The 2023 Kansas City Current season was the team's third season as a professional soccer team. The Current played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top tier of women's soccer in the United States.
Background
The Current were finalists in the 2022 season, losing 2–0 to Portland Thorns FC in the championship match. This was a vast turnaround from the 2021 season, in which the Current finished last in the regular season.
Summary
Ownership changes In January 2023, the club announced Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as a new club co-owner.
Coaching changes On January 25, 2023, the Current announced that it had hired Sweden under-19 national team manager Caroline Sjöblom as an assistant to head coach Matt Potter on a contract until 2024. In an interview with Aftonbladet, she said the offer was for more money than any club in Sweden could provide and praised the Current's facilities, staff, and ambitions.
Injuries
On October 16, 2022, midfielder Claire Lavogez suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the Current's NWSL playoffs quarter-finals match against Houston Dash. On January 30, 2023, the Current announced that she would remain on the team's season-ending injury list while recovering, though she was expected to recover during the summer.
In January 2023, midfielder Sam Mewis underwent a second surgery for a knee injury that she had been rehabilitating since 2021, and Kansas City announced that she would remain on the season-ending injury list as she had been in 2022. The team also bought out her contract and re-signed her to a one-year deal toward her recovery. She had not yet made a regular-season appearance since her acquisition.
During the Current's April 19, 2023, match against the Houston Dash, defender Mallory Weber tore her right ACL. The match had been Weber's first since tearing her ACL in the same knee a year prior. The Current announced on April 27 that it had added Weber to the season-ending injury list.
The Current also dealt with early-season injuries to defenders Elizabeth Ball and Alex Loera, and midfielder and co-captain Desiree Scott, forcing the club to rely on defensive rookies Gabrielle Robinson, a draft pick, and Croix Soto, a preseason trialist.
Draft, trades, and transfers
Free agent signings The NWSL introduced free agency after the 2022 NWSL season as part of its newly signed collective bargaining agreement with the NWSL Players Association, and the Current acquired free agents Vanessa DiBernardo and Morgan Gautrat from the Chicago Red Stars, and Debinha from the North Carolina Courage.
Orlando Pride, FC Barcelona Femení, Paris Saint-Germain Féminine, Manchester United W.F.C., and unnamed clubs in Brazil were all reportedly pursuing Debinha, with the Pride confirmed to have extended a contract offer.
On July 3, the Current announced the transfer of Danish international Stine Ballisager Pedersen from Norwegian Toppserien club Vålerenga, signing a contract to play for the club through the 2024 season with an option for an additional year. Ballisager had been named to the Danish squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup and was expected to join the team after the tournament. Neither club disclosed the transfer fee, but Vålerenga described it as the largest in club history.
NWSL Draft
On January 12, 2023, the Current traded forward Lynn Williams to NJ/NY Gotham FC in exchange for the second-overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft, which Kansas City used to select Michelle Cooper. The trade was a surprise to Williams, who was at United States national team camp in New Zealand when it happened. The North Carolina Courage had traded Williams to the Current on January 10, 2022, but she suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup and had not appeared for Kansas City in a regular-season match.
On April 1, draft pick Mykiaa Minniss's mother claimed that Minniss had been treated poorly by the team. Current general manager Camille Ashton denied knowledge of Minniss's claims, which Minniss subsequently contested.
March/April The Current started the regular season with three consecutive losses, conceding nine goals, including a 1–4 loss in its April 1 home opener against Portland Thorns FC that featured a Sophia Smith hat-trick. The match against Portland drew 11,301, which set a club record for attendance to a home opener.
On April 19, Kansas City fired Potter after opening the season with three losses, citing "issues around his leadership and employment responsibilities" as reasons in a statement. The firing occurred hours before the Current were to play Houston Dash in the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup. The club appointed Sjöblom as interim head coach. Sjöblom learned of Potter's firing and her appointment hours before it occurred and led the Current to a 2–0 victory in her debut as manager, comparing the short turnaround to the limited preparation she had as a youth international coach.
The Current subsequently won two more matches to close out April, both 2–0 victories over Orlando Pride and NJ/NY Gotham FC. Free-agent signing Debinha scored three of her first four goals with the Current in these two matches, including both match-winning tallies.
May
June On June 14, 2023, the Kansas City Current announced the hiring of former Washington Spirit assistant coach Lee Nguyen as an assistant coach under Sjöblom.
Style of play The Current began the 2023 season under head coach Matt Potter in a 4–3–3 formation before returning to a three-center-back formation used in the 2022 season. After Potter's firing, interim head coach Caroline Sjöblom expressed a preference for a four-back, possession-based system but noted difficulties implementing it without the benefit of a full preseason, and with injuries to starting defender Elizabeth Ball and midfielder Morgan Gautrat.
Stadium and facilities The team currently plays at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, sharing it with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer. In October 2021, the team announced plans to build its own 11,500-capacity venue on the Berkley Riverfront of Kansas City, which is expected to open in late 2023 or early 2024, in time for the 2024 NWSL regular season.
The Current continued to train in their dedicated practice facility in Riverside, Missouri, which opened in June 2022. It was the first purpose-built practice facility for an NWSL team.
Team
Technical staff
Squad
NationPlayer
Competitions
Challenge Cup
Group stage
West Division standings
Results by matchday
Regular season
Matches
Regular season standings
Results summary
Results by matchday
Awards
NWSL monthly awards + Best XI of the Month Month Player March/April MF Debinha June MF Debinha (2)
NWSL weekly awards
+ Player of the Week Player Won 4 DF 5 MF Won 13 MF 14 GK
+ Save of the Week Player Won 5 GK 14 GK
Transactions
2023 NWSL Draft
+ 2023 NWSL Draft selections, by round Player College Status 1 2 Duke University Signed a three-year contract. 10 University of Virginia Signed a two-year contract. 2 15 West Virginia Signed a one-year contract with a one-year option. 18 Iowa State University Signed a two-year contract. 3 35 Washington State University Was not signed; rights waived. 4 38 Vanderbilt University Opted to finish college. 42 University of Kansas Signed a one-year contract. 48 University of Mississippi Was not signed; rights waived.
Contract operations + Contract options Date Player Notes November 15, 2022 Option exercised.
+ Re-signings Date Player Notes November 15, 2022 Re-signed to a two-year contract. December 19, 2022 Re-signed to a three-year contract. December 20, 2022 Re-signed to a two-year contract. January 5, 2023 Re-signed to a three-year contract. January 24, 2023 Free agent re-signed to a one-year contract. January 30, 2023 Previous contract bought out; re-signed to a one-year contract.
Transfers + Transfers in Date Player Previous team Fee/notes December 7, 2022 Chicago Red Stars Free agent signed to a two-year contract. Chicago Red Stars Free agent signed to a two-year contract. December 22, 2022 FC Rosengård Signed a two-year contract. January 9, 2023 North Carolina Courage Free agent signed a two-year contract with an option for a third year. February 7, 2023 Bayern Munich Signed a two-year contract with mutual option for a third year. April 14, 2023 University of Oregon Preseason trialist signed to a one-year contract. July 3, 2023 Vålerenga Transferred for an undisclosed fee and signed through the 2024 season with an option for an additional year.
+ Transfers out Date Player Destination team Fee/notes November 15, 2022 None. Waived. AC Sparta Prague Waived. December 23, 2022 Chicago Red Stars Waived. January 11, 2023 OL Reign Traded with the 23rd-overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft in exchange for $150,000 in allocation money. January 12, 2023 NJ/NY Gotham FC Traded in exchange for the second-overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.
Retirements Date Player November 29, 2022
Injury listings Date Player Injury list Notes January 30, 2023 Anterior cruciate ligament tear suffered in 2022 NWSL quarter-finals. Season-ending injury Progressive right leg injury. Season-ending injury April 26, 2023 Right knee anterior cruciate ligament tear. Season-ending injury
References