NWSL Season Preview 2023: 1 major question for each team

Jan 12, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; A general view of an official game ball during the NWSL Draft at Pennsylvania Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; A general view of an official game ball during the NWSL Draft at Pennsylvania Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports /
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Aug 17, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Dash forward Ebony Salmon (11) controls the ball against the New Jersey/New York Gotham FC during the second half at PNC Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 17, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Dash forward Ebony Salmon (11) controls the ball against the New Jersey/New York Gotham FC during the second half at PNC Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports /

For the Houston Dash: Can Ordóñez help Salmon and Sánchez hold it down in Houston?

The Houston Dash managed to find themselves in the playoffs last season for the first time in club history and they have no interest in taking steps backward. They haven’t had the most momentous offseason, but they ensured that no one forgot about them when they acquired Diana Ordóñez from the North Carolina Courage on draft day and caused everyone to shake in their boots a bit.

With teams still recovering from the Ebony Salmon storm that was Houston’s 2022 season, adding Ordóñez to their roster feels almost unfair. In a heartbreaking move for OL Reign fans, the Dash named long-time Reign assistant coach Sam Laity their head coach for the upcoming season. This is an exceptionally smart move; Laity has years of experience working with the winningest coach in NWSL history (one Laura Harvey) and will be itching to prove himself as a head coach with a very capable Houston squad. When Mexican national teammates María Sánchez and Diana Ordóñez link up with Ebony Salmon, they might just become unstoppable.