NWSL news: July Best XI features a KC Current trio, Dorsey joins Dallas Trinity on loan, and more

NWSL news: July Best XI drops for the month of July, with KC Current the most well-represented club for the second straight month

Coming off an eventual month which included an inaugural multi-league tournament, the NWSL announced the 11 players on the league's Best XI of the Month for July. Once again, the Kansas City Current led the way with three players — Lo’eau LaBonta, Debinha, and forward Kristen Hamilton. LaBonta, who was named to the Team of the Month for June, is the only player among the 11 to have already been honored with this recognition this season.

This was Debinha's 12th appearance on an NWSL Team of the Month, the second most all-time, behind only the Washington Spirit's Casey Krueger.

Angel City FC and the North Carolina Courage both feature prominently in the lineup, each owning two players. Angel City's Madison Curry and Sarah Gorden anchor half of the backline, while North Carolina's Meredith Speck stands in the midfield. The Courage's Ashley Sanchez was listed as a part of the attack as one of the three selected forwards.

Sentnor, the NWSL Rookie and Player of the Month rounds out the forward line after tallying four goal contributions in the seventh month of the year. Neighboring Curry and Gorden in the backline, Orlando Pride's Kerry Abello, and Portland Thorns FC's Meghan Klingenberg represent the two full backs.

While Ann-Katrin Berger has been excelling at the international level in France, Cassie Miller has stepped up admirably for NJ/NY Gotham FC, earning a spot as goalkeeper in the Team of the Month. Since taking over between the posts on July 20 for the Summer Cup, Miller has been outstanding. She recorded an impressive 96.67% pass accuracy this past month and hasn't conceded a goal in regular time.

NWSL news: Julia Dorsey, a North Carolina Courage rookie defender, moves to Dallas Trinity on loan for the remainder of the NWSL season

Yet another NWSL player has been loaned out to the USL Super League. It's becoming a regularity at this point. Last week, rookie midfielder Sam Meza joined Dallas Trinity FC on loan from Seattle Reign FC. This week, one of her college teammates joins her. Julia Dorsey, a former two-sport athlete at the University of North Carolina, departs the North Carolina Courage on loan to Dallas through the rest of the NWSL season.

Dorsey was drafted with the 40th overall selection in the 2024 NWSL Draft, inking a three-year deal with the Courage in mid-March along with Talia Staude and fourth round pick Landy Mertz. The Baltimore native tore her ACL during the 2023 college lacrosse campaign with the Tar Heels. According to the club, she has since been working diligently to regain full strength.

With UNC Women's Soccer, the defender was known for her versatility across the backline, averaging 77 minutes per match during her senior season in the fall of 2022. That defense with Dorsey in it collected the second-most shutouts in NCAA Division I (15).

“The important thing for Julia right now is to get as many minutes as possible,” said Courage head coach Sean Nahas. "She has recovered well from her injury and needs to build up minutes after over a year off. We look forward to tracking her continued development and appreciate all she has given to this team this season. In the end, this loan will be a good thing for Julia to help her get back to meaningful minutes."

NWSL news: Seattle sends Luany to Atlético Madrid on a permanent transfer, in exchange for an undisclosed fee after a standout loan with Madrid CFF

On Friday, it was announced that Seattle Reign FC has completed a transfer deal with Atlético Madrid, sending Luany to the Liga F club, in exchange for an undisclosed fee. The move marks the end of Luany's tenure with the Reign, during which she never made a competitive appearance in the NWSL. The 21-year-old originally came to Laura Harvey's team in February 2023 from Grêmio FBPA of Série A down in Brazil.

Last August, the Brazilian winger went on loan in the Spanish top flight with Madrid CFF through June 2024. During her time there, Luany proved to be an offensive catalyst for María Pry's side, which finished fifth in the league. She recorded 11 goal involvements within league play, the second-highest total on the team.

Only two other players in Liga F collected more successful take ons last season, one of them being arguably the best winger in the world, Caroline Graham Hansen of FC Barcelona.

“She is a bright young talent who has found an environment that suits her personal and professional goals and we've been supportive in accommodating her desire to stay in Liga F in Spain," said Reign FC General Manager Lesle Gallimore.