The NWSL's transfer window is officially closed, and for the second straight time, it involved a world-record deal -- this time for an incoming player.
Lizbeth Jacqueline Ovalle moved from Tigres to the Orlando Pride and set the new women's global transfer record at $1.5 million, per ESPN sources. But there have been several other high-profile transfers involving NWSL players and some U.S. women's national team hopefuls, too.
Young USWNT stars, 20-year-old Alyssa Thompson and 20-year-old Jaedyn Shaw, both had moves announced after the NWSL transfer window closed to new arrivals at the end of August, as outgoing transfers and intra-league trades continue.
So, which transfers were the best for the respective player's career? Let's grade them and dig into what these moves mean for the future.
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Alyssa Thompson: Angel City to Chelsea
Grade: A-
We already wrote about the implications for the clubs -- and Thompson's abrupt move to Chelsea presents a nightmare on and off the field for Angel City -- but let's dig in from the player perspective.
Chelsea needed a winger, per head coach Sonia Bompastor, and clearly, they eventually identified Thompson as the long-term future in that position by handing her a five-year contract. At Chelsea, Thompson will play and train alongside fellow Americans Catarina Macario and Naomi Girma in their quest to help Chelsea conquer England for a seventh straight time and Europe for the first time.
This was a can't-miss opportunity for Thompson in a quest to become a top world player. The transfer saga elevated her profile to the casual fan, and if they stick around to watch further, they will soon find that she's an energetic, dynamic player who changes games.
Yes, she was tearing up the NWSL at just 20 years old and could have been in the MVP conversation for years to come. Yes, she was the face of her hometown franchise in Los Angeles and the cornerstone of the team's rebuilding process.
That has a certain appeal, but nobody can blame Thompson for wanting to take a shot with one of the world's top clubs over enduring a rebuilding process for a team currently sitting in 10th place.
Emily Keogh talks about USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson's potential move to Chelsea from Angel City.
Jaedyn Shaw: North Carolina Courage to NJ/NY Gotham FC
Grade: B+
Shaw's move to Gotham is a post-transfer deadline bombshell (the intra-league trade window remains open through Oct. 9) and one of the most unique developments in memory in NWSL history: a young U.S. international changing teams twice in eight months.
The whiplash is an indication of how just how much things did not work out with North Carolina, who in August fired head coach Sean Nahas -- the primary driver of the move to acquire Shaw.
North Carolina's initial acquisition of Shaw in January was a curious one because she is best known as (and prefers to be) a playmaking No. 10, which the Courage already had in Ashley Sanchez. The redundancy proved to be tricky immediately, and it relegated Shaw -- who USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has lauded as a big part of the team's future -- to the bench at times in North Carolina, which also kept her out of recent senior international camps.
Shaw's ceiling remains immensely high, which Gotham clearly feels by way of more than doubling the previous intra-league transfer record -- and paying a top-five global transfer fee as of writing -- to acquire her.
Ironically, there are similar questions around how Shaw will fit into Gotham's already talented midfield that includes Jaelin Howell and USWNT veteran Rose Lavelle. Fluidity, however, is the name of head coach Juan Carlos Amoros' game at Gotham. Shaw can play across the front six positions, and while she's joining another crowded roster, Gotham appears to be on the upswing from early-season struggles while North Carolina has smashed the reset button.
Lizbeth Jacqueline Ovalle: Tigres to Orlando Pride
Grade: A-
Ovalle is known as La Maga (The Magician) for her audacious play, from the scorpion-kick goal seen round the world earlier this year for Tigres to last year's cheeky goal that lifted Mexico to its first win over the USWNT on American soil.
Ovalle is already a household name in Mexico. Her move to the NWSL in her prime at 25 years old will give her a global platform to showcase those skills and, if all goes to plan, fully insert herself into the conversation as one of the world's best.
Alexis Nunes and Ali Krieger discuss the potential record signing of Lizbeth Ovalle to Orlando Pride.
That plan requires Ovalle to become a focal point for Orlando, a team already blessed with depth and talent. She'll have at least a few months (if not more) to play alongside six-time World Player of the Year Marta. The recent season-ending injury to Barbra Banda also means that Ovalle will be needed even more immediately if the Pride want to repeat.
Orlando's 22 goals scored is the lowest among the top seven teams right now -- and Banda scored eight of those. The Pride are creating opportunities -- 26.3 expected goals, per FBref so Ovalle could be the missing piece.
A world-record transfer fee will come with pressure, however. How will she handle it?
Mia Fishel: Chelsea to Seattle Reign FC
Grade: B+
Fishel's move to Seattle was about the long term. Chelsea's roster is perpetually crowded, and Fishel has eyes on the 2027 World Cup with the USWNT. To be there and to be a prominent player for United States coach Emma Hayes (who signed her at Chelsea), Fishel needs more consistent reps as a bona-fide starting forward for her club.
That is what Seattle expects from her, evidenced by an NWSL record cumulative salary and that should play out in the long term.
Right now, Fishel is still assimilating into a new club after a relatively recent return from a torn ACL. She has played limited minutes off the bench in three games for Seattle. The Reign, and Fishel, are going to need time to adapt to one another.
Ally Sentnor: Utah Royals FC to Kansas City Current
Grade: B+
Sentnor's move from the NWSL's last-place team to the league leaders in August is another case of playing the long game.
There are valid short-term questions about how Sentnor fits into an already stacked Kansas City roster. Sentnor was the focal point and franchise player in Utah; in Kansas City, she is not a guaranteed starter, as talented as she is. Not right now, anyway.
Alexis Nunes is joined on Futbol W by Emily Keogh to discuss the rise of Utah Royals' Ally Sentnor.
But this move is about the future for a 21-year-old rising star -- which is why Kansas City paid an intra-league record $600,000 (plus potential add-ons) to sign her. Sentnor will be coached by Vlatko Andonovski, arguably the NWSL's most successful coach and a former USWNT coach who knows what is needed in that environment.
Kansas City isn't exactly overly young, either, with Debinha turning 34 in October and Bia turning 32 in December. Roster turnover is inevitable in the NWSL especially, and Sentnor is likely to become a long-term centerpiece for the Current. This move is about her development.
Ally Watt: Orlando Pride to Denver Summit FC
Grade: A
Rarely does the cliché of "a win-win" ring true, but it is a fitting description of this move.
Watt became the first signing for 2026 NWSL expansion team Denver Summit FC, which is a nice touch of history for the Colorado native. She gets to go home for a historic moment next year to anchor a new franchise, and Orlando get salary cap relief and extra funds to use on an already expensive roster (more on that soon).
Plus, Watt gets to finish the 2025 NWSL season with Orlando on loan, giving her a six-month runway to join her new team and relocate her life. She's also an important part of the Pride's push to repeat as NWSL champions.
Watt is exactly the type of player NWSL expansion teams need to establish success. Yes, there are likely more splashy signings to come, but Watt is a hard worker who contributes offensively with dynamic wing play, and she brings championship, veteran experience to Denver. And can establish herself as an early leader at the club.
María Sánchez: San Diego Wave to Tigres
Grade: B+
On one hand, Sanchez is a loss for San Diego and the NWSL. That she left San Diego just over a year after a then-NWSL record transfer from the Houston Dash is also a bit anticlimactic. The reality, however, is that Sanchez was fighting for minutes on an overhauled Wave roster being guided by a new head coach in Jonas Eidevall. Sanchez started in only three of her last eight games for the Wave before making the move back to Tigres, where she played earlier in her career.
Sanchez already has five goals for Tigres, which is among the league leaders. That's all a net positive for her, even if she has moved around a fair amount to end up back at Estadio Universitario.
Sofia Cantore: Juventus to Washington Spirit
Grade: A-
Cantore joined the Spirit from Juventus after a strong showing with Italy at Euro 2025, which further boosted her celebrity, and has settled into life in Washington nicely, already after scoring in her second NWSL appearance.
The 25-year-old fills a void on a Spirit team that has dealt with endless injuries or other absences, including at the forward position, and combines well with her new teammates, as she showed again in Saturday's 3-2 win over Bay FC.
She is like a magnet for the ball in the attack, and could be an important addition for the team that looks most ready to challenge the Kansas City Current's dominance come playoff time.