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I know last week we said to go get paid … but don’t everyone leave at once. Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan, Jeff Rueter and Melanie Anzidei  — welcome to Full Time!

Heading Abroad

Just in: Nighswonger to Arsenal 🚨

The tea isn’t even cold yet on Naomi Girma’s $1.1 million transfer to Chelsea, and now another U.S. women’s national team defender is packing her bags for England.

Arsenal are finalizing a deal for former NWSL Rookie of the Year Jenna Nighswonger from Gotham FC. As Meg reported moments ago, Arsenal is offering $100,000 for Nighswonger’s transfer (she’s under contract with Gotham through 2025). A quick refresher:

Nighswonger was part of the USWNT’s Olympic roster last summer, but made her debut for the Americans in December 2023 after receiving her first camp call-up a month prior.

Her minutes at Gotham dipped in the latter half of the 2024 season following the addition of Jess Carter and increased playing time for Mandy Freeman, but the 24-year-old Nighswonger is only just getting started.

This move abroad follows those of Girma and former NWSL MVP Kerolin. So is it time for the league to hit the panic button?

Maybe not. Meg will calm us down in a moment, but first …

Why do Chelsea need Girma?

Michael Cox said it best in his dispatch from Stamford Bridge as Chelsea defeated Arsenal 1-0 on Sunday in the WSL:

Before kickoff — as the sun started to rise on the East Coast, and the moon still shone brightly on the West — Chelsea officially welcomed Girma to their home in front of a record-breaking crowd. It was both a statement of intention and a flex of power.

It wasn’t The Blues’ best game (it took Guro Reiten’s late penalty to seal the victory after a red card went to Arsenal’s Katie McCabe), but they did just enough to secure the win — and possibly the league title, with 10 games to go and a seven-point lead in the standings at 11-1-0.

So why did the seven-time Women’s Super League champions spend $1.1 million to bring in another world-class player? 

Girma’s resume speaks for itself, we know this. And with a clear need for more depth behind (or in front of) Millie Bright and Nathalie Bjorn, Chelsea looked to the best for help.

Once healthy, the 24-year-old Girma will quickly challenge for one of those starting center back spots and Chelsea will be all the better for the competition. It also gives head coach Sonia Bompastor formation versatility.

🎧 We broke down everything you need to know about Girma’s transfer and more in our “Full Time” emergency podcast released last night.

Meg’s Corner

Is the NWSL in trouble?

This weekend, we asked “Full Time” podcast listeners for their questions about Chelsea signing Girma. While everyone wanted to know about the money, many also wondered if this was a sign of the NWSL in crisis.

The concern over the movement to Europe is palpable. After all, it wasn’t just Girma, but Kerolin going to Manchester City, and now my report today that Nighswonger is headed to Arsenal.

The NWSL has experienced this news cycle plenty of times before. You can go back to Megan Rapinoe heading to France, Alex Morgan’s turn at Lyon, Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle at Manchester City and Lindsey Horan being loaned to Lyon before the move became a permanent one.

However, Girma’s deal feels different and bigger than all of those, as the key to the USWNT defense signed a long-term deal with Chelsea, signaling a new level of ambition. The NWSL has to take that as a challenge to be solved. International competition must force the league to be better, teams to invest more and salary caps and transfer fee limits to be raised.

The concern shouldn’t be over Girma, Kerolin and Nighswonger leaving the NWSL. After all, it’s 2025, and women’s football is more global than ever — and the freedom for players to assert where they want to go is better than ever in the NWSL.

I don’t think there’s a crisis for the NWSL, but the league has been challenged. It’s time to step up.

Notables

The Dash are up to something

When Ted Segal bought a majority stake in the Houston Dash and Dynamo in 2021, he stated clear intentions to revitalize both clubs. The MLS branch has fared well, returning to competitiveness over the last two seasons, but the Dash has yet to enjoy the same renaissance.

2022: They finished in fourth place in the NWSL — their only playoff appearance in 11 seasons.

2023: They dropped to 10th.

2024: Finished last.

However, this offseason has seen the club make moves worthy of a playoff hopeful:

Yazmeen Ryan is the new midfield focal point, joining via trade from Gotham.

Houston has brought in a few other proven winners, too: midfielder Danielle Colaprico from San Diego, Delanie Sheehan and Abby Smith from Gotham and first-team All-American midfielder Maggie Graham from Duke.

They also signed former Rookie of the Year finalist Messiah Bright from Angel City earlier today.

Another move on Friday, however, left some wondering if it’s all part of a long-term vision … or a quick pitch.

Last week, Sportico reported Segal hired investment bank PJT Partners “to assess potential investment options for the NWSL team.”

“Given this backdrop and the unprecedented level of interest in the NWSL from high-quality investors, I believe now is the right time to explore whether there are additional resources that we can attract to help the Dash succeed well into the future.”

It’s not known what will come from the assessment, with a range of possible outcomes including a controlling stake sale, new supplemental investors or no changes at all. But it is a sign that the Dash may still need help to contend at the highest level.

Mark your calendars

If you somehow missed all the fun social content from your favorite clubs announcing the news last Wednesday, the NWSL regular-season calendar is here. (Our favorite is the Spirit’s ‘90s-throwback Now That’s What I Call Spirit! promo.) Here’s what you need to know:

The penultimate season of 14 teams — with Boston and likely Denver joining in 2026 — includes 190 regular-season games.

The season opens March 14 with two matches: Houston Dash vs. Washington Spirit and Orlando Pride vs. Chicago Stars. Like last year, the 2025 calendar unofficially kicks off one week earlier with the Challenge Cup, featuring an NWSL championship rematch between the Pride and Spirit on March 7 at 8 p.m. ET.

Decision Day is back with seven simultaneous matches on the final day of the season, Nov. 2. Get your screens ready now.

The league is trying to make Rivalry Week a thing, featuring three matches dubbed the Cascadia Rivalry (Portland Thorns vs. Seattle Reign), the SoCal Rivalry (San Diego Wave vs. Angel City FC) and East Coast Rivalry (Gotham vs. Washington Spirit).

Friday night games are back on Prime Video and Saturday nights are on ION.

Don’t worry: You’ll get a “break” in June and July just in time for the Women’s European Championship, the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, Copa América Femenina and Oceania’s Women’s Nations Cup.

Full Time First Looks

Swanson sits out: Chicago Stars marquee forward Mallory Swanson will not be with the team as it begins preseason due to personal reasons. The team did not elaborate on the absence, but said it is “fully supportive of her decision,” something Swanson thanked the club for in a statement.

Small but mighty: Don’t be fooled by Maite Oroz’s 5-foot-1 frame — the Spanish midfielder “likes a fight.”  sat down with Oroz to talk about her move to Tottenham, eating paella and finding happiness in the cold, gray British winters.

Drinking in the game: For decades, soccer fans in the UK have not been able to enjoy their preferred adult beverages while watching matches at stadiums. This is due to a 40-year ban on alcoholic drinks in seats. However, four Women’s Championship teams could help reverse the rule.

SoCal switch: Former Angel City FC head coach Becki Tweed is headed south, according to Equalizer Soccer, to join San Diego Wave head coach Jonas Eidevall’s staff.

📫 Love Full Time? These stories can also be found on Yahoo’s women’s sports hub, in partnership with Also, check out ’s other newsletters.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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