Washington Spirit acquires USWNT star Kelley O'Hara originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Washington Spirit have their star once again.
After Rose Lavelle departed the club in August for a new challenge across the pond with Manchester City, the Spirit have acquired fellow U.S. Women's National Team star Kelley O'Hara from the Utah Royals for cash considerations on Wednesday.
“I am ecstatic to join the Washington Spirit," O'Hara said in the team's press release. "It has always been a dream of mine to be able to play in the city I call home. This is a young and exciting team with lots of potential and I am looking forward to providing veteran experience to the squad."
To push the deal through, Utah received $75,000 in allocation money, and could get more compensation based on the number of NWSL regular season matches O’Hara plays for the Spirit in 2021.
At 32 years old, O'Hara brings a tremendous résumé to a Spirit side that finished third in the National Women's Soccer League 2020 Fall Series. A three-time World Cup competitor with the USWNT, O'Hara is best known for her drive down either wing as a fullback or winger, but can also play centrally for Washington. With her wealth of experience, the former Stanford grad was as excited as ever to complete the move to the city where she's lived for over a year now.
The Spirit have yet to lift a NWSL title, coming up short in the final in 2016. O'Hara hopes to change that.
"I can’t wait to get to work on the field with the team and Richie, and to be able to make an impact off the field in the community," said O'Hara. "I want to bring a championship to Spirit fans and the District, and make soccer this city’s favorite sport.”
Named to the 2019 World Cup best 11 of the tournament, O'Hara also played in the 2015 and 2011 World Cups and helped the national team win the gold medal in the 2012 Olympics, scoring twice and providing 19 assists in 131 international appearances overall.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to get Kelley O’Hara to our club. Kelley adds world-class quality to our current squad and is a fantastic addition to our young team," said Spirit head coach Richie Burke. "As a World Cup winner and FIFPro World XI player, we have added some valuable experience. More importantly, we’ve added another player who has a winning mentality, and someone who will contribute enormously to our team environment."
