Washington Spirit have signed center back Tara McKeown to a new contract through 2027 with an option for 2028, the team announced yesterday. The new agreement replaces a previous contract that ran through 2025 with an option year and keeps a key starter on the team for the long term.

After playing as a forward in college and for the first two years of her professional career with the Spirit, McKeown transitioned to a center back role ahead of the 2023 season. She expressed some trepidation about the change at the time but has developed into one of the best in the league, with her strength, quickness, and dribbling skills as particular assets.

Read what Tara had to say about her transition to center back here.

McKeown has played every minute of the regular season for Washington this year, frequently deployed as part of the game plan to shut down the strongest attacker on the opposing team. She’s currently 3rd in the league for clearances and 4th in both percentage of dribblers tackled and successful take-on percentage, all without earning a single yellow card.

“Right now, in terms of knowledge of the center back position, she’s prepared to play against [anyone] she wants,” head coach Jonatan Giráldez said about McKeown yesterday.

Giráldez said McKeown has improved so much over the course of this year as to be a “completely different player,” proving herself both in and out of possession. He also praised McKeown’s positive attitude in training and the obvious pleasure she takes in defending and competing.

“In terms of pressure, she likes… she likes that. When she has to play against important strikers, she loves.”

The Spirit’s reliance on McKeown in possession shows in her high number of touches and incredible 2107 yards in progressive carries. Just last week, she used her skill on the ball to cut past multiple opponents in the box and take the shot that, blocked by an arm, led to Ashley Hatch’s seventh-minute penalty kick. With the increasing freedom, McKeown’s had to move around the pitch, it seems like a matter of time until she adds a goal and additional assists to her defensive accolades.

This contract makes McKeown the player on the Spirit with the longest current contract. Both Esme Morgan and Rosemunde Kouassi were signed through the 2027 season earlier this summer, but neither has an option for 2028.