KC Current Roster Analysis

Now that the sun has set over the river Current in 2024, the question becomes what will the team look like in 2025?

This will be an interesting offseason. In effect, the team is entering year two of this administration and what has been shown so far is a willingness to move & acquire players. The Kansas City Current have significantly overhauled their roster over the past 12 months. There are only three players that started the final match of 2023 and the final match of 2024 (Lo, Debinha, and Cooper). Hamilton and Izzy both saw the field in those two games as well, but there are a full seven players who appeared in that last game of ’23 who aren’t even on the roster anymore–and as we started earlier this week, more could follow (Hamilton, Ball, Franch).

Roster turnover can be really uncomfortable as a fan; one day you’re rooting for ___ and the next day you’re rooting against her (or at least her new team). Last year’s offseason felt particularly painful with several fan favorites (Loera, Kizer, Del Fava, etc.) being sent packing.

Some of that was due to the expansion draft (good riddance) but it’s also absolutely true that much of this roster shuffling has really worked to benefit the Current. KC’s high-flying attack was spearheaded by new additions (e.g. Bia and the newly minted league MVP Chawinga), and their much-improved defense happened because of in-season changes.

It would seem, for a team coming off a year as successful as Kansas City’s, there wouldn’t be the need for such dramatic alterations and yet this front office has likely earned the benefit of the doubt. One new addition is already known: Opeyemi Ajakaye, but how else could the team that takes the field next spring look different?

Who Stays and Who Goes?

First of all, of the twelve players not currently under contract with the team for 2025, who is most likely to return: Elizabeth Ball, Kristen Hamilton, Nichelle Prince, AD Franch, Almuth Schult, Katie Fraine, Mallory Weber, Hildah Magaia, Stine Ballisager, Sophie Braun, Regan Steigleder, and Desiree Scott?

An argument could be made to bring back most of these athletes, but Schult and Prince would be the most obvious candidates. Schult is 33 years old, but goalie years work differently. Prince, who is still in her prime at 29, became an increasingly trusted member of the attack.

Ball, Franch, and Ballisager were all regular starters at different points in 2024 and so would seem to provide important depth if they’re OK with likely reduced playing time. Hamilton, Magaia, and Steigleder (who might already have been signed for next season) were all, when healthy, regularly included on the bench even if they didn’t necessarily see the field a lot.

Fraine would currently be the third-string keeper, but depending on what happens to Schult and Franch, could inch up the depth chart (though she’s also the oldest of the bunch at 36). Weber has a rather tragic streak of bad injury luck and so, after only seeing the field for a few minutes over the last couple seasons, could be out. Braun has gotten some important minutes while on loan this year (and with the Argentina national team) so could find her way back into the fold. And of course Scott gets to ride off into the sunset of retirement.

Likely several, if not most, of this group of a dozen players will not be returning. Just as Sporting recently said goodbye to multiple athletes who may one day become a “Legend,” this could signal the end of the line (in Kansas City) for beloved players such as AD Franch and Kristen Hamilton. They would both appear to still have a few years of good soccer left, but they would have to seemingly be comfortable with a reserve role if they stayed with the KC Current.

More Signings are Coming

But for every player that exits, someone else will enter. As has been demonstrated over this season, the challenge in having such a deep and talented roster is that there are only so many minutes to go around. Even just looking at some of the players who departed midseason this year: Lavogez, Lauren, Spaanstra, Glas–they are all getting regular playing time and contributing in their new situations. It’s undeniable that the Current would be a stronger team with each of those four still in the mix, but it’s also understandable that they would want more minutes than what they were seeing this year in KC.

So, how to construct a team full of 28 quality pieces but with everyone satisfied with their usage? Youth would seem to be one logical route. A teen may be more willing to sit behind an established veteran, but as has been proven this year (Hutton and Pfeiffer), could also contribute when called upon.

With that said, the NWSL is entering a new era with the abolishment of the draft. Over the past couple of years, KC has acquired players like Cooper, Wheeler, Spaanstra, Loera, etc. via the draft, but every amateur player is now, in effect, a free agent. This could really work in the Current’s favor as nowhere else will be able to boast the infrastructure and facilities like Kansas City. What up and coming player wouldn’t love the idea of a locker all her own (and not one she only gets to use on gamedays because it’s not their stadium)? Also, while several other teams are in rebuild mode, KC’s already in their championship era–with two cup titles this year and bigger and better things on the horizon.

Assuming at least Schult and Prince are re-signed and assuming full health for everyone, the starting eleven and key bench players likely looks something like this: Schult, Robinson, Cook, Mace, Wheeler, LaBonta, Hutton, Debinha, Cooper, Chawinga, & Bia starting with Prince, Rodriguez, DiBernardo, Pfeiffer, Sharples, Feist, and Jeriko available off the bench. That’s a solid 18.

Are there any holes? Probably another true “number 9” couldn’t hurt. The team has a lot of athletes who can play in that striker role, but really only Bia (and Hamilton) are best suited for that. Should Hamilton move on and Bia deal with any further injury setbacks, the team, as was the case down the stretch this year, becomes too one-dimensional, too reliant on Chawinga magic. In much the same way that Marta and Banda pair well together for Orlando, Kansas City needs to make sure they have another truly dangerous attacker to take some of the attention off of Temwa.

A year ago, likely very few people in Kansas City knew the name Temwa Chawinga but now she’s one of the city’s biggest stars. Will 2025 have any similar revelations in store?