KC Current Season Preview

It was a long off-season for the Current after leaving us in heartbreak back in November, falling in the quarter-finals to the eventual champs, Gotham FC.  But that loss doesn’t take away from their historic season, clinching the shield, setting a record for most games won and points earned, and the least amount of goals allowed. Finishing the regular season with a dominant 12 points ahead of the rest of the table has left the Current some breathing room during the offseason as other teams try to close that gap.

Off-season recap

The off-season started off hot. Just three days after the Current finished their season, Hailie Mace said goodbye to the club to explore free agency.  That was followed by the shocking news that head coach Vlatko Andonovski would transition into a Sporting Director, and the team would be searching for their next head coach.

After the drop of those two major departures, things slowed down a bit. Laurel Ivory and Nichelle Prince departed to the expansion side Boston Legacy FC, while the Current extended contracts with Rocky Rodríguez and the two rookies, Mary Long and Katie Scott. Helping soften the blow of losing a veteran like Hailie Mace, with hopes to develop Scott in particular can develop into a similar type of player after showing promising glances during the summer. Goalkeeper Marisa Jordan was also signed from a trade from NC Courage round out the goalkeeper room.

The club also announced the departure of Regan Stegledger and fan favorite Bia Zaneratto, who has since rejoined Palmeiras and potentially could be returning to CPKC in just a few months for the Teal Rising Cup. 

Imperatriz tá em casa! 💚🥹

A apresentação da Bia Zaneratto contou com a presença de familiares! 🫶 pic.twitter.com/Lv2QVoDBRs

— Palmeiras Feminino (@Palmeiras_FEM) January 9, 2026

Rookies on rookies on rookies

There was a wave of new signings, as the Current added five college players, seeming to take a more adventurous approach compared to last year while the club navigates a post-draft era. One notable college signing is Overland Park native Meila Brewer, who featured in the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Feminil Summer Cup.

College Players signed to contracts:

Laney Rouse, D – Virginia

Amelia White, F – Penn State

Meila Brewer, D – UCLA

Gianna Paul, F – Alabama

Kolo Suliafu, D – Washington

Can you believe that all these players signed without knowing who would coach them?

The Armas Era

Finally the moment everyone had been anticipating, on January 7th, the Current announced Chris Armas as the next head coach, which may have been even more surprising than Andonovski no longer coaching. Coming off the best ever season by an NWSL club, with a strong roster and owning their own facilities makes the Current seem like a destination that could attract candidates from just about anywhere. Instead, the club chose from MLS, hiring Armas who has never coached a women’s professional team and only experience coaching women comes from a Division II college team over a decade ago. Potentially putting the question to rest: Can just about anyone coach this stacked roster?

But wait! There’s more!

Is it really a Current off-season without a massive acquisition? In a leak, CBS announced the enormous trade for 2024 NWSL Midfielder and Rookie of the year, Croix Bethune, sending $900,000 in intra-league transfer funds and $100,000 in allocation funds to Washington Spirit. Bethune adds another attacking piece to a team that lacked goal creation when Temwa Chawinga is injured, something that became clear late in the season and ultimately knocked the team out of the playoffs.

CROIX IS COMIN’ TO TEAL TOWN 👑

The club has signed @USWNT midfielder @CroixBethune to a contract through the 2027 season ✍️ pic.twitter.com/GZUjKAMuGX

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) February 11, 2026

 

But when one player arrives, one must depart. Fans across the league were whiplashed to learn 15 minutes later Claire Hutton would be leaving for Bay FC in exchange for $1.1 million in intra-league funds, joining Alex Pfeiffer who mutually terminated her contract with KC earlier this off season. Losing two young, promising players for the US Women’s National Teams, leaving many fans with a rollercoaster of emotions.

And just when Keeping Current with Kansas City Podcast squad thought everything was all said and done, the Current acquired forward Penelope Hocking from Bay FC. A much needed piece up top as Chawinga will start the season on the Season Ending Injury list.