Kansas City Current Announces Roster Ahead of 2026 Regular Season

KANSAS CITY (March 11, 2026) – The Kansas City Current announced its roster ahead of the upcoming 2026 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) regular season on Wednesday. The roster features 29 players, including 19 returners from last year’s NWSL Shield-winning team.

2026 Kansas City Current Roster
Goalkeepers: Katie Cappelletti, Clare Gagne (SEI), Marisa Jordan, Lorena (INT)

Defenders: Elizabeth Ball, Ellie Bravo-Young, Meila Brewer, Alana Cook (SEI), Gabrielle Robinson, Izzy Rodriguez, Laney Rouse, Katie Scott, Kayla Sharples, Kolo Suliafu

Midfielders: Croix Bethune, Debinha, Vanessa DiBernardo (ML), Bayley Feist, Lo’eau LaBonta, Rocky Rodríguez, Ally Sentnor

Forwards: Kyra Carusa, Temwa Chawinga (SEI), Michelle Cooper (SEI), Penelope Hocking, Haley Hopkins, Mary Long (D45), Gianna Paul, Amelia White

KEY 
INT – International 
ML – Maternity Leave 
SEI – Season-Ending Injury
D45 – 45-Day Injury List

Among the 19 returners from last year’s historic and record-setting regular season is back-to-back NWSL MVP and Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga and NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year Lorena. Returners who accompanied Chawinga and Lorena on the 2025 NWSL Best XI First Team are defenders Izzy Rodriguez and Kayla Sharples, both who were finalists for Defender of the Year. Debinha was also a finalist for NWSL Midfielder of the Year a season ago.

Midfielder Croix Bethune joined the Current from the Washington Spirit in one of the biggest offseason transactions. Bethune, the 2024 NWSL Midfielder of the Year and Rookie of the Year, won gold with the United States at the 2024 Olympic Games. Another recent transaction is the Current’s acquisition of forward Penelope Hocking, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft who scored six regular season goals last year, from Bay FC.

The club also added five rookies to the squad from the collegiate ranks following offseason acquisitions: forward Gianna Paul from the University of Alabama, defender Laney Rouse from the University of Virginia, defender Kolo Suliafu from the University of Washington and forward Amelia White from Penn State University. Additionally, defender Meila Brewer – an Overland Park native with a decorated U.S. Youth National Team resume who previously played for Kansas City Current II – signed her first professional contract after one season at UCLA.

Other new players on this year’s team include goalkeeper Marisa Jordan, who arrived in the Heartland after a trade with the North Carolina Courage. Fellow netminder Katie Cappelletti played with Jordan at the Courage a season ago and was recently signed to a short-term deal through May 31, 2026. Forward Kyra Carusa also joined the Current on loan from HB Køge Women through June 30, 2026.

Defender Alana Cook will remain on the season-ending injury (SEI) list after she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and meniscus in May 2025. Goalkeeper Clare Gagne will also stay on SEI as she continues to recover from a head injury which occurred in training last season. Forwards Temwa Chawinga and Michelle Cooper will also remain on SEI after sustaining respective lower body and foot injuries at the end of the 2025 NWSL regular season. Forward Mary Long has been placed on the 45-day injury list after a knee injury obtained in December 2025.

Midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo, who has been on maternity leave since July 2025, will continue her maternity leave. Other personnel updates include defender Ellie Bravo-Young, née Wheeler, who got married in December and will use her married name, Bravo-Young. Defender Kayla Sharples, who married two months ago, will continue to use her maiden name.

The Current kicks off the 2026 NWSL on Saturday, March 14, at CPKC Stadium against the Utah Royals at 3 p.m. CT. Single match tickets for all 15 regular season contests can be purchased HERE and single-match parking is available HERE. Multi-match ticket packages are available HERE and limited season ticket inventory can be found HERE.  

The best way to ensure you won’t miss a second of the action at CPKC Stadium is by joining the Current Club, the Current’s trailblazing fan membership experience. Focused on ensuring fans continue to be able to access exclusive opportunities, members can unlock special benefits like priority access to single match tickets, members-only gifts and discounts, access to live and virtual events, exclusive content and more. 2026 Season Ticket Member Account Holders are already enrolled in Current Club at no additional cost. Click HERE for more information about the Current Club.