Washington Spirit have signed Manchester City goalkeeper Sandy MacIver to a three-year contract with one option year, they announced this afternoon. The deal included an undisclosed transfer fee paid to Manchester City.

MacIver made few appearances for Manchester City due to the team having a strong starting keeper and a knee injury in April 2024. However, she has made five appearances for the Scottish National Team and 39 for Everton, where she was the starting goalie for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

MacIver joins the team with some strong connections to current players, including Esme Morgan with whom she played at Manchester City. She also attended Clemson University, where she briefly overlapped with Hal Hershfelt.

“Sandy has shown great ability to compete at the highest level,” President of Soccer Operations/General Manager Mark Krikorian said in the team’s press release. “She will provide valuable depth at the goalkeeper position as we head into an important season.” 

MacIver recorded a video for fans to accompany the announcement:

MacIver will be the eighth international player for Washington this year. Likely to make room for her, the club announced on Friday that they had traded $50,000 in allocation money to Orlando Pride in exchange for a 2025 international slot. Though MacIver’s contract is longer than the one year this slot allows, it’s possible that another Spirit player could get a green card or depart the team to prevent them from needing to trade for more slots. Both Ouleye Sarr and Tamara Bolt have contracts ending after this season, though Bolt’s contract includes two option years.

While MacIver is a talented goalkeeper, her signing comes as a surprise, given the current state of the roster. The team now has 27 players signed for for 2025, with a maximum of 26 allowed, not including players on season-ending injury — Washington had five at the end of last season — or loans. Further, that roster now includes four goalkeepers (and only two centerbacks). Lyza Jessee (formerly Lyza Bosselmann) was out last season after an injury to her wrist, but it is not known whether that injury will extend into this season or whether another player will be unavailable.

Roster tracker

Goalkeepers (4): Kaylie Collins, Lyza Jessee (SEI), Aubrey Kingsbury, Sandy MacIver (INTL)
Defenders (6): Gabby Carle, Casey Krueger, Tara McKeown, Paige Metayer, Esme Morgan (INTL), Kate Wiesner
Midfielders (8): Deborah Abiodun (INTL), Croix Bethune (SEI), Courtney Brown, Hal Hershfelt, Narumi Miura (INTL), Leicy Santos (INTL), Heather Stainbrook, Andi Sullivan (SEI)
Forwards (9): Tamara Bolt (INTL), Emma Gaines-Ramos (SEI), Ashley Hatch, Rosemonde Kouassi (INTL), Makenna Morris, Brittany Ratcliffe, Chloe Ricketts (U18), Trinity Rodman, Ouleye Sarr (INTL, SEI)

Nicole Barnhart hired as assistant GK coach

In other goalkeeping news, the team has hired Nicole Barnhart to the position of Assistant Goalkeeping Coach. A longtime player for the USWNT and various American professional leagues, Barnhart played for Washington from 2022 through 2024 and announced her retirement at the end of last year. The role should be a good fit for Barnhart, who was already involved in coaching before her retirement and was a valued member of the goalkeeper’s union while on the squad.