team, even taking into account San Diego, Washington, and Gotham not having any NRI’s with them. 

Team Breakdowns

Note: All roster breakdowns do not include players who are under contract but currently out on loan, but they do include the 2024 SEI players. 

Angel City FC

2024 Finish: 12th

With the league low of 21 players under contract (19 active, two 2024 SEIs) and only three offseason additions so far, Angel City has room for their current NRI’s to potentially find a home as well as some space for further signings until the primary transfer window closes toward the end of March. 

Bay FC

2024 Finish: 7th

Heading into their second season, Bay has 24 players under contract (23 active, one 2024 SEI), and 22 of those returning from the inaugural season. Their one NRI right now is forward Catherine Paulson who played with the squad as a national team replacement player in 2024. 

Chicago Stars

2024 Finish: 8th

Chicago has 26 players under contract (24 active, two 2024 SEI). The five defenders do look a bit scary, especially when you consider that one of those is Sam Staab, who has yet to come off the 2024 SEI list. Chicago has the fewest number of defenders signed of any team, it will be interesting to see who–if any of the midfielders potentially slot back into the defense to add much needed depth. 

Houston Dash

2024 Finish: 14th

After a very rough 2024 season, the Houston Dash had a busy (and successful) offseason targeting NWSL players who have proven themselves to be impactful in the league. The real question will be whether newly appointed head coach Fabrice Gautrat will be able to instill a cohesive identity in the squad. Reminder: From 2021 to 2023, the team who finished the regular season last ended up making the playoffs in the following year. 

Kansas City Current

2024 Finish: 4th

Kansas City is the only team to not have any players returning in a single position, with a complete turnover in their goalkeeper union. The Current have 26 players under contract for the upcoming season (23 active, three 2024 SEI). After the on-field cohesion the team showed throughout the season, it isn't surprising how much of the core field players they returned from 2024. 

Gotham FC

2024 Finish: 3rd

Gotham surprisingly has had the most active offseason of any NWSL team, with 10 new additions joining the squad in 2025 and 24 players signed for the upcoming season (24 active, no SEI). Additionally, there has been reporting that defender Jenna Nighswonger will be heading to the WSL—the window for this move is quickly closing but Nighswonger was disclosed as Not Yet Reported—which would leave Gotham with only six defenders. With their remaining roster positions, Gotham needs to look for further depth in their midfield and defense.

North Carolina Courage

2024 Finish: 5th

The Courage top out the high end with 29 players under contract for the upcoming season (28 active, one 2024 SEI). They’ll need to send players out on loans/transfers or release players ahead of the season opener in March. The stacked roster does mean that the NRI’s who have joined the team for preseason do have a higher hurdle to try to earn a spot than potentially on other teams. 

Orlando Pride

2024 Finish: 1st, NWSL Championship

The Pride are the team with the fewest offseason acquisitions at only two, but when you got something that’s working, why mess with it? The reigning NWSL Shield winners and NWSL Champions have 24 players returning from their 2024 squad, and 26 players under contract (21 active, five 2024 SEI). 

Portland Thorns

2024 Finish: 6th

After a tumultuous 2024 that truly had downs and ups and downs and ups, the Thorns saw three major retirements in players that defined the squad’s culture in Christine Sinclair, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Meghan Klingenberg. Their offseason acquisitions were focused on adding depth in the defense and up top. Portland only has 23 players under contract (22 active, one 2024 SEI), and two open international spots to potentially target additional players ahead of the start of the season. 

Racing Louisville

2024 Finish: 9th

Racing is looking to end their unfortunate run of four 9th place finishes in a row in the upcoming season and focused on shoring up their defense in the offseason moves, while adding a little depth up top. Louisville has 25 players under contract (24 active, one 2024 SEI). It wouldn’t be surprising if they added another forward with the remaining spot(s). Fun fact: their NRI’s include midfielder Meg Boade (sister of Bay FC midfielder Tess Boade), and Makayla DeMelo (sister of Racing midfielder Savannah DeMelo)

San Diego Wave

2024 Finish: 10th

The Wave only have 24 players signed for the upcoming season (all active), and have had one of the busiest offseasons of any team in the league with nine new players joining the ranks for 2025 (and available spots for two more). During the offseason the team hired Jonas Eidevall to lead the squad in their fourth season, who has chosen to not have any NRI’s—likely to focus as much as possible on the teambuilding in the preseason ramp up.  

Seattle Reign

2024 Finish: 13th

The Reign joined the preseason with 25 players under contract (24 active, one 2024 SEI). It’s head coach Laura Harvey’s fifth year at the helm (this go-around), and after a rough start to the 2024 season, the Reign made a lot of moves during the secondary window but were never really able to hit their stride. This offseason will be important to finally have the downtime to figure out their new identity and fold in the new additions. 

Utah Royals

2024 Finish: 11th

The Royals did not have the best start to their (re)inaugural season in 2024, but after the summer break, it looked like the team had finally found their rhythm. They start the preseason with 24 players under contract (20 active, four 2024 SEIs), and have had seven additions this offseason which hopefully will mesh seamlessly with their end-of-season momentum. 

Washington Spirit

2024 Finish: 2nd

No NRIs for head coach Jonatan Giráldez’s first full offseason—he joined the Spirit in July of 2024 full-time. After losing the NWSL Championship to the Orlando Pride 1–0, the Spirit were fairly active in the offseason with seven new additions, all fairly spread out across the pitch. The Spirit started the preseason with 27 players under contract (22 active, five 2024 SEI). 


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