During the off-season of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), several teams were shaken up by roster changes. This year would bring in new rules since the college draft and the expansion draft for the NWSL were abolished. 

This change comes from a new negotiated collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The drafts were abolished and they ended restrictions on player movement when they are out of contract. Teams are now able to sign players directly, as seen by the San Diego Wave FC who signed 17 year old Trinity Byars. Another big aspect of the CBA is that all trades must be executed with player consent, which was a previous point of contention as players were uprooted from their homes at any point during the season. 

Fans saw changes happen to teams like the San Diego Wave FC who lost Alex Morgan to retirement, Jaedyn Shaw in a trade to the North Carolina Courage, Abby Dahlkemper in a trade to Bay FC, and Naomi Girma for a record trade to Chelsea F.C. Women in the Women’s Super League (WSL). The Houston Dash traded defender Tarciane to Lyon. The Portland Thorns will miss retired defender Becky Sauerbrunn and losing Kelli Hubbly, while the Seattle Reign had huge roster shake-ups by not retaining Quinn or Nicki Stanton.

Other teams suffered changes, but none more publicly than the 2023 NWSL Championship winners Gotham FC. The New York and New Jersey team was branded a “super team”, hosting many players we know and love from the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) for soccer. 

Since the end of the 2024 season, Gotham has struggled to retain players for the 2025 season. They have since lost Yazmeen Ryan, Lynn Biyendolo (formerly Williams), Sam Hiatt, Maitane Lopez, Delanie Sheehan, Crystal Dunn, Jenna Nighswonger, Abby Smith, McCall Zerboni, and Cassie Miller. They also were hit with several retirements such as Kelly O’Hara and Michelle Betos. 

Yazmeen Ryan was traded to the Houston Dash along with teammate Delanie Sheehan. Ryan was traded in exchange for $400,000 in allocation money and an international spot, which would be a league record in allocation fee. Sheehan signed a contract through 2026 with a mutual option for 2027. Maitane Lopez became a free agent and left for a two year contract with the Chicago Stars, formerly Chicago Red Stars. 

Sam Hiatt also entered free agency and signed a two year contract with Portland Thorns FC. Lynn Biyendolo (formerly Williams) was traded with goalie Cassie Miller to Seattle Reign. Their trade included Jaelin Howell going to Gotham, allocation money, and an international roster spot. McCall Zerboni entered free agency to explore other opportunities.

Another former Gotham player leaving for Houston would include goalkeeper Abby Smith, who joined the Dash and two other Gotham teammates. Jenna Nighswonger signed with Arsenal, departing the NWSL for the WSL. Crystal Dunn, who has been out due to personal reasons since September 2024, left Gotham and is now signed with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Her contract is through 2027. Dunn will play at home in the very stadium she recently won an Olympic Gold Medal during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The 2023 Champions made it to the playoffs in 2024, ultimately losing to the Washington Spirit, so it begs the question as to what is causing the team to go through such changes? 

We don’t have exact answers, but we do have the recent press release from Gotham’s general manager. Their general manager is Yael Averbuch who is an American former professional soccer player. Averbuch was the former executive director of the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) and last played as a defender in the NWSL for the Seattle Reign (formerly OL Reign).

“We see you and we hear you”

• “As I sit in Spain, with our team now beginning preseason, I’m reflecting on the highs and lows of the past year, and I’m aware of the outside narratives surrounding our roster moves. One of the most challenging aspects of my job is seeing these external perspectives contrast with the deep confidence and belief we have in what we’re building at Gotham FC.”
• “I want to share my reflections with you because your support makes everything we do possible. We see you and we hear you, and I want you to know that our commitment to excellence—on and off the field—remains stronger than ever.”
• “At Gotham FC, the ethos is simple: Always building, never finished. [...] Throughout the year, based on our assessment, we determined a need to (1) better articulate our club’s philosophy and values to players and staff; (2) further support players and staff to navigate a fiercely competitive environment; and (3) continue to refine our team mentality.”

“I know this offseason has been a time of uncertainty for our fans…”

• “This offseason brought changes to the roster and staff as we work to transition from a team with moments of success to a club with a sustainable, winning culture. We recognize not every player’s journey will align perfectly with our club’s path. Some will thrive and grow with us for years while others may desire to move on to other opportunities. Sometimes we’ll decide to move in a different direction, too. This is the nature of professional sports.”
• “We have a lot of belief in our 2025 team. At training camp here in Spain, we have our top three goalscorers back from 2024, and we’ve added a Ballon d’Or nominee. We have three Olympic gold medalists, four World Cup champions, a European champion and UEFA Champions League winner. The reigning NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year is back, as are our two players who just received their first U.S. Women’s National Team call-ups. We added consistent top NWSL performers, one of the most exciting players from the U20 World Cup and some of the very best in the college game last year.”
• “I know this offseason has been a time of uncertainty for our fans, and I want you to know we’ve worked tirelessly to build a team you’ll be excited to stand behind in 2025 and every season after. And we aren’t done yet. Our mission is clear: Reaching Gotham FC’s potential as one of the best clubs in the world.”

Averbuch does little to ease fan concerns, especially when the 2023 MVP Midge Purce was re-signed on February 5th, 2025. This comes after weeks of speculation about where Purce will end up. It was also mentioned that they had their top goal scorers back but traded Biyendolo to Seattle. Biyendolo sits at the top of the record table of NWSL all-time leading goal scorers with 80 goals. 

Will Gotham be as strong as they are promising the fans? What is the reasoning from the players behind the grand exits? It is unclear whether we will get much information from players from any team on why they would leave. In the climate where the NWSL is being sued by former employees as well as notable clubs being sued, it did leave fans with a taste of fear seeing several starting 11 players leave Gotham and other teams.

The NWSL season kicks off with the 2025 NWSL Challenge Cup on Friday March 7th, 2025. This will be a rematch of last season’s championship game with the 2024 reigning NWSL Championship winners Orlando Pride taking on the visiting Washington Spirit. The Challenge Cup will be available for viewing on Prime Video at 8pm ET.

The regular 2025 season will kickoff on Friday, March 14th. More information is available on the NWSL website.

You can read the full press release here on the Gotham FC website.