After claiming a first-place regular season finish and the National Women’s Soccer League Shield in 2023, San Diego Wave FC took a step back in 2024, finishing 10th in the regular season standings and missing the playoffs for the first time.
In 2025, fans can expect a roster overhaul, including a new head coach and players and new away jerseys.
Here are eight things to know going into the Wave’s fourth season in the NWSL, ahead of its regular season opener on the road against Angel City FC on March 16 and its first home game at Snapdragon Stadium against Utah Royals FC on March 22.
2024 season recap
A lot happened last year. Wave FC’s third season started by only winning three of its first 14 matches, and in June, it parted ways with head coach Casey Stoney. Assistant Paul Buckle served as the interim head coach until Landon Donovan was hired in August.
Also in June, the team named Camille Ashton as its new sporting director and general manager. She previously held the same position with the Kansas City Current.
In early July, several former Wave FC employees posted allegations on social media describing a toxic work environment under club President Jill Ellis, which the team refuted. Later that month, Ellis filed a defamation suit against an ex-staffer, saying the statements weren’t true. The case was still working its way through the court system ahead of the 2025 season.
The club acquired French forward Delphine Cascarino and signed her to a multi-year deal on July 24.
On Aug. 26, the Wave honored Abby Dahlkemper’s request and traded its first-ever player to Bay FC for $50,000 in allocation money.
Alex Morgan, one of the most highly-decorated U.S. soccer players ever, played her last game for the team at Snapdragon Stadium on Sept. 8. As a member of the Wave, she won the 2022 NWSL Golden Boot and helped lead the team to win the 2023 NWSL Shield.
The Wave and Swedish player Sofia Jakobsson mutually agreed to terminate her contract on Sept. 11. Jakobsson (like Dahlkemper and Morgan) started with the club in the 2022 inaugural season.
On Oct. 7, five former Wave FC employees filed a lawsuit against the team and the NWSL, alleging they failed to act on complaints about a toxic workplace culture. The case is pending.
On Oct. 17, the sale of the club to a Los Angeles family was finalized, with Lauren Leichtman serving as the club’s new NWSL Governor. The sale was first announced in March.
The Wave ended its 2024 season on Nov. 3 with a 3-1 win over Racing Louisville, ending up with six wins in 26 NWSL regular games.
On Dec. 3, Ellis stepped down stepped down from her position as club president to become chief football officer at FIFA.
Player losses
In 2024, the club said goodbye to several players, in addition to Dahlkemper, Morgan and Jakobsson.
On Aug. 13, Wave FC defender Sierra Enge mutually agreed to end her contract. Enge appeared in 22 games and started 15 matches during her time with the Wave. Enge was drafted out of Stanford University with the 13th overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.
Longtime defender Christen Westphal was traded — for an international roster slot and $14,000 in allocation money — to the Houston Dash on Dec.10.
This year, four players from the 2024 squad have been dealt.
Jan. 3 marked the end of midfielder Emily van Egmond’s career with the Wave. An original player from the 2022 team, van Egmond started in 58 matches and made 70 appearances overall during her time with San Diego.
Jaedyn Shaw was officially traded to the North Carolina Courage on Jan. 14. Wave FC received $450,000 in allocation money and intra-league transfer funds, as well as international roster slots for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Shaw was a 2024 Olympic gold medalist and the 2022 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year.
On Jan. 26, the Wave sent star defender Naomi Girma to Chelsea FC for a reported $1.1 million. Girma was the club’s first-ever draft pick in 2022 from Stanford University. That year, she won the NWSL Rookie and Defender of the Year honors, the first player in league history to do so.
Defender Kaitlyn Torpey was traded to the Portland Thorns in exchange for $10,000 on March 5.
New player additions
San Diego Wave FC will have an almost completely new roster, g 10 new players this off-season, including three recent college players.
On Nov. 7, Wave FC signed University of Texas star forward Trinity Byars to a two-year contract with a mutual option for 2027. The team became the first to sign an active college player. The NWSL eliminated its college draft in 2024.
UCLA defender Quincy McMahon inked a three-year deal with the Wave on Dec. 13. McMahon found the back of the net eight times in 86 matches during her four-year Bruins career. McMahon was named the Big Ten Tournament MVP this fall and was on the team that won the 2022 NCAA women’s national championship.
On Jan. 13, the club signed 19-year-old Nigerian striker Chiamaka Okwuchukwu to a one-year contract. Okwuchukwu played with the Rivers Angels FC of the Nigerian Women’s Premier League.
Forward Gia Corley agreed to a two-year contract with the Wave on Jan. 15. Corley previously suited up for TSG Hoffenheim Frauen of the German Bundesliga, where she played for four seasons, knocked in 14 goals and had 12 assists in 70 matches.
On Jan. 16, Wave FC signed 17-year-old defender Trinity Armstrong to a three-year contract. Armstrong played last year with the University of North Carolina, which won an NCAA championship. Armstrong was also a U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year nominee.
On Jan. 20, the team acquired three new players: Bosnian goalkeeper DiDi Haračić, Nigerian midfielder Favour Emmanuel and Colombian defender Sintia Cabezas.
French national player Kenza Dali inked a two-year deal on Jan. 24. The club received the midfielder via a transfer from Aston Villa of the Women’s Super League. Dali has scored 13 goals in 75 matches with the French national team, advancing with it to last summer’s Olympic quarterfinals.
In February, Wave FC obtained Canadian star Adriana Leon on a transfer from Aston Villa. The Wave signed her to a two-year contract. Leon has appeared in 121 matches for the Canadian National Team, with 41 goals and eight assists.
Key returning players
Defender Kristen McNabb inked a two-year contract extension on Oct. 24. McNabb has played in 61 matches with the club and has been part of the team since its inaugural season in 2022. She has also scored five goals, with more than 5,000 minutes played.
On Dec. 23, the team resigned goalkeeper Hillary Beall to a one-year contract. Beall played in five matches and started two of those games in 2024, including a shutout win in the Wave’s Concacaf W Champions Cup victory over Vancouver in October.
Also returning this season are Mexican National Team forward Maria Sanchez, who scored six goals and had five assists in 2024, and Canadian National Team goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, who has been with the club since the beginning.
New head coach
Wave FC officially made former Arsenal women’s coach Jonas Eidevall the team’s new coach on Jan. 7.
Eidevall held a record of 80-18-22 in three seasons with Arsenal, and the most wins for a coach in club history. Arsenal won consecutive FA Women’s League Cup titles in 2023 and 2024 and reached the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals in 2023 under Eidevall.
Key matches, promotional and theme games
The Wave will host 13 home games at Snapdragon Stadium this season, ending with a home finale on Oct. 18. The club is planning eight promotional and themed matches.
At the home opener, the first 10,000 fans to enter will receive a Wave FC baseball jersey. The club will also host a fan fest event outside of the stadium.
May 4 will be Asian American and Pacific Islander Night, featuring in-game performances and activations.
Military Appreciation Night is May 25. Guests in attendance will receive a limited edition hat.
On June 6, the club is collaborating with Trust & Will, and fans will have the opportunity to create a complimentary will.
Aug. 9 is Rivalry Night. Wave FC will face Angel City FC and a fan fest event is planned with giveaways and more details to be announced at a later date, according to the club.
An exclusive artist series hat giveaway will be part of Wave FC’s Pride Night on Aug. 24.
Sept. 26 is Noche Latina Presented, where the club celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. There will be activities and promotions honoring the Hispanic culture and traditions.
The home season finale is Fan Appreciation Night. The club will give away a limited number of custom Wave FC hockey jerseys to fans in attendance.
How to watch
All 13 Wave FC regular-season home games are scheduled to be played at Snapdragon Stadium in 2025. Tickets can be purchased via the club’s website at sandiegowavefc.com/single-game-tickets and on Ticketmaster.
Wave FC will play 26 NWSL regular-season matches, with games broadcast on various networks throughout the season, including ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN+, NWSL+, ION, Paramount+, Golazo, CBSSN and Prime Video.
Kit
In 2025, the Wave will debut a new blue away jersey. The deep blue “Altamar” kit is designed to show the reflection of the sun off the water.
Home uniforms remain the same “Del Sol” jersey, which has orange, pink, light blue and white colors with light blue shorts.
