Kansas City Current Re-Signs Defender Kayla Sharples Through 2027 With Option for 2028

KANSAS CITY (July 29, 2025) – Defender Kayla Sharples has signed a new two-year contract with the Kansas City Current, the club announced on Tuesday. The contract will keep Sharples in Kansas City through the 2027 season with a mutual option for 2028.

“Kayla is an established defender who quickly became a vital part of the Current’s back line,” said general manager Caitlin Carducci. “She is tough, gritty and a true competitor who represents the best of what the Kansas City Current has to offer on the field. She is an incredibly hard worker and has fit into our club seamlessly. We are excited about her future in Kansas City.”

Sharples arrived in Kansas City in August 2024 via a trade with Bay FC, inking her initial contract with the Current through 2025. She has started all 24 games she has appeared in across all competitions since joining the Current and has logged over 2,100 minutes in that span. Sharples, who has twice been named to the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Best XI of the Month, played a key defensive role in Kansas City’s run in the 2024 NWSL Playoffs.

A native of Naperville, Ill., Sharples has totaled five regular season goals in her career, two which have been during the 2025 season. One of two Current players who has logged a full 90 in every match this year, Sharples reached 5,000 regular season career minutes on May 16 in a 1-0 shutout win at Orlando Pride and has been instrumental in six shutouts. She landed on the NWSL Best XI for June after winning 100 percent of attempted tackles and making 12 clearances that month.

“I’m beyond proud to continue to call Kansas City home,” said Sharples. “Every day, I’m surrounded by teammates who challenge me – creating exactly the environment I want to be part of. I didn’t choose this city just to play; I chose it to grow, to win championships, and to chase the best version of myself. Beyond the field, the city’s unwavering support fuels me and reminds me why this team means so much. I believe in what we’re building here, in the global standards we’re setting and I’m ready to give everything I have to this club and community.”

Prior to her move to Kansas City last summer, Sharples was one of Bay FC's first signings ahead of its inaugural season in 2024. She made 15 appearances with 12 starts for Bay and notched two goals, leading the team in interceptions (14) while ranking sixth in the NWSL for blocks (16). Her professional career began when she was the No. 26 overall selection by the Chicago Red Stars (now known as Chicago Stars FC) in the 2019 NWSL Draft out of Northwestern University. Over five seasons with Chicago, she made 48 appearances with 39 starts across all competitions, scoring her first professional goal in October 2023 against Kansas City.

Sharples’ career has also included international stints with Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) in Finland in 2020. She made six appearances and scored one goal to contribute to KuPS’s third-place finish that year, the highest ever for the club. Sharples also played for Adelaide United in Australia's A-League during the 2021–22 season. She started 11 of 14 regular season matches, recorded one goal and helped Adelaide reach its first-ever finals appearance.