5 Canadians on new NWSL teams to watch in 2024
After a long offseason, the NWSL returns to action this week, as the league gets set to kick off their 2024 season on Friday.
Starting with the new-look Challenge Cup, which has transitioned from a preseason tournament to a one-off matchup between last year’s regular season and playoff champions, and then rolling into a full slate of regular season matches, it’ll kick off what’s supposed to be one of the best editions of the league to date.
Following an entertaining 2023 campaign, one that saw just 13 points separate first and 12th place in the league in a very competitive regular season table, before being capped off by a dramatic postseason that finished with the lowest-seeded team, Gotham, as playoff winners, that set the table for what’s to come in 2024.
Given that the NWSL enters this year armed with two new expansion teams, as San Jose-based outfit Bay FC gets set for their debut campaign, while the Utah Royals returns as a brand-new outfit after a three-year hiatus following their move to Kansas City in 2020, it’s hoped 2024 can be just as exciting thanks to that growth.
Given that the player pool seems deeper than ever, with teams across the league making some statement signings, it’s not an unreasonable expectation, either, as a big worry with expansion can often be a dilution of the pool of players in the league.
With new signings such as Asisat Oshoala, Barbra Banda, Racheal Kundananji, Jessie Fleming and more entering the league, on top of a busy offseason of intra-league movement, that should not be an issue, however, which is exciting.
Speaking of Fleming, however, it’s also important to note that this season promises to be a big one from a Canadian perspective, too, as the expansion of teams has seemed to benefit Canadians in a big way.
Thanks to the new roster spots that have been created on the new teams, that has opened the door for several Canadians to join the league, from established regulars such as Fleming to some newer faces.
Along with some of that intra-league movement, which has seen some Canadians already in the league join new clubs, that’s further added things to watch for from a Canadian perspective.
Happy NWSL kick-off week to those who celebrate!
— wsoccer.ca (@WsoccerCa) March 11, 2024
As usual, we've taken the liberty of putting together an #NWSL Crash Course for Canadian fans.
All about the NWSL, Canadians in the league, who to cheer for, and how to watch.
Check it out: https://t.co/JK3bD91vhm or thread🧵👇… pic.twitter.com/fLixbfzpeO
So with that in mind, here’s a look at five Canadians who have joined new NWSL clubs this offseason, as they aim to find their feet with their new clubs.
Jessie Fleming (Portland Thorns):
To begin, there’s no better place to start than with Fleming, as her move to the Portland Thorns was among one of the biggest in the league this offseason, as it showed Portland’s desire to be one of the top teams in the league again in 2024.
They came close to glory in 2023, finishing just two points behind NWSL Shield-winners San Diego in second place, before falling 1-0 to eventual winners Gotham in the semi-finals in the playoffs, coming just short of winning any trophies.
After winning the NWSL playoffs in 2022, winning the NWSL Shield and Challenge Cup in 2021, and winning the Community Shield in 2020, Portland will feel frustrated to not have claimed any silverware, something they’re looking to change now.
And in Fleming, they’ve got a piece that can help them do just that. Joining a stacked midfield that already includes Sam Coffey, Hina Sugita, Olivia Moultrie and the legendary Christine Sinclair, Fleming should slot in seamlessly into this Thorns side.
NEW🚨#CanWNT star, Jessie Fleming, previews the 2024 W Gold Cup, looks ahead to the Olympics, talks about her recent move to Portland, reflects on her Chelsea days and much more in a 1 on 1 chat with @AlexGangueRuzic 🎙️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 18, 2024
WATCH▶️https://t.co/OAuruVwaZX pic.twitter.com/c2SJBFvbe3
Her first stint in the NWSL after spending parts of four seasons with English giants Chelsea, where she scored 12 goals and added 11 assists across 108 appearances with the club, she has the potential to be a star for Portland.
Still just 26, she showed glimpses of what she could become for Chelsea, with her best season coming when she scored eight goals and added seven assists in 33 games across all competitions in 2021-2022, something she’ll look to now replicate in Portland.
Now, the big question will be to see what her deployment ends up looking like for Portland. Able to play anywhere across the midfield, as well as out on the wing, her best position appears to be as a #8 in a 4-3-3. Given that Portland usually used that formation last year, that fit appears to be perfect, further showing why this move should work well for Fleming.
Jessie Fleming on the potential of the Portland Thorns midfield and why she decided to head to the Rose City
— Phuoc "Francis" Nguyen ✍️ (@Phuocerman) March 13, 2024
"There's a lot of potential for us to grow as a unit. It's a big part of the reason why I came to Portland to play with our midfield. I'm just really excited."#BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/xLAtlHTy6d
Because of that, it’s exciting to see if Fleming can take a big step forward this year. One that also promises to be a big one for Canada, who is getting set to defend their Olympic gold medal this summer in Paris, they’ll want Fleming to be in top form given that she remains an integral part of the team, having also been recently named their captain.
Safe to say, that’s why it shows there is so much excitement around this move for Fleming, and why this move could be a massive one for her.
Nichelle Prince (KC Current):
After spending seven seasons with the Houston Dash, Nichelle Prince has found a new home this offseason, as she was surprisingly traded to the Kansas City Current in exchange for forward Cece Kizer earlier this year.
As a result, after spending all of her professional career with the Dash, she’ll have to find her feet at a new club this season. 
Despite that, there’s a lot to like about this move for Prince, who leaves the Dash after making 107 appearances for the club, scoring 14 goals and adding 11 assists.
To begin, there’s the fact that this is a fresh start for her, as she made just seven appearances across all competitions last year as she dealt with a major Achilles injury. As seen with her play for Canada, where she’s been excellent ever since returning from that injury at the World Cup, she looks to have recovered nicely, but she wasn’t able to turn that into more club minutes at the end of the year.
Now, however, she joins a Current side that should have room for her to play.
A strong offensive side, one that scored the fourth-most goals in the league in 2023, a lot of that went through midfield maestro, Debinha, who scored nine goals and added two assists in NWSL play. Other than Debinha, though, only forward Cece Kizer was able to score more than three goals, as she potted six goals to go along with two assists. Because of that, with Kizer now gone, Prince will look to bring some goals to this lineup, one that is desperate for more goals from their frontline.
Given that Prince scored six goals and added three assists for the Dash in 2022, her last fully healthy season, that’s not an unreasonable expectation to have, either.
The only big question that Prince will have is figuring out where she’ll play on the Current. Usually a winger, she’s become more of a striker with Canada, a role that has suited her quite nicely, as she’s got a good mix of hold-up play, positioning and finishing to play in that role.
Because of that, with her likely to play that role at the Olympics, one can wonder if the Current also deploys her as a striker at the club level, allowing her to emulate that sort of role on a more regular basis.
And if she can hit the ground running with her new club, there’s no reason why they can’t push back to the playoffs, after missing out by just five points last year. It’ll require a big improvement defensively, as they conceded the second-most goals in the league, but after shoring up that area of the pitch this offseason, they’ll look to shoot up the standings, with Prince hoping to play a key role in that.
Zoe Burns (Utah Royals):
It was a good year for Canadians in the NWSL draft, as after just one Canadian was selected in 2023 in Sydney Collins, three Canadians saw their name called in 2024.
The first of those was USC’s Zoe Burns, who was selected 29th overall by the Utah Royals, who made her the first selection of the third round of the draft.
A 22-year-old full-back and central midfielder, Burns is a very intriguing pickup by the Royals, too, as she’s coming off a strong college career with USC.
There, she played 68 games across four years with the program, scoring six goals and adding 10 assists. She’s coming off her best year yet, too, as she made a career-high 19 starts, adding one goal and six assists along the way.
Plus, she’s already got experience playing at a high level, as she earned multiple call-ups to the Canadian senior team in 2022, making two appearances along the way.
Because of that, it’ll be interesting to see how she handles the jump to the professional level. On an expansion outfit like Utah, there should be an opportunity for her to get minutes, which is key, especially for a younger player.
Now, the thing to watch will be where she plays for Utah. From a Canadian perspective, they’ll be hoping she lines up in midfield, as Canada’s a lot thinner at that position compared to at full back, where Burns could also get a look.
Either way, she’s one to keep an eye on, as she’ll look to make a mark on Canada in either of those two positions, becoming the latest Canadian to make a successful jump from the draft to an NWSL regular. 
Amanda West (Houston Dynamo):
Sticking with the draft, another Canadian who will look to hit the ground running is over at Houston, where there’s a real opportunity for Amanda West to start her career off on a high note with the Dash.
Having been drafted with the 36th pick, the consensus appeared to be that West should’ve been drafted much earlier than she did given her college pedigree, with some wondering if her stock dropped due to her being Canadian, meaning that teams had to use an international spot if they were to sign her.
That didn’t bother Houston, however, as they took a chance on West, and could be rewarded with a steal of a pick for their efforts.
Coming off a very strong college career with Pittsburgh, where she scored 50 goals and added 31 assists in 75 games, including 11 goals and nine assists in 24 games last year, she’s shown that she can score and create goals at a strong rate.
Because of that, she should be a perfect fit for Houston, who needs goals, having scored just 16 goals in 22 games last year, making them the lone team in the league to score less than 25.
As a result, while it might normally be tough for a 22-year-old forward out of college to earn minutes up front, one has to imagine West gets a look, helping give Houston some new life up front beyond the acquisition of Kizer.
So while Canada is pretty set up front heading into the Olympics, meaning that it would require something special for West to even be in the mix for that team, you can never have too much attacking depth long-term, which is why they’ll be keeping a close eye on her development.
Having already called her up in the past, they’ve already been a fan of her progress, and will look to see how she finds her feet in the professional game.
Houston Dash in Round 3 pick 36 drafts AMANDA WEST!!!!!!
— SHE scores bangers (@SHEscoresbanger) January 13, 2024
81 goal contributions in 75 games, she’ll be cooking in the Texas heat.
Out of Burlington, Ontario, Canada, the youngster has a bright bright future.
CANWNT call up will come soon👀 pic.twitter.com/1JaGgh1GLA
Lysianne Proulx (Bay FC):
It can be tough to be a goalkeeper when you’re trying to crack a National Team roster, as with only one spot available to play at a time, it can be tough for new faces to earn minutes for their countries.
Lysianne Proulx has seen that first-hand, as despite being a regular in Canadian squads since 2022, she’s yet to make her Canadian debut, spending most of her time as Canada’s third goalkeeper in camps.
Yet, that can be the reality of goalkeepers, especially for a country like Canada who has produced a lot of top goalkeepers over the last 20 years.
Because of that, Proulx has been patiently biding her time, as she looks to eventually earn her shot. And now, this latest move could help the 24-year-old in that push.
After strong stints in Portugal with Torreense and in Australia with Melbourne City to start her professional career, playing 17 and 14 games at each club, respectively, she joined expansion side Bay FC this offseason.
There, the former Syracuse product will look to earn a starting spot in year one, which would certainly give her a claim at more minutes for Canada.
Some great #CanWNT/#CanXNT transfer news today, as Lysianne Proulx signed for NWSL expansion side Bay FC today
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) February 8, 2024
Goalkeeping spots can be tough to win in the NWSL, but she’s got a chance to do so here, which would be key especially for her 🇨🇦 aspirations
Excited to see it https://t.co/SxAHpW3cH7
She’ll be in tough, as Bay FC also brought in 29-year-old goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland, who has nearly 50 games of NWSL experience under her belt, along with 27-year-old Melissa Lowder, who also has NWSL experience, to compete for minutes, but Proulx will feel that she can at least earn a handful of appearances this year, if not more, especially with the recent news that Lowder will miss the season after sustaining a knee injury.
And even if Proulx’s minutes are limited to start, one has to imagine Bay FC has the goal of making her a starter long-term given her age, allowing her to get more opportunities in the future.
Because of that, this is an exciting move, one that could help Proulx in her quest for Canadian minutes, making it intriguing to see if she’s able to see the field with regularity this year.
