# 2025 Houston Dash season

The 2025 Houston Dash season will be the team's twelfth season as an American professional women's soccer team in the National Women's Soccer League.

## Season summary
### Pre-season

Immediately following the 2024 season, the Houston Dash started their preparation for the 2025 NWSL Season. Houston began the offseason by strengthening their roster, signing Delanie Sheehan from NJ/NY Gotham FC on December 4, 2024. The next day, Houston started work to extend contracts to players, signing defender Avery Patterson for another three seasons with the team. On December 6, 2024, Houston made two more roster moves agreeing to mutually terminate Elin Rubensson's contract and offering a contract extension to Kiki Van Zanten for another two years with a mutual year option. On December 10, 2024, Houston made a flurry of moves as they moved forward towards the 2025 season. They signed Christen Westphal in a trade with San Diego Wave FC, giving up a 2025 international slot and $14,000 in allocation money in the trade. The team also extended contracts on defender Jylissa Harris through the 2027 season with a mutual year option, defender Allysha Chapman through the 2026 season with a mutual year option, and forward Amanda West through the 2026 season with a mutual year contract. Houston also announced the roster decision which included exercising the mutual option on midfielder Sophie Schmidt, unilateral option on goalkeeper Heather Hinz, and contract renewals of forward Michelle Alozie, defender Natalie Jacobs, defender Paige Nielsen, midfielder Bárbara Olivieri, and midfielder Sarah Puntigam. In addition to signings, Houston announced they had agreed to decline the mutual options of forward Paulina Gramaglia, midfielder Andressa, and defender Croix Soto. In addition goalkeeper Erin McKinney and midfielder Havana Solaun were out of contract. Lastly they agreed to mutual contract termination with forward Cece Kizer and midfielder Madison Ayson. On December 17, 2024, Houston announced they would be taking part in the Coachella Valley Invitational in February 2025 as part of their pre-season games. December 27, 2024 Houston announced they had acquired Yazmeen Ryan. On January 3, 2025, Houston announced they had hired Fabrice Gautrat as the new head coach headed into the 2025 season. On January 17, 2025, Houston announced that they had signed Abby Smith. Smith was acquired on a trade with NJ/NY Gotham FC for $20,000 of intra-league transfer funds. On January 21, 2025, Houston Dash announced the signing of midfielder Maggie Graham to a contract through 2027. Graham played her last five years at Duke and is the first collegiate players signed by Houston since the NWSL's new CBA. On the same day, Houston announced the signing of midfielder Danielle Colaprico through the 2026 season. On January 27, Houston announced the signing of forward Messiah Bright from Angel City FC for $100,000 in inter-league transfer funds. On February 2, Houston announced Tarciane had been traded to Lyon for an undisclosed record fee. On February 10, 2025, Houston announced the signing of Swedish midfielder Evelina Duljan for the 2025 season. On March 4, Yuki Nagasato announced her retirement from professional football.

### March/April

Houston started their season at home with a 1–2 loss to the Washington Spirit, with Maggie Graham getting the first goal of her career.

## Roster

As of March 14, 2024.
| No. | Name | Position(s) | Date of birth (age) | Signed in | Previous club | Apps | Goals |
| Goalkeepers |||||||||
| 1 | Jane Campbell | GK | (1995-02-17) February 17, 1995 (age 30) | 2017 | Stanford Cardinal | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | Heather Hinz | GK | (2001-07-27) July 27, 2001 (age 23) | 2024 | Virginia Tech Hokies | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Abby Smith | GK | (1993-10-04) October 4, 1993 (age 31) | 2025 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 0 | 0 |
| | Liz Beardsley | GK | (2003-04-23) April 23, 2003 (age 21) | 2025 | Maryland | 0 | 0 |
| Defenders |||||||||
| 2 | Allysha Chapman | DF | (1989-01-25) January 25, 1989 (age 36) | 2018 | North Carolina Courage | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Natalie Jacobs | DF | (1997-08-16) August 16, 1997 (age 27) | 2022 | Real Betis Féminas | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Paige Nielsen | DF | (1993-10-14) October 14, 1993 (age 31) | 2024 | Angel City FC | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | Christen Westphal | DF | (1993-09-02) September 2, 1993 (age 31) | 2025 | San Diego Wave FC | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Katie Lind | DF | (1994-02-15) February 15, 1994 (age 31) | 2020 | Perth Glory | 1 | 0 |
| Midfielders |||||||||
| 5 | Zoe Matthews | MF | (2007-05-25) May 25, 2007 (age 17) | 2024 | Solar SC | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Evelina Duljan | MF | (2003-05-12) May 12, 2003 (age 21) | 2025 | Orlando Pride FC | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | Delanie Sheehan | MF | (1999-01-13) January 13, 1999 (age 26) | 2025 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | Bárbara Olivieri | MF | (2002-02-24) February 24, 2002 (age 23) | 2023 | Monterrey | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | Kiki Van Zanten | MF | (2001-08-25) August 25, 2001 (age 23) | 2024 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Sophie Schmidt | MF | (1998-06-28) June 28, 1998 (age 26) | 2019 | FFC Frankfurt | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | Sarah Puntigam | MF | (1992-10-13) October 13, 1992 (age 32) | 2023 | FC Köln | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Belle Briede | MF | (1998-10-03) October 3, 1998 (age 26) | 2024 | San Diego Wave FC | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Maggie Graham | MF | (2002-07-10) July 10, 2002 (age 22) | 2025 | Duke | 1 | 1 |
| 24 | Danielle Colaprico | MF | (1993-05-06) May 6, 1993 (age 31) | 2025 | San Diego Wave FC | 1 | 0 |
| Forwards |||||||||
| 6 | Messiah Bright | FW | (2000-12-12) December 12, 2000 (age 24) | 2025 | Angel City FC | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | Diana Ordóñez | FW | (2001-09-26) September 26, 2001 (age 23) | 2023 | North Carolina Courage | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Yazmeen Ryan | FW | (1999-02-25) February 25, 1999 (age 26) | 2025 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Avery Patterson | FW | (2002-06-14) June 14, 2002 (age 22) | 2024 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Amanda West | FW | (2001-02-11) February 11, 2001 (age 24) | 2024 | Pittsburgh Panthers | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Ryan Gareis | FW | (1998-11-13) November 13, 1998 (age 26) | 2022 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | Michelle Alozie | FW | (1997-04-28) April 28, 1997 (age 27) | 2021 | Tennessee Volunteers | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | Ramona Bachmann | FW | (1990-12-25) December 25, 1990 (age 34) | 2024 | Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (women) | 0 | 0 |
* ↑ Under-18 Entry Mechanism

## Transactions
### Transfers in

| Date | Player | Pos. | Previous club | Fee/notes |
| December 4, 2024 | Delanie Sheehan | MF | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2026+ 1 year |
| December 10, 2024 | Christen Westphal | DF | San Diego Wave FC | 2025 International slot and $14,000 Allocation Money |
| December 27, 2024 | Yazmeen Ryan | FW | NJ/NY Gotham FC | Received Ryan and $80,000 inter-league trade funds in exchange for $400,000 Allocation funds and a 2025 International slot |
| January 17, 2025 | Abby Smith | GK | NJ/NY Gotham FC | $20,000 Intra-league transfer funds |
| January 21, 2025 | Maggie Graham | MF | Duke | Free Agent |
| January 21, 2025 | Danielle Colaprico | MF | San Diego Wave FC | Free Agent |
| January 27, 2025 | Messiah Bright | FW | Angel City FC | $100,000 Inter-league transfer money |
| February 10, 2025 | Evelina Duljan | MF | Orlando Pride FC | Free Agent |
| March 11, 2025 | Liz Beardsley | GK | Maryland | Short–term contract |

### Transfers out

| Date | Player | Pos. | Destination club | Fee/notes |
| December 6, 2024 | Elin Rubensson | MF | BK Häcken FF | Mutual Contract Termination |
| December 10, 2024 | Paulina Gramaglia | FW | | Mutual Option Declined |
| December 10, 2024 | Andressa | MF | Corinthians | Mutual Option Declined |
| December 10, 2024 | Croix Soto | DF | AFC Toronto | Mutual Option Declined |
| December 10, 2024 | Erin McKinney | GK | | Out of Contract |
| December 10, 2024 | Havana Solaun | MF | | Out of Contract |
| December 10, 2024 | Cece Kizer | FW | NJ/NY Gotham FC | Mutual Contract Termination |
| December 10, 2024 | Madison Ayson | MF | Canberra United FC | Mutual Contract Termination |
| February 2, 2025 | Tarciane | DF | Lyon | Undisclosed Fee |
| March 3, 2025 | Yuki Nagasato | FW | N/A | Retired |

### Loan out

| No. | Pos. | Player | Loaned to | Start | End | Source |
| 18 | GK | Heather Hinz | Fort Lauderdale United FC | November 9, 2024 | February 16, 2025 | |
| 33 | DF | Jyllissa Harris | Ottawa Rapid FC | March 10, 2025 | December 31, 2025 | |

### New contracts

| Date | Pos. | No. | Player | Contract until |
| December 5, 2024 | DF | 30 | Avery Patterson | 2027 |
| December 6, 2024 | MF | 12 | Kiki Van Zanten | 2026 + 1 mutual year |
| December 10, 2024 | DF | 33 | Jylissa Harris | 2027 + 1 mutual year |
| December 10, 2024 | DF | 2 | Allysha Chapman | 2026 + 1 mutual year |
| December 10, 2024 | FW | 16 | Amanda West | 2026 + 1 mutual year |
| December 10, 2024 | MF | 13 | Sophie Schmidt | Exercised mutual option through 2025 |
| December 10, 2024 | GK | 18 | Heather Hinz | Exercised unilateral option through 2025 |
| December 10, 2024 | FW | 11 | Michelle Alozie | Contract Renewal |
| December 10, 2024 | DF | 4 | Natalie Jacobs | Contract Renewal |
| December 10, 2024 | DF | 7 | Paige Nielsen | Contract Renewal |
| December 10, 2024 | MF | 15 | Bárbara Olivieri | Contract Renewal |
| December 10, 2024 | MF | 17 | Sarah Puntigam | Contract Renewal |
| December 18, 2024 | MF | 19 | Belle Briede | 2025 |
| December 18, 2024 | DF | | Christen Westphal | 2026 + 1 mutual year |

## Staff

As of 3 January 2025
| Role | Name |
| President | Jessica O'Neill |
| President of Women's soccer | Angela Hucles Mangano |
| Head coach | Fabrice Gautrat |
| Assistant coach | Ricky Clarke |
| Assistant coach | Jaime Frias |
| Goalkeeping coach | Eric Klenofsky |
| Assistant coach Video analyst | Hiro Suzuki |
| Technical Director | Pablo Piñones Arce |
| Equipment manager | Paloma Paez |

## Non-competitive fixtures
### Preseason

| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Location | Result | Scorers |
| February 16 | San Diego Wave FC | Coachella Valley Invitational | Indio, California | 0–0 | |
| February 22 | Portland Thorns FC | Coachella Valley Invitational | Indio, California | 3–2 | Gareis X 2 Bright |
* ↑ Houston Dash score written first

## Competitive fixtures
### 2025 National Women's Soccer League season
#### Regular-season standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 10 | Utah Royals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Houston Dash | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0 |
| 13 | Portland Thorns FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 |
| 14 | Chicago Stars FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0 |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: March 14, 2025. Source: NWSLsoccer.com
| Matchday | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| Stadium | H | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A |
| Result | L | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Position | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss | Postponed |

##### Results by matchday
### League

| Win | SOW | SOL | Loss |
| Matchday | Date | Opponent | Venue | Location | Result | Scorers | Referee | Position |
| 1 | March 14 | Washington Spirit | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | 1–2 | Graham 74' | Matthew Thompson | 13th |
| 2 | March 23 | Chicago Stars FC | SeatGeek Stadium | Bridgeview, Illinois | | | | |
| 3 | March 28 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | | | | |
| 4 | April 12 | Angel City FC | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | | | | |
| 5 | April 19 | Kansas City Current | CPKC Stadium | Kansas City, Missouri | | | | |
| 6 | April 25 | Utah Royals FC | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | | | | |
| 7 | May 2 | Racing Louisville FC | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | | | | |
| 8 | May 11 | Seattle Reign | Lumen Field | Seattle, Washington | | | | |
| 9 | May 16 | Portland Thorns | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | | | | |
| 10 | May 24 | Bay FC | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | | | | |
| 11 | June 7 | Orlando Pride | Inter&Co Stadium | Orlando, Florida | | | | |
| 12 | June 13 | San Diego Wave FC | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | | | | |
| 13 | June 21 | North Carolina Courage | WakeMed Soccer Park | Cary, North Carolina | | | | |
| 14 | August 2 | Bay FC | PayPal Park | San Jose, California | | | | |
| 15 | August 8 | North Carolina Courage | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | | | | |
| 16 | August 17 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | Sports Illustrated Stadium | Harrison, New Jersey | | | | |
| 17 | August 24 | Seattle Reign | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | | | | |
| 18 | August 29 | Racing Louisville FC | Lynn Family Stadium | Louisville, Kentucky | | | | |
| 19 | September 7 | San Diego Wave FC | Snapdragon Stadium | San Diego, California | | | | |
| 20 | September 14 | Utah Royals FC | America First Field | Sandy, Utah | | | | |
| 21 | September 19 | Chicago Stars FC | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | | | |
| 22 | September 28 | Washington Spirit | Audi Field | Washington D.C. | | | | |
| 23 | October 3 | Orlando Pride | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | | | | |
| 24 | October 12 | Angel City FC | BMO Stadium | Los Angeles, California | | | | |
| 25 | October 18 | Kansas City Current | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas | | | | |
| 26 | November 2 | Portland Thorns | Providence Park | Portland, Oregon | | | | |
* ↑ Houston Dash score written first

### NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup

| Matchday | Date | Opponent | Venue | Location | Result | Scorers | Attendance | Referee |
| 1 | | | | | | | | |
* ↑ Houston Dash score written first