Naomi Girma, who has played for the San Diego Wave, is likely to be leaving the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

The news comes amidst several players leaving the Wave, starting with the firing of Casey Stoney in 2024. Stoney left the Wave in June 2024, replaced by two interim head coaches before the Wave hired former Arsenal Women’s head coach Jonas Eidevall.

Since Stoney was fired, several players have left or retired from the Wave. The list includes star forward Alex Morgan, who announced she will be having her second child and retiring from professional soccer. Other names that have left the Wave include Jaedyn Shaw, Sofia Jakobsson, Elyse Bennett, Amirah Ali, and Emily Van Egmond. 

Girma requested a trade in 2024, as well as midfielder Jaedyn Shaw. Shaw was recently traded to the North Carolina Courage.

“San Diego Wave FC announced today that the Club has acquired $300,000 in Allocation Money and $150,000 in Intra-League Transfer Funds, along with a 2025 and 2026 international slot, in exchange for midfielder Jaedyn Shaw. Additionally, the Wave could receive up to an additional $75,000 in Allocation Money in 2025 in exchange for sending up to $150,000 in intra-league transfer fees to the Courage, subject to a conditional agreement with North Carolina.”

Sporting Director and General Manager Camille Ashton shared in a press release that Shaw had requested her trade. 

“Jaedyn’s impact on and off the field has been a significant part of our club’s growth[…]Early last season, Jaedyn expressed her desire to take on a new challenge and explore other options outside the Wave. While it’s always hard to see a player of her talent move on, we respect and understand her decision to seek a new chapter in her career and we’re happy we were able to help facilitate the move she wanted. We wish her nothing but success in the future.”

Naomi Girma is a defender, specifically a center back. She played college soccer at Stanford, along other notable players such as Sophia Smith and Cat Macario. Girma was San Diego’s first overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft. She was also named NWSL Rookie of the Year, NWSL Defender of the Year, and has played for the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT).

The USWNT is currently led by former Chelsea head coach, Emma Hayes. Some speculate that Hayes encouraged Girma to pursue European soccer, but there are no sources to confirm this.

Recently, at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Girma showed the world how crucial she is for the USWNT. She aided the team to a Gold Medal and was the only field player to play every minute of the short but packed Olympic tournament. Hayes has been quoted calling Girma, “the best defender I’ve ever seen.”

Girma is currently contracted to play for the Wave through 2026, a deal signed on June 14, 2023. This means that Chelsea will be paying out the remainder of her contract to secure her services for their back line, and creating a new record in the women’s game while doing so.

The rumor sites that Chelsea and the Wave have come to, roughly, an $1.1 million deal for the center back. The current world-record transfer fee belongs to NWSL player Racheal Kundananji, who transferred to Bay FC for $787,600. Kundananji is a forward.

The deal with Chelsea, the Wave, and Girma has not been finalized or signed. However, the buzz has been big for the defender. There has also been interest from other European clubs, such as Lyon and Arsenal. Lyon is said to have offered $1 million dollars for the leading defender. 

Soccer fans wait with baited breath while we wait for confirmation of the transfer. What will become of the Wave’s backline if/when Girma leaves? Does European soccer experience actually make a big difference for players? Who will be the next best NWSL defender? There are currently more questions than answers.