How free agency and player approval for trades have changed recruiting in the NWSL

To get an idea of just how much the NWSL's current Collective Bargaining Agreement has changed the league, one need only to look at the two most recent trades involving current Seattle Reign forward Lynn Biyendolo (ne Williams).

Back on Jan. 12, 2023, Biyendolo, at the time a regular with the U.S. women's national team, was traded from the Kansas City Current to Gotham FC. And she never saw it coming.

"That was a complete shock," she told ESPN about the deal. "I had no idea until about an hour before the trade happened."

Fast forward almost two years later and Biyendolo was dealt again, this time from Gotham to Seattle -- and her experience was completely different. In that instance, she not only knew ahead of time that she would be moved, but she had a say in where she went. The Fresno, California native wanted to go to a title contender and be closer to family.

"Very, very different," she said about the two experiences. "The ability to just wrap my head around everything, knowing that I was making an informed decision coming here, and it was on my own terms versus the latter [trade] of surprise, where you need to uproot your life and everything."

She added: "To have control in where we're living and where we want to work, I think it's vastly important."

Biyendolo owes the difference in part to the new CBA that the NWSL agreed to with players last August. Players can no longer be traded without their consent, but it doesn't stop there.

Whereas in the past, there was a limited form of free agency tied to service time, all players are now free to sign wherever they like upon reaching the end of their contract. All drafts are also gone, meaning collegiate players are no longer forced to go to the teams that select them and can now sign with whoever they wish.

As a result, the CBA has created a new dynamic in the league-wide struggle for supremacy, be it for players or teams. For players, they can choose the situation they think will work best, deciding if they fit with the manager and the team's style and culture. A quick canvassing of some players at the recent NWSL Media Day revealed that when selecting a team, potential playing time is still a top priority.

"I think it's all about if you can fit in and get that playing time that you want," said Houston Dash forward Michelle Alozie, who signed a two-year contract extension with the Dash last September. "People have different reasons for wanting to leave or try something new, but I think everyone wants to play at the end of the day. Maybe you go to a club that, one, fits your playing style, but two, you can actually make a lasting impact."

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That is by no means the only consideration. The needs of a player can vary depending on what stage of their career they're in.

"Some people may be younger and want the development, and some people maybe are at the end of their career and want to be closer to family," said North Carolina Courage midfielder Ashley Sanchez. "So it just really depends [on] what you're trying to get out of it. I think what's kind of special is every team kind of offers something different. I feel like North Carolina is a place where players go and they develop."

In many ways, the new CBA was a way for the NWSL to keep up with European leagues, where free agency at the end of a contract is the norm.

Unfettered free agency has also put every team in the league on notice, and on a variety of levels. Some had to refine their recruiting pitches, though Meghann Burke, the executive director of the NWSL Players Association, feels this is an ongoing process.

"I think there's the way some teams are doing it and then there's the way they should be doing it," she said about the teams' approach to recruiting. "I think some teams are pitching what they have to offer and making it about them. But I think some of the more successful teams in free agency are pitching how they can help that player meet their needs in that stage of their career."

Burke added that those considerations are becoming more granular. If a player has a history of injuries, they'll be looking closely at the medical staff. If they want development, they'll look at the coach and the staff's management style. And so on.

"You have to meet players where they're at, and you've got to do your research on what are the things that matter most to athletes," said Orlando Pride sporting director and VP of soccer operations Haley Carter. "And some common similarities I think is the ability to develop.

"They all want to be the best version of themselves. And so really being able to meet with them on that and create an understanding of what those goals are and how your staff and environment can help them achieve those goals is really important."

Because of the increased emphasis on player recruitment, the new CBA has created another directive for clubs: Invest or perish. This can happen on a variety of levels. For some clubs like the Kansas City Current, the investment has been in facilities like stadiums and training bases.

It's an approach that is being followed by Angel City FC, which just opened its training facility. The Portland Thorns just announced plans to build a new training facility that will also be used with the city's WNBA team.

But it needn't stop there. There are investments to be made in in training staff, medical staff, as well as scouts to aid in player recruitment. On top of that is making sure those additions have the resources they need to succeed. There are a lot of buckets to fill.

The Pride, fresh off winning the league title last season, is a club that ticks a lot of these boxes. For that reason, Carter said their approach to recruiting hasn't really changed. She knows who their targets are "well in advance." But Carter wants to see every other team in the league do the same, albeit with their own twist.

"I think holistically for the league, and one of the reasons why I'm a proponent of free agency, is that it really sort of forces everyone to invest and be serious and professionalize and make sure that you're investing in staff," she said. "Make sure you're investing in the facilities. Make sure you're investing in player support and their experience and what that's like on and off the field.

"You've got to get things right if you want to attract the best players and if you want to retain the best players."

She added: "The CBA is the floor. That's the bare minimum."

Some of the more recent additions to the league are trying to play catchup in these areas. The Utah Royals are set to begin their second season, and sporting director Kelly Cousins told ESPN that the emphasis will be on improving player recruitment "and having more eyes out there, whether it's U.S.-based, worldwide-based and really starting to grow that."

A club spokesperson added that Utah has three full-time dedicated staff but have plans to engage more part-time scouts.

Bay FC is in a similar situation, with the team's sporting director, Matt Potter, admitting that last season the team engaged in a "reset" that saw him take over in the middle of the campaign from initial hire Lucy Rushton.