NWSL news: Thorns reveal plans for dual training facility, Sylla joins Spirit on loan from Lyon and more

Portland Thorns FC's owners release plans to open the world’s first dual-sport women’s performance center, housing Thorns and WNBA franchise

Strides continue to be made off the pitch in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Jessica Berman has stressed the importance of installing top-of-the-line performance institutions to foster the league's growth. The Oregon outfit heard the commissioner loud and clear.

On Thursday, RAJ Sports, the owners of Portland Thorns FC and the future National Women's Basketball Association (WNBA) franchise in Oregon, released plans for a state-of-the-art 63,000-square-foot training and performance facility. While NWSL clubs have previously collaborated with Major League Soccer (MLS) regarding stadiums and practice facilities, this marks the first instance of a WNBA team sharing training space with an NWSL side.

RAJ Sports, a sports investment platform of the Bhathal family, is slated to repurpose an old Nike office complex located in Hillsboro, Oregon -- about 20 miles from Providence Park. This announcement comes two years after Lindsey Horan called out the franchise's training facilities as one of the reasons for leaving on a permanent transfer in favor of the French top-flight. Under a new ownership group, that bought the team in January 2024 for $63 million, the Thorns are finally addressing it.

The center will feature dressing rooms for NWSL and WNBA teams, family areas for players, a dining room staffed by a full-time chef and nutritionist, a 17,000-square-foot practice gym, two regulation-sized basketball courts and soccer fields and a 5,000 square-foot site focused on strength training among other highlights.

“It’s an exciting time for our Club, and as players, we are thrilled to be getting a first-of-its-kind, dedicated women's performance center," said Sophia Wilson (formerly Smith), Thorns forward. "This kind of high-performance training facility allows us to elevate every part of our game, becoming better and more well-rounded athletes.

"Having a space designed specifically for female athletes gives us yet another leg up on the competition and will be vital to our future successes."

This venue is set to become a key center for women's sports in the Pacific Northwest. The owners of the Portland Thorns, Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, were awarded the WNBA's 15th franchise last September, launching in 2026. The currently unnamed team becomes Portland's first professional women's basketball team since the Portland Fire's operations ended in 2002.

21-year-old defender Kysha Sylla departs Lyon for the Washington Spirit on loan for 2025 season

Eyeing necessary defensive depth ahead of a lengthy NWSL campaign, Washington Spirit performed business with its fellow sister club across the pond for a promising French youngster -- Kysha Sylla. Sylla, a 21-year-old French youth international, joins the Spirit on loan from the European giants after extending her contract through June 2027.

Sylla inked her first professional deal with Lyon in 2021 after spending two years at the club's academy level. So far, the three-time Premiere Ligue winner has recorded 17 appearances, including nine starts, with the Les Lyonnaises. In addition to those three league titles, Sylla was a part of a UEFA Women's Champions League-winning squad back in 2021-22. Her new coach in the nation's capital, Jonatan Giráldez, was on the losing end of that year's final.

While Sylla can play in the midfield, if injuries require her to, it's likely we'll see her in Giraldez's center back rotation, alongside Tara McKeown and Esme Morgan. Anaig Butel, one of Washington's most used center halves last season, went back to the Premiere Ligue in January, presenting an opportunity for someone like Sylla to see valuable minutes in 2025.

“Kysha represents another talented addition to this year’s roster,” said club'sMark Krikorian, the cliub's President of Soccer Operations & General Manager via the press release. “We expect her to have a significant impact on the team’s success in the defending third this season.”

FC Barcelona goalkeeper, Gemma Font, reportedly rejected an offer to join Utah Royals FC

Utah Royals FC's hopes of bringing in another Spaniard into the squad took a hit this window. According to a report out of Spain from @LaTdG_oficial, Barcelona goalkeeper Gemma Font shut down an offer to link up with Claudia Zornoza and Ana Tejada in Utah. It is rumored that Font also has offers from other clubs in Spain and the Women's Super League.

Font, who entered the fold at Barca via the academy back in 2013, is heading into the final months of her two-year contract extension she signed back in June 2022. Serving predominantly as the third-choice keeper, Font has managed to amass just 12 league starts in the last two and a half seasons.

Utah's goalkeeping room includes number one option Mandy Haught, who recently received her first senior USWNT call-up in October, Florida State product Cristina Roque and rookie Mia Justus. The Royals could try again for Font during the secondary transfer window in the summer, beginning on July 1. However, the franchise clearly believes in Haught to be the future, extending the former Gotham FC player through 2029 less than a month ago.