NWSL free agency tracker: Mal Swanson re-signs with Chicago Red Stars in record-breaking, four-year deal

Written by on January 19, 2024

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Mallory Swanson and the Chicago Red Stars made NWSL history on Tuesday when the club announced a deal that would make her the league’s highest-paid player.

The player inked a four-year deal with an option for another year that runs close to being worth $2 million overall, cementing her status as the focal point of a new look Red Stars. The club is under new leadership after Laura Rickeets, a co-owner of MLB’s Chicago Cubs and the WNBA’s Sky, bought the Red Stars last September and following the hiring of ex-Jamaica coach Lorne Donaldson. Swanson’s commitment to the Red Stars will allow her to reunite with Donaldson, who worked with him when she was a youth player in her native Colorado.

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The league’s second-ever free agency period has been a busy one, most notably through NJ/NY Gotham FC, who signed USWNT quartet Crystal Dunn, Tierna Davidson, Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett. Several eye-popping names remain available, including Becky Sauerbrunn and Sam Mewis. Their respective contracts with the Portland Thorns and the Kansas City Current have expired, and Mewis’ departure from the Current has already been confirmed.

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Here’s an updating list of players who are on the move — and where they end up — as the NWSL’s second free agency period gets underway.

Position Player Signed with Old team
MID Angelina Orlando Pride (three-year deal) Seattle Reign
MID Taylor Aylmer TBD Racing Louisville FC
GK Nicole Barnhart Washington Spirit (one-year deal) Washington Spirit
GK Michelle Betos TBD NJ/NY Gotham FC
DEF Camryn Biegalski TBD Washington Spirit
GK Emily Boyd TBD Chicago Red Stars
DEF Amber Brooks TBD Washington Spirit
FWD Simone Charley TBD Angel City FC
DEF Allysha Chapman TBD Houston Dash
MID Emily Curran TBD Houston Dash
DEF Tierna Davidson NJ/NY Gotham FC (three-year deal) Chicago Red Stars
GK Ella Dederick TBD Houston Dash
FWD Makenzy Doniak San Diego Wave FC (two-year deal) San Diego Wave FC
FWD Imani Dorsey Utah Royals (two-year deal) NJ/NY Gotham FC
FWD Crystal Dunn NJ/NY Gotham FC (three-year deal) Portland Thorns FC
DEF Caprice Dydasco Bay FC (two-year deal) Houston Dash
MID Elizabeth Eddy Angel City FC (two-year deal) Angel City FC
FWD Emina Ekic Melbourne City Racing Louisville FC
MID Sinead Farrelly NJ/NY Gotham FC (option exercised) NJ/NY Gotham FC
MID Bayley Feist TBD Washington Spirit
DEF Sabrina Flores TBD NJ/NY Gotham FC
DEF Emily Fox Arsenal North Carolina Courage
MID Makamae Gomera-Stevens TBD Houston Dash
DEF Sarah Gorden Angel City FC (three-year deal) Angel City FC
FWD Paulina Gramaglia TBD Houston Dash
FWD Shea Groom Chicago Red Stars (two-year deal) Houston Dash
DEF Madison Hammond Angel City FC (two-year deal) Angel City FC
MID Tori Huster Announced retirement Washington Spirit
GK Brittany Isenhour TBD Angel City FC
GK Devon Kerr TBD Houston Dash
FWD Tziarra King Seattle Reign (one-year deal) Seattle Reign
DEF Meghan Klingenberg Portland Thorns FC (one-year deal) Portland Thorns FC
DEF Ali Krieger Announced retirement NJ/NY Gotham FC
DEF Casey Krueger Washington Spirit (three-year deal) Chicago Red Stars
DEF Natalia Kuikka Chicago Red Stars (three-year deal) Portland Thorns FC
MID Rose Lavelle NJ/NY Gotham FC (three-year deal) Seattle Reign
MID Jordyn Listro TBD Orlando Pride
MID Allie Long TBD NJ/NY Gotham FC
FWD Cheyna Matthews Announced retirement Chicago Red Stars
DEF Merritt Mathias Angel City FC (one-year deal) Angel City FC
MID Savannah McCaskill San Diego Wave (three-year deal) Angel City FC
FWD Jessica McDonald TBD Racing Louisville FC
DEF Tegan McGrady TBD Portland Thorns FC
DEF Addisyn Merrick Utah Royals (two-year deal) Kansas City Current
MID Sam Mewis TBD Kansas City Current
GK Cassie Miller TBD Kansas City Current
FWD Nadia Nadim TBD Racing Louisville FC
FWD Yuki Nagasato Houston Dash (two-year deal) Chicago Red Stars
DEF Kiki Pickett TBD North Carolina Courage
DEF Madison Pogarch Utah Royals (two-year deal) San Diego Wave FC
MID Taylor Porter TBD Portland Thorns FC
FWD Megan Rapinoe Announced retirement Seattle Reign
FWD Brittany Ratcliffe Washington Spirit (three-year deal) North Carolina Courage
DEF Cari Roccaro Chicago Red Stars (two-year deal) Chicago Red Stars
DEF Maria Sanchez Houston Dash (three-year deal) Houston Dash
DEF Becky Sauerbrunn TBD Portland Thorns FC
MID Desiree Scott TBD Kansas City Current
DEF Kayla Sharples Bay FC (two-year deal) Chicago Red Stars
FWD Marissa Sheva TBD Washington Spirit
MID Mana Shim TBD NJ/NY Gotham FC
DEF Cheyenne Shorts TBD San Diego Wave FC
FWD Christine Sinclair TBD Portland Thorns FC
DEF Emily Sonnett NJ/NY Gotham FC (three-year deal) Seattle Reign
DEF Bianca St-Georges North Carolina Courage (two-year deal) Chicago Red Stars
MID Nikki Stanton Seattle Reign (one-year deal) Seattle Reign
MID Ella Stevens TBD Chicago Red Stars
DEF Kylie Strom Orlando Pride (three-year deal) Orlando Pride
FWD Mallory Swanson Chicago Red Stars (four-year deal) Chicago Red Stars
MID Emily Van Egmond San Diego Wave FC (two-year deal) San Diego Wave FC
FWD Michele Vasconcelos Utah Royals (two-year deal) Portland Thorns FC
MID Marisa Viggiano Racing Louisville (two-year deal) Houston Dash
MID Dani Weatherholt North Carolina Courage (two-year deal) Angel City FC
FWD Mallory Weber TBD Kansas City Current
DEF Christen Westphal San Diego Wave FC (two-year deal) San Diego Wave FC
MID McCall Zerboni TBD NJ/NY Gotham FC





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