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U.S. Defender Emily Sams ‘Ready for a New Challenge’ With Move to Angel City FC

The Los Angeles club acquired Sams via a trade with Orlando Pride in exchange for $650,000 intraleague transfer funds.

Jenna Tonelli

Emily Sams will join Angel City after three seasons with the Pride.
Emily Sams will join Angel City after three seasons with the Pride. / Courtesy of Angel City Football Club

There’s a new Angel in town, and she’s ready to lock it down for Los Angeles. 

In just three seasons, Emily Sams is already a highly decorated player. She joined the Orlando Pride in 2023 for her rookie season, and immediately became a mainstay on the Pride’s backline. The following year, she helped the club to its first National Women’s Soccer League Championship and Shield. 

Now, with a fresh contract at Angel City through 2028, Sams is gearing up for her West Coast adventure, eager to help Angel City make a playoff appearance for the first time since 2023. 

“I for sure want to make it to the playoffs and win a championship here,” Sams exclusively tells Sports Illustrated. “That’s the goal for myself personally on any team that I’m on, that’s the biggest goal.” 

In February 2025, Orlando extended Sams’s contract through the ’27 season, so her move might come as a bit of a surprise. She credits her time at the Pride and the belief that head coach Seb Hines instilled in her for where she is today. But for the young defender, it was the logical next step as she looks to get out of her comfort zone both personally and professionally. 

“I am ready for a new challenge in my career, for both personal and career growth,” Sams says. “I had an incredible time at Orlando. I’m going to miss the girls on the team so much, and I have such an appreciation for everyone there. And of course to win the Championship and Shield for the city of Orlando was very, very special to be a part of.” 

As Sams considered her future, what was most important to her was her on-field development and finding a team that shared her values. After speaking with Angel City head coach Alexander Straus and sporting director Mark Parsons, she believed she found what she was looking for.

“As I kept speaking with them, along with some of the owners and founders, I just felt like their investment in their players and their commitment to the community was very obvious,” Sams says. “They’re very committed to giving back to the city and bringing in the fans. It’s something that is important to me and something that I’m excited to be part of.”

The club is equally as excited for Sams to be part of their team. Her stats speak for themselves. Following a successful college career at Florida State University, Sams was the third pick in the 2023 NWSL draft. In ’24, Sams helped the Pride to an NWSL-record 23-match unbeaten run, earning her the 2024 NWSL Defender of the Year and Best XI First Team recognition. In ’25, she appeared in 27 matches with 24 starts and logged 2,362 minutes.

“Emily is a world-class playmaking defender who brings important experience of winning an NWSL Championship to Los Angeles,” Parsons said in a press release. “Emily is a true professional with high standards, and she will add to our team first culture while raising the standard of those around her. We believe our technical staff will be able to push Emily to another level and I am excited to see her impact on and off the field while competing for trophies in the coming years with Angel City.”

Sams’s accolades go beyond the NWSL. She won gold with the U.S. women’s national team at the 2024 Olympic Games and, most recently, received a call-up to the next USWNT camp at the end of the month.

“I definitely want to make the World Cup team, and qualifiers are this year,” Sams says of next year’s tournament in Brazil. “I think that was another reason that I wanted to make this move [to Angel City] to really push myself and see what I’m capable of. The more that I push myself, that will hopefully pay off really well for my time with the national team, too.” 

As Sams joins Angel City for preseason, she’s getting to know the players and the system. In particular, she’s looking to link up with midfielder Hina Sugita, who Sams believes is one of the best, most technical players who can really add something special. As the home opener ticks closer, she’s working hard with the team, finding out where she can fit in, and seeing how she can best use her skills to help Angel City reach its potential.

“In just talking with [Straus], the game plan was very clear—he knows what he wants to accomplish on the field, what kind of style he wants to play, and I feel like I can see myself fitting in very well with that style,” Sams says of the former Bayern manager. “As center backs, you have to set the play, you’re the creator at the back for the buildup, and they spoke to that being one of my skills and how that will fit in with what they’re trying to accomplish. It’s going to be a seamless transition.” 

While Sams gears up for a new season, she’s itching to get back out on the field, specifically to play in front of Angel City’s dedicated fanbase. She describes BMO Stadium as one of the most fun atmospheres in the entire league, and she’s looking forward to donning the iconic sol rosa and playing for LA. 

“The atmosphere in L.A. has always been insane, and I’m so excited to be part of it,” Sams says. “I love talking to fans, getting to know them, seeing the same faces. I’m so excited to see and meet the Angel City fans, and I’m truly so excited for our home opener!”

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Jenna Tonelli
JENNA TONELLI

Jenna Tonelli is a writer for Sports Illustrated Soccer. She is passionate about women’s soccer, particularly the NWSL, USWNT, and the Italian women’s national team. When not thinking about soccer, Jenna can be found drinking iced coffee and rooting for the Buffalo Bills.

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