While the league schedule slowed due to the international calendar, clubs across the United States were busy reshaping their squads with major transfers, international arrivals and significant organisational investments.
The latest moves underline an important shift. The NWSL is no longer simply a league that develops players before they move overseas. It is increasingly becoming a destination for established global stars while also creating significant value from its own emerging talent.
The first half of the 2026 season has provided another indication that women’s football in North America has entered a new stage.
Gotham’s transformation continues with Kerr return
The biggest headline of the summer came from Gotham FC, the reigning NWSL champions, who secured the return of Australian superstar Sam Kerr.
Kerr signed a contract through the 2030 season after leaving Chelsea, returning to the organisation where she made her name in the NWSL when the club was still known as Sky Blue FC. Between 2015 and 2017, she scored 28 goals in 40 appearances and remains the league’s all-time leader with 77 regular-season goals.
During her previous NWSL career, Kerr won both the Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player award in 2017 after scoring 17 goals in 22 matches. She later became one of the defining players of the global game during her six-and-a-half years at Chelsea, where she scored 116 goals and helped the club win five Women’s Super League titles, three FA Cups and three League Cups.
Her return is another statement of ambition from Gotham, who have undergone one of the most impressive transformations in NWSL history. The club went from the difficult Sky Blue FC years to becoming a championship organisation, winning the 2023 NWSL title and adding the 2026 Challenge Cup after defeating Kansas City Current 2-0.
Kerr will join former Chelsea teammates Guro Reiten and Jess Carter as Gotham continue building one of the league’s strongest squads.
The club’s progress is also reflected away from the pitch. Gotham has announced plans for a new $35 million training facility, while the team will move to the new Etihad Park in Queens from the 2028 season.
It represents a remarkable change for an organisation that once struggled with basic infrastructure.
Angel City face questions over their rebuild
While Gotham celebrated another major signing, Angel City FC made one of the summer’s biggest decisions by parting ways with Head Coach Alex Straus.
Straus arrived from Bayern Munich in April 2025 after guiding the German club to three consecutive Frauen-Bundesliga titles. He had also previously won the league in Norway with Sandviken/Brann and arrived in Los Angeles with a reputation for developing young talent.
Angel City opened the 2026 season with three consecutive victories, but results later declined and the club entered the summer break in 12th place with a 4-1-6 record.
Sporting Director Mark Parsons praised Straus for his contribution, saying:
“Alex brought real energy and passion to Angel City, developing our style of play and overseeing the important development of our players.”
Straus had been attempting to build a younger, more sustainable squad, but the club’s decision suggests that management wanted progress at a quicker pace.
Senior Assistant Coach Leif Gunnar Smerud has taken interim charge while Angel City conducts its search for a permanent replacement.
The club did strengthen its squad during the break by acquiring United States international forward Ally Sentnor from Kansas City Current for $850,000 in guaranteed intra-league transfer funds.
The NWSL transfer market reaches new heights
Sentnor’s move was the second-largest domestic transfer in NWSL history, behind only Jaedyn Shaw’s $1.25 million transfer to Gotham in 2025.
It highlights how quickly the value of young American players has changed. Top prospects are no longer simply viewed as future contributors; they are becoming major assets in a growing transfer market.
That trend was also evident when Bay FC acquired midfielder Kennedy Fuller from Angel City for $500,000 in transfer funds.
The 19-year-old has already represented the United States at youth international level and captained the U.S. Under-20 team, demonstrating the increasing importance clubs place on developing young talent.
The NWSL has traditionally relied heavily on college recruitment, but the league is now moving towards a more traditional global football model, where clubs identify, develop and trade players.
European experience strengthens the league
The arrival of established international players remains another defining feature of the NWSL’s growth.
Chicago Stars made one of the most notable additions by signing Spanish international defender Leila Ouahabi.
The 33-year-old arrives after winning WSL and FA Cup titles with Manchester City and previously collecting numerous trophies with Barcelona, including the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Ouahabi has earned 66 caps for Spain and brings more than a decade of experience at the highest level of European football.
Chicago also added German midfielder Anna Gasper from Benfica, where she won four consecutive league titles in Portugal.
These moves demonstrate the increasingly global nature of NWSL recruitment, with clubs looking beyond traditional markets to strengthen their squads.
Expansion clubs continue to build their identities
The summer break also provided important developments for the league’s newer teams.
Boston Legacy strengthened their defence by signing United States international Lilly Reale from Gotham. Reale was named NWSL Rookie of the Year after helping Gotham win the 2025 championship and now returns to her hometown club.
Denver Summit suffered a major setback when Spanish international Nahikari García was ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury. García, who previously starred for Real Sociedad and Real Madrid, had become an important figure for the expansion side.
Kansas City Current, Houston Dash and other clubs also continued making moves designed to strengthen their squads for the second half of the campaign.
A league entering its next phase
The first half of the 2026 NWSL season has shown that the league is entering a fascinating period of development.
The competition is attracting some of the biggest names in world football, while its own young players are becoming valuable commodities in an increasingly sophisticated transfer market.
The NWSL is no longer simply a stepping stone for players hoping to reach Europe. It is becoming one of the destinations shaping the future of women’s football.
- Read the full version at Tim Grainey's Substack. His latest book is Beyond Bend it Like Beckham on the global game of women’s football. Get your copy today. Follow Tim on Twitter: @TimGrainey