Alyssa Thompson Chelsea USWNT GFX 16:9Getty/GOAL
Celia Balf

USWNT transfer grades: Alyssa Thompson’s groundbreaking Chelsea move, Mia Fishel’s NWSL return and the moves shaping 2025

GOAL grades the biggest USWNT-related transfers, including Alyssa Thompson, Mia Fishel, Ally Sentnor and Jaedyn Shaw.

It’s been a year defined by bold, headline-grabbing moves in women’s soccer. At the top of that list was U.S. Women’s National Team winger Alyssa Thompson, whose record $1.3 million transfer to Chelsea FC Women signaled just how fast the global market is accelerating.

But the most transformative deals weren’t limited to Europe. Some of the biggest ripple effects were felt closer to home, inside the NWSL itself. In September, Jaedyn Shaw sent shockwaves through the league by moving from the North Carolina Courage to NJ/NY Gotham FC for a record $1.25 million intraleague fee.

Gotham’s first-ever seven-figure signing proved to be more than a statement of intent. Within weeks, it helped fuel one of the most dramatic turnarounds in league history, propelling the club from the bottom of the table to NWSL Championship winners.

  • Alyssa Thompson Chelsea Women 2025-26Getty Images

    Alyssa Thompson to Chelsea FC

    Thompson had everything to lose, but more to gain when she decided to leave Angel City and venture across the pond to Chelsea. The move was surprising, given her ties to Los Angeles and impact in the NWSL, but not unforeseen. Chelsea needed a winger, and saw 20-year-old Thompson as the solution. Thompson has proven her ability to dominate any and every left wing, but making a jump to Europe would present new challenges. The transfer saw Thompson commit to a five-year contract and she joined fellow USWNT teammates Cat Macario and Naomi Girma on the Blues.

    In her first season with Chelsea, it's taken Thompson a bit of time to adjust, yet each game she's looking more comfortable.

     "I feel like every game is different," she said in November, "all of these teams are coming from different leagues, so even the fact that we play different styles has helped me a lot in terms of viewing the game tactically. I can see what I need to work on against different teams’ blocks and it helps me show more versatility in my game. Having that every week in the Champions League is really cool."

    Thompson has rotated into a starting role for Chelsea since joining the club and has contributed three goals in four Women's Super League (WSL) games. She started for the Blues in their last match before the new year, and helped them win 2-1 over VfL Wolfsburg in the UEFA Women's Champions League.

    Grade: A-

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  • Jaedyn Shaw, GothamGetty Images

    Jaedyn Shaw to Gotham FC

    Shaw has never looked better, and a lot of that has got to be boiled down to her playing in an environment where she feels like she can flourish. When Shaw first moved from the San Diego Wave to the North Carolina Courage, there was a lot of speculation as to why she would make that move. It took her almost her entire time in North Carolina to settle into a role on the team, lacking a consistent presence on the pitch and finding herself off Emma Hayes' USWNT roster for two back-to-back camps. 

    That all changed, though, when Shaw entered New York City. Shaw's move to Gotham was somewhat abrupt, but once she settled in, it made all the sense in the world. She played with a newfound confidence and got herself back on Hayes' radar, eventually earning call-ups in the final two camps of 2025. 

    Shaw moved twice in eight months, something the NWSL doesn't see often. But, in this case, it was spot on. One of Shaw's biggest moments of the year came in the NWSL quarterfinals when she scored her first career playoff goal and chipped in an assist to push Gotham past Kansas City Current, for an upset of all upsets. She also said, "underdog, my ass," which went viral and carried her and the team all the way past Orlando in the semifinals and all of the way to the final, where they beat the Washington Spirit for the 2025 NWSL Championship. 

    Grade: A

  • Mia Fishel, Seattle ReignImagn

    Mia Fishel to Seattle Reign

    Fishel did the reverse of what Thompson did: She moved from Chelsea to the NWSL, in search of new opportunities. For Fishel, she joined Seattle Reign FC in hopes to get more minutes and find a role on a less crowded roster to catch the eye of Hayes leading up to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. However, Fishel's constant battle with recovering from an ACL injury kept her minutes somewhat limited even with the move to the NWSL. 

    While good things always take time, typically these transfers make more of a splash than not, and as it currently stands Fishel has just brushed the surface in the NWSL. Once she's back to full health and gets more frequently integrated into the Reign's starting squad, jury is out if Fishel will get back on Hayes' radar. 

    Grade: B-

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  • Houston Dash v Kansas City CurrentGetty Images Sport

    Ally Sentnor to Kansas City Current

    Sentnor is the total package and no matter where she lands, in the NWSL or abroad, she's guaranteed to break some ankles and score from shocking distances. 

    Sentnor was doing all she could for Utah, who sat in last place in the NWSL standings. Her move to Kansas City was for a $600,000 intra-league record (at the time) and provided her an opportunity to play on a stacked team alongside may of her USWNT teammates. 

    Despite her impact in Utah, and her love for the club that gave her her first professional contract, Sentnor needed a new challenge especially with the deep frontline roster battle on the USWNT.

    Sentnor, who was named U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year in 2024 and first-overall pick at the 2024 NWSL Draft has been settling in just fine with the Current after being the goal-scorer, assister, and playmaker for the Royals. 

    Grade: B+
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