NWSL news: O'Sullivan extends time in NC, Carter makes move to Gotham, and more

NWSL news: Irish midfielder and Courage captain Denise O'Sullivan cements her place in North Carolina for another two years

Despite interest from aboard and within the league, the fearless leader of the North Carolina Courage isn't going anywhere. Denise O'Sullivan, the star Irish midfielder, came to an agreement with the East Coast club on a new two-year contract extension through the 2026 campaign, it was announced on Monday.

On July 28, 2017, North Carolina picked up O'Sullivan off the waiver wire after she requested the Houston Dash place her there in the middle of that season. During this seven-year tenure, the midfielder has played a critical role in the club's success, winning two NWSL Championships, three NWSL Shields, two NWSL Challenge Cups, and an ICC Championship in 2018.

So far this season, the club's No. 10 has made 13 starts in 14 appearances. She leads the team in tackles plus interceptions while recording a pass completion percentage of 87 percent — the second highest on NC behind only Malia Berkely.

"I’m delighted and honored to extend my time with the North Carolina Courage. When I joined seven years ago, I had no idea how big an impact this club would have on me as a player and a person," said O'Sullivan. "The Courage prioritizes playing a beautiful style of football that suits me well and holds everyone to incredibly high standards while creating a family environment that allows for healthy growth."

"...The opportunity to serve as captain of this club has been one of the great joys of my professional life, and I am excited to stay and help teach the next wave of players what it means to be a member of the Courage."

Only three players in the history of the Courage franchise have eclipsed 100 appearances. The 30-year-old is one of them. O'Sullivan is the club's all-time appearance leader (128) and has completed over 200 more passes to date than anyone who has ever donned NC's colors, per Opta. Her 1,147 ball recoveries and 821 duels won in NWSL play are far and away the highest totals by a single player in Courage history since Opta began tracking league stats in 2016.

NWSL news: Reigning champions continue to load up, bringing in England star Jess Carter from Chelsea Women in exchange for an undisclosed transfer fee

The NWSL's most prominent "super team" just keeps getting more powerful. Defensively, NJ/NY Gotham was already performing at an elite level. On Monday, that unit added one of the world's best in women's football. Jess Carter, the Chelsea Women's star, was announced as a new Gotham player Monday, coming over from London for an undisclosed transfer fee before inking a contract through the 2026 campaign.

Carter will link back up with her now fiancée, Ann-Katrin Berger, who made her way to the States in April from West London.

The English international will pair up with USWNT defender Tierna Davidson to create what has to be one of if not the best center back duo in the world. Emily Sonnett should slide into either the six role or move back to a full back position. This season, Gotham has conceded 13 goals, the second fewest in the league, behind only the Orlando Pride. Now, add Carter. Breaking this team down during this stretch run and in the postseason is going to be quite a tall task for even the NWSL's elite.

“Jess is a world-class player with incredible experience at both the club and international level,” said Yael Averbuch West, Gotham's General Manager and Head of Soccer Operations. “We are very excited for her to add to the existing high-level competition in our environment.”

The numbers jump off the page when you look at Carter. She sits in the 88th percentile in pass completion percentage and the 87th percentile in tackles won among center backs, per FBref. In her final season in London, the defender ranked 13th in the Women's Super League in ball recoveries. She was also one of three players in the league with at least 29 tackles won and more than 61 clearances recorded in league play.

NWSL news: Seattle Reign and Chicago Red Stars enhance attacking depth, adding Nérilia Mondésir and Ludmila respectively

Two of the NWSL's OG clubs made public acquisitions of international-level attacking talent on Monday.

Eyeing to secure a spot in the NWSL playoffs, the Chicago Red Stars brought in Brazilian international Ludmila on a three-year contract through the 2026 season. Per Chicago, she'll join the Red Stars following the Paris Olympics and approval of a P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate. The long-time Atlético Madrid attacker will occupy one of the club’s international roster spots.

The Brazilian forward has been with the Liga F outfit since August 2017, winning two league titles, a Supercopa Femenina, and a Copa de la Reina. Ludmila scored 63 goals in nearly 160 appearances for Atlético across seven years at the club. In June, it was reported by Relevo that the forward had rejected a contract extension to stay in Spain.

So far at the Olympics, she has played in both of Brazil's matches, most recently tallying an assist in the defeat to Japan in a central striker role. At club level, Ludmila has spent most of her recent campaigns in that central position. It'll be interesting to see how Lorne Donaldson deploys the forward and what the interchange between her, Mallory Swanson, and Penelope Hocking looks like.

Out West, amid an incredibly tough campaign, Seattle Reign signed forward Nérilia Mondésir through the 2026 season, with a mutual option for 2027, for an agreed upon transfer fee from Montpellier HSC of Division 1 Féminine.

“We are thrilled to add a player of Nérilia’s caliber to our roster,” said coach Laura Harvey. “She is known for her creative ability with her speed of play and has experienced success for both her club and country. We look forward to utilizing her skillset to elevate our attack and help the club reach its goals this season and beyond.”

Mondésir is set to join the club in August, pending receipt of her International Transfer Certificate, becoming the first Haitian-born player in league history.

The 25-year-old has made 117 appearances in the French top flight over the last six seasons. Mondésir's goal involvement total has increased season over season during that span, contributing to 35 goals in 88 starts, per FBref. She can play out wide, or through the middle of Harvey's attack. Speed and dynamism are what stand out about her game. It's that finishing touch that needs a bit of work. Even though Mondésir is in the 98th percentile in successful take-on attempts, she is in the 15th percentile in goals per shot attempt among forwards, per FBref.