The 2023 Orlando Pride season was Orlando Pride's eighth season in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States.
Notable events On November 11, 2022, Seb Hines was confirmed as permanent head coach having acted as interim head coach from June 7, 2022, following the suspension of Amanda Cromwell. In the same announcement, it was stated Ian Fleming had been removed as general manager after 24 months in the role. Haley Carter was named as general manager and VP of soccer operations on January 30, 2023.
On February 28, 2023, having played the previous season wearing white shorts as part of the secondary kit, the club announced they were making the switch to black shorts to make players more comfortable when playing during their menstrual cycle. They became the first NWSL team to do this. Additionally, the names and numbers on the back of the jerseys were changed from silver to the more visible black.
Roster
NationalityNamePosition(s)Date of birth (age)Previous clubNotesGoalkeepers21Anna MoorhouseGK BordeauxINT31Carly NelsonGK FC Nordsjælland–40McKinley CroneGK Alabama Crimson Tide–Defenders2Haley McCutcheonDF Houston Dash–3Kylie StromDF Atlético Madrid–4Rafaelle SouzaDF ArsenalINT5Megan MontefuscoDF Houston Dash–6Emily MadrilDF BK Häcken–12Carrie LawrenceDF UCF Knights SEI13CeliaDF OL Reign–25Kerry AbelloDF Penn State Nittany Lions–26Caitlin CosmeDF Duke Blue Devils–32Brianna MartinezDF Notre Dame Fighting Irish–Midfielders8Mikayla CluffMF BYU Cougars–14Viviana VillacortaMF UCLA Bruins SEI15Erika TymrakMF Utah Royals–19Jordyn ListroMF North Carolina Courage–28Summer YatesMF Washington Huskies–30Thais ReissMF North Florida OspreysINTForwards7Mariana LarroquetteFW Club LeónINT9AdrianaFW CorinthiansINT10MartaFW FC Rosengård–11Ally WattFW OL Reign–20Julie DoyleFW Santa Clara Broncos–23Messiah BrightFW TCU Horned Frogs–29Amanda AllenFW NDC OntarioINT
Staff .
ExecutiveCoaching staff
Match results
Friendlies Five friendly matches were scheduled with all but one played behind closed doors.
National Women's Soccer League
The NWSL regular season will be played on a balanced schedule i.e. each team will play every other team twice; once at home and once away. The top six teams will qualify for the playoffs with the top two receiving a first-round bye.
Results summary
Results by round
Results
League standings
NWSL Challenge Cup
Unlike previous seasons, the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup schedule was spread across the season with the group stage played between April and August. There were three groups each containing four teams, with each team playing a six-game round robin home and away series. The top team from each group progressed to the semifinals along with the highest-ranked group runner-up. Orlando were once again paired in the East region with Washington Spirit, North Carolina Courage and NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Standings
Squad statistics
Appearances
Starting appearances are listed first, followed by substitute appearances after the + symbol where applicable.
! colspan=12 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Goalkeepers
! colspan=12 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Defenders
! colspan=12 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Midfielders
! colspan=12 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Forwards
|colspan="12"|Players away from the club on loan:
|colspan="12"|Players who appeared for the club but left during the season:
Goalscorers
NameNWSLTotal123FW Messiah Bright61729FW Adriana606310FW Marta404411FW Ally Watt12358MF Mikayla Cluff20220FW Julie Doyle20272DF Haley McCutcheon1013DF Kylie Strom1014DF Rafaelle Souza1015DF Megan Montefusco0117FW Mariana Larroquette10122DF Tori Hansen01125DF Kerry Abello101Own goals101Total27532
Shutouts
NameNWSLTotal 1 21 GK Anna Moorhouse 707Total707
Disciplinary record
NameNWSLTotal 2DF Haley McCutcheon3000003003DF Kylie Strom2001003004DF Rafaelle Souza1000001005DF Megan Montefusco3001004006DF Emily Madril2000002008MF Mikayla Cluff2002004009FW Adriana20000020010FW Marta10000010011FW Ally Watt20000020019MF Jordyn Listro00010010020FW Julie Doyle20000020021GK Anna Moorhouse00100000123FW Messiah Bright20000020025DF Kerry Abello10000010026DF Caitlin Cosme10000010028MF Summer Yates00010010031GK Carly Nelson00010010032DF Brianna Martinez000200200Total24019003301
Transfers and loans
2023 NWSL Draft
Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster. The 2023 college draft was held on January 12, 2023. Orlando made five selections. RoundPickPlayerCollegeStatus13 Emily MadrilDF Florida State UniversityUnder contract221 Messiah BrightFW Texas Christian UniversitySigned325 Tori HansenDF University of North CarolinaSigned439 Summer YatesMF University of WashingtonSigned41 Kristen ScottFW University of Central FloridaNot signed
Transfers in DatePlayerPrevious clubFee/notesRef. January 19, 2023 AdrianaFW Corinthians Undisclosed fee. January 29, 2023 Carly NelsonGK FC Nordsjælland Free agent signing. March 29, 2023 Brianna MartinezDF Notre Dame Fighting Irish Free agent signing. April 3, 2023 Amanda AllenFW NDC Ontario Free agent signing. April 7, 2023 Thais ReissMF Orlando Pride Free agent signing. April 18, 2023 Maliah MorrisFW Clemson Tigers Short-term injury replacement contract. June 27, 2023 Maliah Morris Orlando Pride National team replacement player contract. McKinley Crone Alabama Crimson Tide National team replacement player contract. July 3, 2023 Rafaelle SouzaDF Arsenal Free agent signing. July 7, 2023 Mariana LarroquetteFW Club León
Transfers out DatePlayerDestination clubFee/notesRef. October 18, 2022 Kelly RowswellGK Valur End of injury replacement contract November 15, 2022 Thais ReissMF Orlando Pride Out of contract Parker RobertsMF Out of contract Chelsee WashingtonMF Waived Toni PressleyDF Breiðablik Out of contract January 12, 2023 Meggie Dougherty HowardMF San Diego Wave FC Free agent January 18, 2023 Darian JenkinsFW Retired January 24, 2023 Erin McLeodGK Stjarnan Mutually terminated contract Gunnhildur JónsdóttirMF Stjarnan Mutually terminated contract February 1, 2023 Courtney PetersenDF Houston Dash Rights traded with a natural third-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft in exchange for $65,000 in allocation money plus an additional $25,000, pending conditions met. April 6, 2023 Leah PruittFW Retired June 30, 2023 Haley BugejaFW Inter Milan Undisclosed fee. October 2, 2023 Maliah MorrisFW Western Sydney Wanderers End of national team replacement contract.
Loans out DatePlayerLoaned toNotesRef.September 12, 2023 Tori HansenDF Melbourne VictoryUntil May 2024September 13, 2023 Kaylie CollinsGK Western Sydney WanderersUntil May 2024
Preseason trialists Orlando Pride began preseason training on January 30, 2023. The squad included three non-roster invitees on trial with the team during preseason. Reiss returned to Orlando having played with the Pride during the previous season before her contract expired. Nicole Baxter was a free agent having been at NJ/NY Gotham FC since 2019. McKinley Crone was an undrafted rookie out of the University of Alabama. A further three trialists appeared during a preseason friendly against Kansas City Current on February 23: Jamaican international defender Konya Plummer returned having not played since her release by Orlando Pride in 2021, undrafted rookie Maliah Morris out of Clemson University, and Channing Foster who had been waived by Chicago Red Stars at the end of her rookie season in 2022. Rookie defender Brianna Martinez, who played five seasons at Notre Dame before being drafted by Racing Louisville FC in 2023, was also later added as a non-roster invitee during preseason. Kansas City Current draft pick Mykiaa Minniss also trained with the Pride during preseason.
2023 Orlando Pride trialistsPlayerPositionPrevious team Thais Reiss MF Orlando Pride McKinley Crone GK Alabama Crimson Tide Nicole BaxterMF NJ/NY Gotham FC Konya PlummerDF Orlando Pride Maliah Morris FW Clemson Tigers Channing FosterMF Chicago Red Stars Brianna Martinez DF Notre Dame Fighting Irish Mykiaa MinnissDF Washington State Cougars
References
External links