NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Thorns FC Announce Five Re-Signings Ahead of 2023 Season

January 27, 2023 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) - Portland Thorns FC News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland Thorns FC today announced that forwards Hannah Betfort and Michele Vasconcelos, defenders Tegan McGrady and Meaghan Nally and goalkeeper Shelby Hogan have all signed new contracts ahead of the 2023 NWSL season.

Betfort and Nally are both signed through 2024 with an option for the 2025 season. Hogan's new contract is for three years until 2025 with an option for 2026. McGrady and Vasconcelos are under contract for 2023 with an option for the 2024 season.

"An important part of this offseason was to secure commitments from players to keep what I believe is a very deep and talented roster intact for 2023 and beyond," said Thorns FC general manager Karina LeBlanc. "All five of these players were important to our success in 2022 and we are thrilled to have re-signed them ahead of the new season."

Betfort, 24, enters her third season with Thorns FC. Selected by Portland as the 37th overall pick in the 2021 NWSL College Draft, Betfort has made 12 appearances (2 starts) across all competitions in her two seasons with Thorns FC. The Charleston, S.C. native scored her first professional goal on July 16, 2022, in Portland's 5-0 win over NJ/NY Gotham FC.

The 2023 season will mark Hogan's third with the club as she signed ahead of the 2021 campaign. The Franklin, Mass. native made her NWSL debut for Thorns FC on July 1, 2022, playing 90 minutes on the road against Angel City FC, helping Portland to a 1-1 draw after making seven saves and stopping a penalty kick. Hogan, 24, made her professional debut in the Women's International Champions Cup against the Houston Dash on Aug. 18, 2021, where Portland advanced through a shootout after Hogan saved three penalty-kick attempts.

McGrady, 25, arrived in Portland midway through the 2022 season in a trade with San Diego Wave FC. The San Jose, Calif. native went on to make six appearances (1 start), logging 159 minutes with the club in her first season. The 2023 season will mark McGrady's fifth in the NWSL as she played her first three seasons (2019-21) with the Washington Spirit - helping Washington win the 2021 NWSL Championship.

Nally, 24, begins her fourth season with Thorns FC in 2023. A fourth-round pick of the club in the 2020 NWSL College Draft, Nally played on loan in Germany with Turbine Potsdam for part of the 2020-21 before signing with Thorns FC ahead of the 2021 season. Across all competitions, Nally has made 24 appearances (19 starts), including 15 games played (11 starts) during the 2022 NWSL regular season.

Vasconcelos, 28, originally signed with Portland as a national team replacement player before signing a contract for the remainder of the season in July 2022. Vasconcelos debuted for Thorns FC against NJ/NY Gotham FC on July 16 and concluded the season with three appearances. Originally drafted in 2017 by the Chicago Red Stars, the 2023 season will be Vasconcelos seventh season in the NWSL.

Check out the Portland Thorns FC Statistics

• Discuss this story on the National Women's Soccer League message board...

National Women's Soccer League Stories from January 27, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central