Kansas City Current Provide Roster Update As Preseason Camp Kicks Off

KANSAS CITY (January 15, 20254) — As preseason camp begins, the Kansas City Current has provided an update on the club’s roster. The team has 24 players under contract and an additional four non-rostered invitees for preseason training, which began today at The University of Kansas Health System Training Center.  This week marks the beginning of the 2025 Current preseason, presented by CPKC with 28 players on the roster.

A pair of rising U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) stars, Kansas City Current forward Michelle Cooper and midfielder Claire Hutton have been selected to participate in the 2025 Futures Camp, which will feature up-and-coming USWNT prospects. After being moved from California due to the tragic wildfires in the Los Angeles area, the training camp will be held Jan. 17-23 at the Inter Miami CF’s Florida Blue Training Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. and is being held concurrently with the USWNT training camp. Cooper and Hutton will rejoin the Current for preseason training following the conclusion of Futures Camp.

The Current will welcome several offseason acquisitions to preseason training. In December, the Current signed Brazilian goalkeeper Lorena da Silva Leite, simply known as Lorena, who played every minute for Brazil’s Silver Medal squad at the 2024 Olympics. The Current also signed veteran midfielder Rocky Rodríguez to bolster the midfield and acquired former Seattle Reign and U.S. Youth National Team goalkeeper Laurel Ivory.

To kick off 2025, the Current signed a trio of collegiate standouts. NCAA National Champion and 2024 NCAA College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player Clare Gagne, Duke and U.S. U-17 World Cup forward Mary Long and U.S. U-17 World Cup defender Katie Scott, who played collegiately at Penn State, have signed through the 2025 season.

The rest of the Current’s preseason roster not only combines veteran leadership and promising young talent, but the club also returns a great deal of production from the 2024 squad. The Current return all ten outfield players that started the 2024 NWSL semifinal round match against the Orlando Pride. Additionally, Kansas City returns nearly 88% of its regular-season scoring output from 2024, a season in which the Current boasted the most prolific single-season offense in NWSL history. Led by 2024 NWSL MVP and Golden Boot Winner Temwa Chawinga, captain and midfield stalwart Lo’eau LaBonta, USWNT prospects Hutton and Cooper and international talent like Debinha and Bia Zaneratto, the Current are looking to build on a 2024 semifinal appearance in preseason training.

The team will spend the next week in Kansas City before heading to Irvine, California through Feb. 5. The team will also train in Florida Feb. 16 through March 3. The full schedule of preseason exhibition matches will be released at a later date.

ROSTER UPDATE
Signed by the Current in the fall, Nigerian forward Opeyemi Ajakaye finished the 2024 season on loan to the USL Super League’s Carolina Ascent. The club has agreed to a mutual termination of her contract. Under the new CBA signed between the NWSL and NWSLPA, Ajakaye is free to negotiate a new contract with any team in the NWSL or pursue other professional opportunities.

2025 PRESEASON ROSTER, PRESENTED BY CPKC
Goalkeepers (4):
Lorena (NYR - INT), Laurel Ivory, Clare Gagne, Evan O’Steen (NRI – U-18)

Defenders (10):
Alana Cook, Kayla Sharples, Hailie Mace, Gabrielle Robinson (SEI), Izzy Rodriguez, Regan Steigleder, Mallory Weber (NRI), Ellie Wheeler, Katie Scott, Meila Brewer (NRI – U-18)

Midfielders (7):
Debinha, Vanessa DiBernardo, Bayley Feist, Claire Hutton, Lo’eau LaBonta, Jereko (INT), Rocky Rodríguez

Forwards (7):
Temwa Chawinga (INT), Michelle Cooper, Alex Pfeiffer (SEI), Nichelle Prince, Bia Zaneratto (SEI - INT - NYR), Mary Long, Ava Tankersley (NRI)

KEY:
INT - International Player
NYR - Not Yet Reported
NRI - Non-rostered Invite
SEI - Ended 2024 season on Season-Ending Injury List
U-18 – Under-18 Non-rostered Invitee