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 last week 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.
Outgoing transfers and intra-league trades can still take place, but the transfer window is now closed for new summer arrivals in the NWSL. 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.
– How women’s transfer record skyrocketed with Ovalle move
– NWSL Power Rankings: Orlando Pride are officially in a slump
– USWNT debutants ranked: All 24 players with first caps under Hayes
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.