Washington Spirit have traded second-year player Makenna Morris to Racing Louisville FC in exchange for $115,000 in allocation funds, the team announced today.

“Makenna played a vital role with the Washington Spirit since being drafted last year, helping us advance to the 2024 NWSL Championship and win this year’s Challenge Cup. We will miss her in DC but know she is joining a great club, and we are excited to follow her continued successes,” Interim General Manager Nathan Minion said in the team’s statement. 

A native of Germantown, MD, Morris grew up watching the Spirit at Maryland SoccerPlex and dreaming of playing for the team. That dream came true when was selected in the first round of the 2024 NWSL Draft and signed a one-year contract with the Spirit — the only member of that rookie class to sign a contract for less than three years. After that contract ended, she was re-signed as a free agent for the 2025 season.

Morris is a versatile player, who took the field in a number of roles for Washington. In her first season, she scored five goals and made two assists for the team, including a pivotal assist in the semifinal match against Gotham FC that allowed the Spirit to draw the game and eventually win on penalties. Her performance was recognized by the U.S. Women’s National Team, who called her up to two Under-23 camps earlier this year.

In 2025, Morris has started in 10 matches and played in 16, scoring in the season opener against Houston Dash. As the team has returned players to health and recruited more international attackers, Morris has seen her league playing time decreased, though she recently started in the Spirit’s Concacaf W Champions Cup match against Alianza.

This move has benefits for both Morris and the Spirit. The team gets some additional cash to support their roster, while Morris has an opportunity to play a more regular starring role. Lacking Washington’s depth, Louisville are likely to lean heavily on Morris to support their campaign for a first playoff appearance. Still, it’s always sad to say goodbye to a hometown player, especially one who’s had her share of heroic moments for the Spirit.

Like the Spirit, we’ll be keeping an eye on Morris’s development at Louisville and hoping for great success!

Spirit also recall Deborah Abiodun

In other roster news, the Spirit announced on Tuesday that they were recalling midfielder Deborah Abiodun from her loan to Dallas Trinity FC.

The Spirit signed Abiodun, a Nigerian National Team player and alumna of the University of Pittsburgh, to a three-year contract with an option for 2028 earlier this year and shortly thereafter loaned her to the Gainbridge Super League team for the remainder of the calendar year. For Dallas, the defensive midfielder made eight starts across 14 appearances.

It is not yet known if Abiodun will be available for this weekend’s home match against Chicago Stars FC.

Lead image courtesy of the Washington Spirit