UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State women’s soccer placed 17 program alumnae on National Women’s Soccer League opening day rosters ahead of the league’s 13th season, highlighted by a pair of players from the 2024 Nittany Lion roster set to make their professional debuts in KC Current rookie Katie Scott, and San Diego Wave FC first-year pro Jordan Fusco.
The 17 Nittany Lions participating in the highest level of professional women’s soccer on earth extends the program’s longstanding tradition of professional development, with Penn State alumnae appearing on nine of the league’s 14 rosters ahead of the 2025 season. PSU saw 15 alumnae return from last year’s nationally acclaimed campaign, highlighted by a pair of former Nittany Lions playing for defending NWSL Champion Orlando Pride FC in Kerry Abello and Cori Dyke. Nittany Lion goalkeeping alumna Katherine Asman continues her professional career after spending her rookie season in Portland with the Thorns organization, transferring to the Pride’s roster ahead of the new year for their 2025 title defense.
League runners-up from 2024, the Washington Spirit, welcome the return of second-year professional Kate Wiesner to the shores of the Potomac looking to build on an impressive second-place finish in the league table after finishing out of the playoff picture in 2023. Last year’s fourth-place finisher in the Kansas City Current features the greatest number of Nittany Lions on a single league roster in 2025, with former USWNT skipper Vlatko Andonovski’s side welcoming the return of Elizabeth Ball and Ellie Wheeler to KC, while introducing a pair of offseason signings from the Nittany Lion alumna ranks. National championship-winning goal-scorer and 2015 MAC Hermann Trophy Award winner Raquel Rodriguez inked a new contract with the organization during the offseason, while decorated USYNT contributor and 2024 PSU freshman Katie Scott signed her first professional contract to begin her career with the Current.
Legendary USWNT goalkeeper and long-time NWSL veteran Alyssa Naeher will celebrate her final season of professional soccer in the 2025 campaign with Chicago Stars FC, ushering in her last campaign in the league as one of the organization’s most dominant individual performers. Joining Naeher in Chicago will be third-year pro Ally Schlegel, who looks to continue building on her impressive professional start with the club. Schlegel’s old running mate in Happy Valley, Penelope Hocking, will begin her first full year in the San Fransisco Bay Area with Bay FC after being traded mid-year in 2024 from Chicago. Highlighed by team captain Sam Coffey, Portland Thorns FC features a trio of Nittany Lions, including Coffey alongside Linnehan and Morgan Messner. Racing Louisville FC enters its second year with Ellie Jean on the roster, while Utah Royals FC welcomes back Kaleigh Riehl for her second campaign in Salt Lake City. Finally, Fusco rounds out the list of 17 Nittany Lions in the NWSL, as she prepares to embark on her inaugural campaign in sunny San Diego.
The 2025 NWSL regular season kicks off later tonight, Friday, March 14, with a pair of season-opening matchups at 8 p.m. (ET) featuring the defending champion Orlando Pride and Chicago Stars FC, as well as the Houston Dash and Washington Spirit. Fans interested in tuning into NWSL matches over the course of the 2025 campaign can do so via a variety of means, including matchups on Amazon Prime Video, ION, CBS, Paramount+, ESPN, ABC and the league’s own streaming service, NWSL+. Regular season action will conclude on Decision Sunday, November 2, with playoffs set to begin shortly thereafter. The NWSL Championship will be decided on Saturday night, November 22.
Back in Happy Valley, Penn State is fresh off yet another impressive campaign highlighted by the program’s second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament National Quarterfinals. The Blue & White return a number of key contributors from last year’s roster that published a 15-7-3 record while making a run to the Elite Eight, including five starters from last year’s quarterfinal matchup at North Carolina, namely Mackenzie Gress, Molly Martin, Kayleigh Herr, Amelia White and Bella Ayscue. Legendary head coach Erica Dambach will usher in her 19th season at the helm in University Park in 2025, looking to lift the program to its sixth NCAA Women’s College Cup and second national title in the program’s 32nd varsity campaign.
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Visit GoPSUSports.com for more information on Penn State women’s soccer. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion women’s soccer team on X and Instagram @PennStateWSOC, in addition to the team’s Facebook page at /PSUWomensSoccer.