KC Current Trade for USWNT Star Sam Mewis

The Kansas City Current have acquired U.S. women's national team star midfielder Sam Mewis in a trade with the North Carolina Courage, the teams announced Tuesday.

North Carolina will receive defender Kiki Pickett and the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NWSL draft as part of the agreement. 

“Sam Mewis has proven herself as one of the best soccer players in the world,” Current co-owner Angie Long said in a statement. “It’s not a coincidence that everywhere she’s played throughout her career, titles have followed. She’s a leader on and off the field and we are thrilled to have her join the Current as a key contributor to help bring NWSL championships to Kansas City.”

With the NWSL expansion draft for Angel City and San Diego Wave slated for Dec. 16, teams were only allowed to protect one USWNT allocated player. North Carolina also has USWNT forward Lynn Williams on its roster. 

"We were put in a position to make some difficult decisions,” Courage president and general manager Curt Johnson said in a statement. “It was important to proactively seek trade partners as opposed to wait and lose an allocated player for little in return. These conversations resulted in this trade. Sam is a fantastic player and even better person. We know she will go on to do incredible things in the next chapter of her career and we are grateful to her for the impact she has made throughout her time with the Courage. She will certainly be missed.”

Mewis helped lead the Courage to two NWSL championships, three NWSL Shields and an ICC championship title. In 92 regular season NWSL matches, she’s tallied 21 goals.

Her decorated resume also includes a World Cup title and an FA Cup crown, which she won while playing for Manchester City. 

Mewis marks the second UWSNT star traded in recent weeks, as defender Abby Dahlkemper was dealt from the Courage to San Diego, becoming the expansion club's first official player following the move.

In a separate trade announced Tuesday, the Courage acquired the discovery rights to Malia Berkely from the Current in exchange for the Courage’s No. 7 pick in the NWSL draft.