NWSL news: Zambian Chanda set for NWSL move per report, additional Summer Cup details released, and more

NWSL news: According to a report from BolaNews, Zambian midfielder Grace Chanda 'is set to join an NWSL club'

This league continues to get even more global. Two record transfers in the offseason. One rumored incoming almost mid-way through the NWSL season. The talent of the Zambian national team is quietly making its way into the most competitive women's football league in the world.

Calvin Kaumba Chikenge of BolaNews reported on the afternoon of May 28 that the current 26-year-old Grace Chanda of Madrid CFF "has agreed to personal terms with an NWSL club, with two others reportedly vying for her signature as the player expressed her desire to leave Spain" two weeks after she was said to be "pursued" by two Spanish sides and one NWSL outfit. Orlando Pride, San Diego Wave, and Racing Louisville FC were all mentioned in the report.

If she does pen a deal with the Pride, Chanda would join her Zambian teammate Barbra Banda who is practically taking the entire league by storm with her energetic play in the frontline through seven league fixtures. It is said that one of those above clubs will "potentially" reveal her once the Liga F season concludes on June 16.

One of Africa's top talents has been with Madrid Club de Fútbol Femenino since September 2022 when she made the transition from BIIK Kazygurt, the 17-time winner of the Kazakhstani Championship. That contract with the Liga F side is set to expire in September of this year. Chanda has spent the majority of this past season on the sideline due to an illness that forced her to miss eight months on the pitch. 357 days stood between her last club outing in 2023 and her first this year. She scored her first goal in nearly a year against Valencia this month after coming on for Seattle Reign loanee Luany in the 81'.

In the 2022-23 Spanish top-flight season, Chanda piled up five goal contributions, ranking 17th in the entire league in shot-creating actions per 90 minutes. Along with her ex-club teammate and current Bay FC star Racheal Kundananji, she was one of 10 players 25 years old or younger with at least four shot-creating actions per 90 minutes during that campaign.

NWSL news: NWSL dropped 'further details for the first-ever NWSL X LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup,' most importantly, the broadcast information

We're in for quite the summer of women's football. Mark those calendars now, not only at the international level but also in the club realm. A little over two months ago, the league announced a partnership with the Mexican women's top-flight, Liga MX Femenil. It laid the groundwork for an intriguing club competition during the Olympics, featuring two elite women's football leagues. Yesterday, we learned a little bit more. The Summer Cup, as it has been dubbed will kick off on July 19 with all 14 NWSL clubs and the six teams with the most points achieved in Liga MX Femenil Clausura and Apertura during 2023 all competing for a single club crown.

CBS Sports will be the exclusive English-language distributor of all 33 Summer Cup matches, all of which are set to stream live on Paramount+.11 will be simulcasted on CBS Sports Golazo Network while12 matches will be aired on CBS Sports Network, including the semifinals and championship match.

As far as the Spanish-language broadcast goes, you can tune into TUDN and NWSL+. The league will release the information for "international distribution" in the coming weeks. The four clubs with the most points through the three matches each in the group stages will advance to the semifinals scheduled for August 6 at CPKC Stadium, the home of KC Current. So, even if you win your group, you're not guaranteed to make it through. It's an interesting storyline to follow when the competition kicks off. The championship will be played in San Antonio, Texas on Friday, October 25 at Toyota Field, the home of USL Championship side, San Antonio FC.

Summer Cup groups:

Group A: Portland Thorns FC, Seattle Reign FC, Utah Royals FC, Tijuana
Group B: Angel City FC, San Diego Wave FC, Bay FC, Club América
Group C: Kansas City Current, Houston Dash, Tigres UANL, Pachuca
Group D: NJ/NY Gotham FC, Washington Spirit, Chicago Red Stars, Chivas de Guadalajara
Group E: Orlando Pride, North Carolina Courage, Racing Louisville FC, Rayadas de Monterrey (recent Clausura 2024 champions)

Opening Night schedule (Friday, July 19):

Seattle Reign vs. Utah Royals FC at 9:00 p.m. EST on Paramount+/CBS Sports Network and NWSL+
Tigres vs. Pachuca at 10:00 p.m. EST on Paramount+/CBS Sports Golazo Network and NWSL+

Click the link to view the full set of Summer Cup rules.

NWSL news: Young English defender Esme Morgan rumored to be moving to the Washington Spirit after departing Manchester City

The time for lifelong Manchester City supporter, Esme Morgan to depart the club has come. As confirmed yesterday morning by the player and the club itself, Morgan will leave the Women's Super League outfit this summer after making 87 appearances across all competitions since 2017. BBC's Emma Sanders broke the news in one of her latest pieces that the English defender's next destination is the NWSL, more specifically, the Washington Spirit. Nothing has been confirmed as of the time of writing, but the move is in fact pending international clearance and a work permit.

The news comes soon after Washington added ex-Notre Dame defender Waniya Hudson to the roster through the end of the season. Morgan, a Sheffield native joined the Citizens at the U-15 level, playing all across the defensive line while at the senior level. During the early days, the English international was used as an attacking threat but quickly transitioned to the opposite end of the pitch, similar to her potential new teammate Tara McKeown, who switched to center back last year under Mark Parsons.

In a statement via City's website, Morgan expressed gratitude for her time in Sky Blue while explaining why she opted to move away from the club she has known for so long.

“The detail they gave me taught me things and made me see football in a way I never had before...More recently, when I’ve felt my ambitions lie elsewhere and I need something different in my career, they put what the Club wanted to the side a little bit and really helped prioritize what I feel I need for my career," Morgan described.

She has amassed eight total caps for her senior national team including one in 2024 as the right-sided center back in a 7-2 drubbing of Austria back in February. Sarina Wiegman named Morgan to the Lionesses' 2023 Women's World Cup squad, but like five others, she was an unused substitute. After making 15 starts in the 2022-23 WSL season, Gareth Taylor called upon the 23-year-old just nine times in league play during its near title-winning campaign. In all the outings she did slot into the starting XI, Morgan was deployed at right back. Her versatility is going to be incredibly valuable for the Spirit who could use some depth defensively, particularly in those center-back positions.