NWSL Washington Spirit

Washington Spirit Signs Marissa Sheva and Audrey Harding to Active Roster; Emily Sonnett Placed on Season-Ending Injury List

Published on August 25, 2022 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Washington Spirit News Release


Washington, D.C. - The Washington Spirit has signed midfielder Marissa Sheva and forward Audrey Harding to the active roster through the end of the 2022 season, the club announced today. Additionally, defender Emily Sonnett has been placed on the season-ending injury list as she continues to rehab from a foot injury.

Sheva was previously on the Spirit active roster for seven matches this season, being classified as a COVID-19 replacement player, an injury replacement player and a national team replacement player (NTR) throughout her first stint with the club. Harding was on the active roster for the first 13 matches of the regular season as well as the Challenge Cup semifinal and final and was classified as both an injury replacement player and a NTR. Having remained in the DMV region since the return of the Spirit's USWNT players in July, Sheva and Harding have both continued to train with the team for the past month.

Emily Sonnett has been added to the season-ending injury list as she continues to rehab a lingering foot injury sustained while competing with the USWNT during the Concacaf Women's Championship. In 13 total matches in 2022, Sonnett played 1,111 minutes, including 12 full-90 appearances, only subbing in during the regular season opener against OL Reign. Sonnett's placement on the injury list clears up the roster spot that Harding will fill for the remainder of the calendar year.

In her first stint with Washington, Sheva saw 281 minutes of action in four matches, including playing a full 90 minutes in July 3's match in San Diego and July 10's home match against Kansas City. Prior to joining the Spirit in 2022, the Sellersville, Pa. native played for the NWSL's Utah Royals FC in 2020 after a brief tenure with Deportivo Alavés Gloriosas in Primera División, the top-tier women's league in Spain.

Harding tallied 325 minutes of action over 11 total matches in her first stint with the Spirit, including four starts. In her first career start on May 27, Harding earned her first career assist when she fed Trinity Rodman for the opening score in Orlando. Prior to joining the Spirit at the start of the 2022 regular season, Harding attended UNC-Wilmington from 2017 to 2021. The northeast Ohio native earned First Team All-CAA honors in each of her final two seasons at UNCW and Second Team honors in 2019 before being drafted by the Spirit with the 38th overall pick in last December's draft.

The Washington Spirit will travel to southeastern Texas this weekend to take on the Houston Dash on Saturday night at PNC Stadium. The match will be the side's first in 17 days and last until the September 10 home match at Audi Field against San Diego Wave FC.

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