The Washington Spirit have traded midfielder Ashley Sanchez to the North Carolina Courage in a blockbuster move before the start of the NWSL Draft. The Spirit traded the U.S. women’s national team star for the fifth overall pick and $250,000 in allocation money. Sanchez leaves Washington after four seasons, scoring 17 goals and adding eight assists across 88 appearances in all competition. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman confirmed the trade during the draft’s broadcast at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Fans in attendance rejoiced at Berman’s announcement, which put Washington back on the clock for the fifth pick in the first round. “Ashley is an exceptionally gifted player with an intense competitive drive,” president of soccer operations and general manager Mark Krikorian said in a statement. “We are grateful for everything she brought to D.C. as both a player and a professional and wish her the best in this next step of her career.” A day after the trade was made, Sanchez said on an Instagram post that she was “shocked and heartbroken” about the decision. She thanked the club and its fans for support during “the best years of my life.” “D.C. will always feel like home to me,” she said. Sanchez joined the Spirit after being selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NWSL College Draft. Known for her playmaking abilities and quick dribbling skills, the Monrovia, California native’s partnership with fellow attacker Trinity Rodman created a lethal attack that helped Washington win its first NWSL Championship in 2021 and finish as runners-up in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup.
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As her exploits in Washington gained more attention, the 24-year-old earned multiple call-ups to the U.S. women’s national team including being selected for its final roster in last year’s Women’s World Cup. Despite making it on the roster, Sanchez did not play in the tournament. Once she returned to Washington, she was only able to contribute one goal in three months, finishing 2023 with five tallies across 20 regular-season matches. North Carolina head coach Sean Nahas said in a statement that he has known Sanchez since 2015 and believes she can reach another level playing with the Courage. “She has a great understanding of the game, is technically proficient, and — when she’s at her best — plays the game with a free joy that is rare to find,” Nahas said. “I couldn’t be more excited to work with her again and our staff is ecstatic for the opportunity to help her continue her path as a world-class footballer.”
Washington trades Staab to Chicago
The Sanchez trade was Washington’s second draft day transaction. Hours before, the Spirit sent defender Sam Staab to the Chicago Red Stars for the No. 3 overall pick. The move comes after Staab’s best season in Washington, where she was named a Defensive Player of the Year finalist and was selected to the 2023 NWSL Best XI First Team. Since arriving to D.C. in 2019, Staab has been Washington’s rock in the defense, especially since completing her third Iron Woman season (those who played every minute). She holds the NWSL record for the most consecutive regular-season starts to 90 and will leave Washington ranked fifth in regular-season team history in appearances (90), starts (90) and minutes (8,015). After the trade announcement, Staab thanked the club and its fans for their support on a post on Instagram, adding that D.C. became “a second home and a community I’ve grown to really love being part of.” “Sometimes good things come to an end but I’ll cherish the memories made and chaos endured with some of the greatest people I’ve ever met,” she said.
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Prior to the start of the 2024 draft, the Staab trade left Washington with one center-back left under contract, Tara McKeown, a forward who was converted into a defender last season.
Spirit’s draft day picks
Thanks to its two trades, Washington — who entered the NWSL Draft with two picks in the first round — made four selections, picking some of the best young players out of high school or college to be a part of their roster. The Spirit left Anaheim making six total selections including:
- No. 3 pick: University of Georgia midfielder Croix Bethune
- No. 5 pick: Clemson midfielder Hal Hershfelt
- No. 7 pick: Penn State defender Kate Wiesner
- No. 13 pick: Clemson midfielder Makenna Morris (D.C.’s St. John’s College High School alum)
- No. 35 pick (in the third round): Arkansas forward Anna Podojil
- No. 49 pick (in the fourth round): Utah midfielder Courtney Brown
Washington’s roster moves come after it hired Jonatan Giráldez, current manager for European Champions League winners FC Barcelona Femení, to be its next head coach. Giráldez won’t join the Spirit until June with Washington set to hire an interim leader before the start of the season. Club officials plan to release its training camp and preseason details at a later date. Washington is set to play its first match on March 16.
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