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Summit sign USWNT forward Yazmeen Ryan, midfielder Delanie Sheehan in deal with Dash
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- Summit sign USWNT forward Yazmeen Ryan, midfielder Delanie Sheehan in deal with Dash
U.S. women's national team forward Yazmeen Ryan and midfielder Delanie Sheehan have completed transfers to Denver Summit FC from the Houston Dash in a National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) deal that could total as much as $1.1 million, the teams announced Thursday.
The Dash, who signed both players in December 2024, will receive $800,000 in intraleague transfer funds, $200,000 in expansion allocation funds and $150,000 in allocation funds from the Summit , which became the NWSL's 16th team this season. The transaction includes up to $100,000 in conditional transfer fees that could total up to $1.1 million for the Houston side.
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Ryan, a winger with 16 caps, two goals and three assists for the USWNT , and Sheehan, a midfielder who was drafted to the NWSL in 2021 from UCLA, are 2023 NWSL champions with Gotham FC. Sheehan transferred to the Dash as a free agent last December. Later that month, they signed Ryan, who had requested a trade , for what was then a league transfer record of $400,000 in allocation funds. Gotham also sent Houston $80,000 in intraleague transfer funds as part of the deal.
With the Dash, Ryan led the team in goals (four) and assists (three) along with Maggie Graham and Ryan Gareis, who departed the club during the offseason for the Chicago Stars. Sheehan played in all 26 of the Dash's games in 2025, starting 25 of them, and contributed two assists as Houston ended the season with a 10th-place finish.
Ryan's and Sheehan's departures will leave noticeable gaps in Houston's lineup — not only in the attack but also defensively. They registered 20 tackles each last season, and Sheehan led the team in key passes with 28. That said, between the February arrival of former interim USWNT head coach Twila Kilgore as Dash technical director and potentially $1.1 million to work with, the Dash are likely eyeing a key signing (or two) to reconcile their losses.
Denver, meanwhile, is receiving two dynamic NWSL veterans with championship experience who are primed to make an immediate impact on the expansion team's side. Ryan's strengths as a winger complement those of Summit forward Ally Brazier and could bode well for service into the box for a striker like German international Melissa Kössler, who scored Denver's first-ever NWSL goal last weekend. Sheehan will offer stability in the midfield, which will be particularly helpful as the Summit await the arrival of USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps, who signed with the club in January , and will return to her native Colorado in June after completing her season with OL Lyonnes in France.
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This move takes place between the first and second match weeks of the NWSL season. The Dash opened their 2026 campaign with an important 1-0 road win over the San Diego Wave, while the Summit will be looking to bounce back from an inaugural match against Bay FC in San Jose that resulted in a 2-1 loss and a red card for forward and captain Janine Sonis , who will miss the upcoming match against the Orlando Pride on Friday. The Dash's next fixture on Saturday has them up against the Boston Legacy, the league's other expansion team this year.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic .
Houston Dash, Denver Summit FC, NWSL, Women's Soccer
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