Maria Sánchez To San Diego Wave And More Trades As NWSL Window Closes

With the close of the NWSL trade and transfer window on Friday evening, several teams within the league finalized major moves during Week 5 of the NWSL regular season.

San Diego Wave FC Acquire Maria Sánchez From Houston Dash

After nearly four months of signing a record breaking deal with the Houston Dash as the first highest paid NWSL player, forward and Mexican National Team star María Sánchez requested a trade from the Houston Dash.

On Thursday evening, Sánchez released a statement via X (formerly Twitter), to share that the club was made aware of her request for a trade since March as she provided clear expectations and reasons.

“This has all taken a toll and isn’t an easy thing to talk about…I trust that my current club’s management will honor my decision in a timely manner and proceed with accepting a trade,” added Sánchez.

San Diego Wave FC have acquired Sánchez, who will be under contract with the Wave through the 2026 season, with a mutual option for 2027.

In exchange, the Wave will receive a total of $500,000. The breakdown structure of the funds includes $300,000 in Intra-League Transfer Funds and $200,000 in Allocation Money and an international slot in 2024 and 2025 to the Dash.

“We are thrilled to bring María to San Diego and offer her a warm welcome to our club and community,” said San Diego Wave FC President Jill Ellis. “For club and country, María has been an integral part of every team she has been on and her talent will be a wonderful addition to the club.”

Angel City FC Trade Paige Nielsen and Amandine Henry

On Saturday morning, Angel City FC announced their decision to trade defender Paige Nielsen to the Houston Dash in exchange for $50,000 in allocation and $50,000 in transfer funds.

Additionally, the club also traded midfielder Amandine Henry to the Utah Royals FC in exchange for $75,000 in allocation money.

Ahead of the official announcement from the club, the break on social media by Theo Lloyd Hughes caused an uproar as fans were disappointed by the roster moves. Once the trades were announced by the club, hundreds of comments flooded social media posts with remarks such as, “There is nothing strategic about this. I’m a day one season ticket holder and I’m disgusted with the club right now,” added one user.

Although the club hasn’t announced a new player signing, the moves imply the possible return of Angel City forward Christen Press, who is currently in training with the club on a full-time basis following her ACL injury in 2022.

“These moves are a key component of our strategy to continue to build for the immediate and future,” said ACFC General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano. “While decisions like these are never easy, these movements do enable us to make impactful additions to our roster in the coming months.”

Portland Thorns Acquire Goalkeeper Emily Alvarado

Portland Thorns FC have acquired Mexico National Team goalkeeper Emily Alvarado from the Houston Dash.

In exchange, Houston will receive $35,000 in allocation, as well as up to $50,000 in Intra-League Transfer Funds or Allocation Money if certain performance metrics are met.

Alvarado spent one full season with the Dash as the backup goalkeeper to Jane Campbell. Although the 25-year-old has yet to make her NWSL debut during the regular season, Alvarado made seven saves during the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup.

The newly acquired goalkeeper will be available for the Thorns’ upcoming match against Chicago Red Stars on Saturday, April 27 at 4:30 p.m. PT.