3 Canadian storylines you should be following in the 2025 NWSL season
The NWSL is BACK for another exciting season, as the league is set to kick off its 2025 campaign tonight in Orlando and Houston.
After an exciting 2024 campaign capped with a rare NWSL Shield and Championship double from an Orlando Pride team that had never won a trophy before, 2025 should be fascinating to see unfold – and, naturally, from a Canadian perspective, there's a lot for CanWNT fans to keep an eye out for, too, as players battle to either earn or cement roles in Casey Stoney's selection.
While many Canadians will also be watching the launch of the Northern Super League closer to home with great interest, there will still be plenty of Canadian footballing storylines to keep up with the NWSL in 2025 – here are a few of 'em:
Gabrielle Carle, Washington Spirit looking for revenge
There were no Canadians involved in the Orlando side that did the double last year, as Amanda Allen was loaned out for the second half of the season, but adding insult to injury from a Canadian perspective?
There was a Canadian in the team that came up short on both occasions, the Washington Spirit.
Finishing four points behind the Pride in the regular season before falling to them 1-0 in the final, the Spirit are home to a CanWNT fan-favourite in Gabrielle Carle, who had an excellent season for the club across 29 appearances in all competitions.
Known for her defensive versatility, Carle played a key role in the Spirit’s backline, playing both full-back positions and even at centre back, doing a lot of important work on both sides of the ball for her side. It was something of a breakout season for her, and it elevated the 26-year-old into a bigger role for the Canadian national team, too.
With Carle back at the Spirit for the 2025 season, she’ll be hoping to take yet another step forward this year, as her team chases loftier goals. Armed with a young and talented squad and led by a coach known for winning in former FC Barcelona manager Jonatan Giráldez, this Spirit team enters the 2025 campaign as one of the favourites to be battling for end-of-year silverware.
To their credit, Washington have already sent an early warning sign in that regard, winning the 2025 Challenge Cup last week and defeating the Pride on penalties in the NWSL’s version of the Super Cup between Shield and Championship winners (or Shield runner-ups in the case of a double like the Pride did).
Assuredly, Carle played the full 90 in that match, showing that she's ready for another big year with Washington. So, keep an eye on her going forward, as she already looks to have fit nicely in Stoney’s system, putting in some strong performances in Canada’s latest camp; we could be seeing Carle even more going forward.
Can Adriana Leon find form in San Diego?
It’s been a strange few years for Adriana Leon.
For Canada, she’s been about the closest thing to an automatic source of offence, scoring more than half of her 42 international goals since the start of 2021 – an impressive 23 times in 58 appearances across that span.
But at the club level, things have been much more difficult for her. Following her departure from West Ham in 2022 after spending parts of four seasons with the club, she only lasted one season with Manchester United (which included a short-term loan to the Portland Thorns just to get her fitness ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup), before she spent two up-and-down seasons with Aston Villa.
Across those stints, she's scored 13 goals in 54 appearances, but never managed to settle in. Then, news emerged of a move back to the NWSL this offseason, with the San Diego Wave as her destination of choice.
As Canada’s forward line becomes more competitive than ever, Leon's next move has to stick; the next World Cup comes around in 2027 and given that she’ll be 34 for that tournament, Leon must be in top club form to earn a spot in Stoney's roster.
Can San Diego offer her that home, at last?
a proper welcome from @Kailen_Sheridan 😂 pic.twitter.com/nF6UzQruoo
— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) March 5, 2025
It’ll be fascinating to see how Leon does with a San Diego Wave side that had a pretty rough 2024, finishing 10th and missing the playoffs by seven points after a tumultuous season both on and off the pitch. In terms of a fit on the field, Leon is coming to the club at a good moment - San Diego is looking for more offence after the retirement of Alex Morgan, especially after they traded 2024 Olympic gold medallist Jaedyn Shaw to the North Carolina Courage this offseason.
So, look for Leon to quickly establish herself as a key piece on this Wave team, but she certainly has the pedigree to find goals as she’s shown with her play for Canada. Perhaps the presence of a familiar face can also help with her integration, as San Diego is, of course, also the home of Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, who has been one of the best goalkeepers in the NWSL over the past few seasons.
Having had a bit of a down year by her lofty standards in 2024, Sheridan will want a big campaign of her own in 2025 as she looks to maintain her own starting place with Canada, as competition emerges in the form of Sabrina D’Angelo.
That’s the theme for Canadians in San Diego – 2025 has to be a bounce-back year.
Will we see an exodus of Canadian talent?
With 18 players spread across 12 of the 14 teams in the league, there’s a Canadian story to follow at nearly every club in the NWSL this season...
...but that might not be the case by year's end.
Enter the Northern Super League, Canada's own upstart competition that will hope to become a premier destination for Canadian players going forward. That this new league was able to poach someone like Quinn from the Seattle Reign despite the midfielder's consistent performances over the past few years is a sign of their ambition to become a proper destination for Canadian footballers.
How many more will follow?
Reason no. 2 for a possible exodus might come off the field. As Quinn admitted after they signed with Vancouver, the current political climate in the United States is definitely a factor to consider when players decide where next to go.
Vanessa Gilles shared a similar sentiment, as the Olympique Lyonnais defender, currently contracted to NWSL side Angel City FC but on loan in France, didn’t hold back anything when asked if she’d return to the league, noting that she doesn’t see herself going back with “the current geopolitical situation."
If the NSL can get off to a strong start, Canadian stars may be tempted with a return home rather than staying, or playing in Europe. It’ll be a story to watch over the year, as it could prove to be a key inflection point for several Canadians in the league – and understandably so.
Other names to watch this season:
In terms of the 18 players to watch in the league, it’s worth noting that there’s an interesting mix of experienced veterans and rookies looking to make a difference in NWSL this season.
On the West Coast, Leon and Sheridan aren’t the only Canadians in California - Canadian centre-back Megan Reid is over at Angel City FC. Then, up the coast, CanWNT captain Jessie Fleming remains at the Portland Thorns, with forward Jordyn Huitema still at their Cascadian rivals, Seattle Reign.
Meanwhile, in Texas, the pair of veterans Sophie Schmidt and Allysha Chapman are joined by promising forward Amanda West at the Houston Dynamo for another season, while up in Utah, Bianca St-Georges has joined Canadian teammate Cloé Lacasse at the Royals.
Shifting east, Julia Grosso remains at the renamed Chicago Stars after joining the club last year, Janine Sonis (née Beckie) is getting set for her first full season with Racing Louisville (and remains paired with Canadian assistant coach Carmelina Moscato), while Carle is set for another big season with the Spirit.
Lastly, rounding off that list is the North Carolina Courage pair of Sydney Collins and Brooklyn Courtnall, with Courtnall a rookie looking to make a similar leap to the one Collins made a few years back, while the Orlando Pride will be home to Amanda Allen, who is back from loan (but currently injured), and rookie Zara Chavosi.
Overall, it’s a balanced group, one that’ll be fascinating to follow as this year goes on, with several players eager to push into the CanWNT - especially the younger players such as Chavosi, Allen, Courtnall, and West, with Stoney already showing she’s willing to trust younger players.
