NWSL Season Preview 2024: 10 newcomers to watch

3. Barbra Banda

After missing out on Debinha last year, one could have guessed Orlando Pride was ready to splash some big-time cash ahead of the 2024 season. Seb Hines' crew was on the brink of the playoffs in 2023, missing out to the eventual champions, NJ/NY Gotham FC due to goal differential. Just a few days ago with the season looming, Orlando Pride added to the new African talent across the league. The club sent a $740,000 transfer fee to Chinese Women’s Super League side Shanghai Shengli FC in exchange for 23-year-old Barbra Banda. That makes the Copper Queens the owners of the two most expensive women's footballers in history.

Banda, who netted 41 goals in 52 total contests at the club level in China will act as an addition to the talent already in-house in Brazilian winger Adriana, the club's leading goal contributor in 2023. The Zambian played a part in 21 goals for Shanghai in 2023 and secured the 2020 CWSL Golden Boot with 18 goals, nine more than one of KC Current's newest players Temwa Chawinga.

Banda made her debut in the qualification competition for the 2016 Women's Africa Cup of Nations. Since then, the Zambian has been the heartbeat of the national team, appearing in two major tournaments. Not to mention she, Kundananji, and others were subject to extreme discriminatory acts by the Confederation of African Football in 2022. Banda scored two goals in the lead-up to the World Cup last summer against Germany while playing a part in two goals for Zambia en route to the nation's first-ever WWC triumph.

Recently, Banda kept Zambia's hopes of qualifying for the Summer Olympics alive, netting a stoppage-time equalizer to send her country into extra time against Ghana back in late February. The country from southern Africa is one of just four nations left vying for two spots in Paris.