Sentnor arrives in KC, Rodman shines in DC, NWSL is Back!

The Summer break is over, and our lives are now a little more chaotic as the NWSL returns to play.

As play resumed, the Kansas City Current quickly stole the spotlight.

Not only did the Current leave Kentucky with a strong road win against an aspirational Racing Louisville, but they also acquired one of the league’s most exciting young midfielders in Ally Sentnor.

Ally Sentnor arrives in KC.

Last week, Vanessa DiBernado announced that she would be taking maternity leave effective immediately, meaning that the Current would need to look outside the organization to replace a player who was top 5 in progressive passes this season.

*Sidebar: It’s incredible to know that players aren’t feeling pressure to put their life on hold to see out the rest of a season or championship window. We can now celebrate players going on maternity leave knowing that they are protected, paid, and supported.

With DiBernado away and some potential roster turnover this offseason, Kansas City had to strengthen the midfield. The attitude is NWSL Championship or bust, and KC has thrived with the flexibility that their midfield depth has offered them this season. Vlatko Andonivski has enjoyed the flexibility and creativity that the options have allowed him, but the answer was shocking.

Caitlin Carducci convinced the Utah Royals to part ways with Sentnor with an offer of $300,000 in intra-league transfer funds this season, plus an additional $200,000 in intra-league transfer funds in 2026 and $100,000 in 2027.

Sentnor, the final number one overall draft pick in NWSL history, broke onto the scene last season in Utah. Through her play, she earned twelve USWNT call-ups, arguably performing better with the national team than she had back in Utah.

Those splits are crucial context in why the Current sees her as another star to build around. Sentnor has scored four goals and two assists through her twelve appearances, a pace that quickly outpaces her performance for Utah. Sentnor is surrounded by better players in the national team setup, but she is also typically asked to play in a more advanced role – either as a false nine or attacking midfielder.

That flexibility is what makes her so important to Vlatko Andonovski’s game model.

Bia and Debinha have both missed time this season, and acquiring a player who has shown promise in more advanced positions on top of owning the ability to play as more of a facilitator in transition was a must.

So, did the rich get richer? Yes, because what is Utah doing here?

What’s the plan in Sandy?

The Royals have won just four points from their last ten matches and appear to be drifting along without a clear direction. They should have been in the position to build around a potential superstar like Sentnor, but instead, they’ve traded her to a league rival. It’s also concerning that, while this is an intra-league record deal, the money has been broken up across three seasons, with the majority of the deal ($300,000) will be paid out this season.

The Royals’ window for being competitive is a ways down the road, and it should make more sense to backload this transaction. Not only could a club potentially recoup more from a delayed deal, but the fee would affect the league’s $500,000 net transfer fee threshold closer to their competitive window.

Maybe there’s a piece missing, a transaction on the way that will crystallize this move, but this felt like a move from a club unsure if they could re-sign Sentnor.

Sentnor is in year two of a three-year rookie contract.

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How Louisville failed to adapt

Sentnor’s new club had arrived in Louisville by the time the trade was announced, and Racing was determined to make life tough for the Current. Things started very well, Taylor Flint was immense in Bev Yanez’s defensive structure, and Racing kept KC to just 0.28 expected goals.

The problem: Louisville only generated 0.13 expected goals themselves.

Still, Bev Yanez’s side had fought hard to keep things level, and they didn’t allow a single high danger opportunity until Temwa Chawinga’s breakthrough in the 65th minute. A hard Kayla Fischer foul in the 57th minute allowed both Yanez and Vlatko Andonovski to make some final, crucial adjustments.

“As a group we wanted to continue to put them under pressure and not sit back,” Yanez said. “Once they got into their half, they had probably a little bit longer possession than we would have preferred. But, I still think when you talk about what the player's accomplished throughout the match, the work ethic is still very high.”

Unfortunately, Louisville’s depth was exposed as the Current strengthened over the final 30 minutes. Despite the effort, the Current’s ability to isolate Emma Sears to just 14 touches, while targeting Ella Hase on the opposite side, stifled Racing’s attack. The Current didn’t run away with the match, and Yanez’s adjustments may have had a greater impact if they weren’t missing Ary Borges on international duty.

In that context, Yanez will have some successes to draw from this one.

“It’s a very respectable side, very good quality side.” Yanez finished. “You always want points, but I think we can continue down the right path, and we believe that we're continuing down the right path, and that ultimately has to be the biggest takeaway from this match tonight.”

Racing travels to Orlando next with the memories of their 2-0 win before the break fresh in their mind.

Welcome back, Trinity Rodman.

The Spirit jumped out of the gate in front of a rowdy Audi crowd Sunday afternoon. They took an early lead in Adrián González’s first match back at the helm in DC, and could have had a few more if not for that pesky crossbar.

Unfortunately, Olivia Moultrie’s line drive from outside the box sent both teams into halftime on level footing.

Rob Gale’s side adjusted, and the match seemed to be heading to a draw despite the Spirit’s first-half attacking display.

That all changed when Trinity Rodman checked in for the first time since April 12th.

Rodman quickly stamped her presence on the match with two successful take-ons and fifteen touches in her short appearance, and, like any good entertainer, she saved her best for last. The Spirit pressed hard as the match entered stoppage time and trapped Portland in their defensive third.

Courtney Brown came out of her duel with the ball, and Croix Bethune somehow redirected the ball directly into the path of Rodman. Her shot is steeped in the emotion of overcoming the lingering back issue that has impacted her play for the better part of the past year… the net could barely contain it.

Afterwards, Rodman reflected on her journey over the past year. The common themes of player empowerment coming full circle:

”I think the biggest takeaway for me is prioritizing my well-being. I think for all of us, going off of that question of just being treated like humans, I think you get sucked into it and you don't, you forget sometimes that like, whoa, I need to take a step back and like, make my own decision and do something for myself. And especially in a team environment, you kind of allow the coaches and the higher-ups to be like, "This is your fate. Do it." And I think sometimes we need to be better about sitting down with them and saying, like, "Here, this is what I need for myself, but also to set the team up for success later on." And that was a very hard decision for me to make, and thankfully the team fully supported me in it.”

The Spirit moved level on points with second place Orlando following this win; with the two clubs heading in opposite directions.

What’s driving Orlando’s slump?

Orlando officially entered a slump following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Utah.

The Royals, as previously discussed, should have been heavily outmatched, but Mina Tanaka’s long range strike in the fifth minute challenged everyone’s presumptions.

The Pride found an equalizer but not until the 72nd minute. Utah’s defensive structure stifled the Pride’s attack, CBs Kate Del Fava and Kaleigh Riehl were more than up to the task, and Utah generated just 1.40 expected goals on 15 shot attempts.

On merit, Orlando should have won this match but the draw brings them to a record of 3w/2d/3l since the start of May.

They’ve scored just seven goals over those eight matches, only generating over 1.5 xG twice.

Obviously, this performance comes without Copa América winners Marta and Angelina, as well as the injured Kerry Abello and Ally Watt. Those are big absences, and the activations of Simone Charley and Luana could help, but there has been some staleness with Seb Hines’s group this season.

The lack of production from the supporting cast has been noticeable, but there is plenty of time to turn this around… especially if Marta has found the Fountain of Youth again.

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