Why did so many Gotham FC players leave before the 2025 season? | OneFootball

The offseason for NJ/NY Gotham FC has not been a fun one from the supporters’ perspective.  There were a few exciting signings like Gabi Portilho.  In addition, a few players returned via free agency, like Mandy Freeman and Midge Purce.  The club and Purce just announced her new contract, so that was a bright light after the multiple departures.

Still, the dramatic changes to the roster have been difficult to comprehend.  Big-name players that left in free agency, trade, or contract termination include Crystal Dunn, Jenna Nighswonger, Yazmeen Ryan, and Lynn Biyendolo, formerly Lynn Williams.

In total, 11 players have left Gotham FC while three retired.  As such, 14 players from the 2024 roster are no longer with the team, leaving only half of the roster returning for 2025.

Why is this the case?  Why did so many leave the Bats?  Are the explanations simple?  Is there something going on with Gotham FC as speculated by some fans on social media?  Truthfully, the answer is complex since there are numerous reasons.  At the same time, some departures still leave questions.

Did Gotham FC players leave due to issues with the club?

As Gotham FC players began to leave, some fans, both of the team and the NWSL, began to question why and speculate.  Often, there are only a few reasons why rosters will go through drastic changes in the offseason.  The first reason is common, and that is when teams do not play well and need to make changes.  The second reason is money, which will be explored further below.  The last one is due to issues with a team, leading many to desire to leave.

Since social media is a place for opinions, this led to the speculation that Gotham might have issues within the club.  The Biyendolo and Ryan trades fueled this.

Both players desired to leave, and the Bats admittedly recognized that, working with them to find a new destination via trade.  Biyendolo was traded to Seattle Reign FC, and her comments sparked these rumors and ideas.  It started with her initial Instagram post when the trade was announced.  The forward said she was “looking forward to being a part of a fun and healthy culture.”

Immediately, that started the speculation.  What did Biyendolo mean by that?  Was she implying Gotham was not a club with a healthy culture?  If that was the case, then why did the longest-tenured player Freeman re-sign with the team?

Biyendolo’s comments on The Women’s Game podcast furthered the speculation.  She said, “I don't want to get into everything with the end of Gotham, but I am really excited to be a part of a team that looks like they're just enjoying each other and having fun, and a culture that really looks like it's a healthy, fun, loving environment to be around.”

It is easy to see why some fans would wonder about the culture of Gotham.  Ryan’s trade to the Houston Dash was not helpful either.  While she did not make any comments about the culture, the fact she requested a trade and left about a week later did not douse the flames by any means.  Ryan’s move could easily have been for a change in scenery, to be closer to home, or because she thought she could be guaranteed playing time.  The same goes for Biyendolo, who reportedly wanted to be closer to her family.

But again, 11 players left the club, and other stars among those 11 departed too.  Dunn’s contract was terminated, but it was difficult to tell her reason for leaving.  Things seemed off when she stopped playing for the team before the end of the regular season, so her departure was surprising but also not.  Speculatively, it is possible she left because she was not starting all the time or due to family reasons.

Then, Jenna Nighswonger’s transfer to Arsenal Women Football Club was the icing on the cake.  Again, she could have wanted the move so she could play in Europe.  But seeing all of these players leave makes it easy for some to assume there is an issue with the club.  Could players have colluded so they could all leave?  Did they want to leave because the culture was unhealthy and the Bats were not taking care of their mental health?  Is there someone specifically causing problems?

That was probably why Yael Averbuch West wrote the letter to fans, attempting to explain why there were so many roster changes.  It was a kind gesture, and revealed changes were happening within the club that not everyone was for.  She also mentioned sporting reasons.  Of course, the idea that there are problems with Gotham FC is speculative.  That is why it is vital to look at the other reasons.

Did Gotham FC players leave for sporting reasons?

While those comments and drastic roster changes may suggest some deeper issues at Gotham FC, there are also plenty of normal sporting reasons for the offseason departures.

One reason is due to salary and Delanie Sheehan is a great example. The player reportedly earned a "significant pay bump" from the Houston Dash that Gotham probably could not afford to give her. Keep in mind the Bats signed multiple big-name players last season, so the money available could have come into play, especially if they desired to bring back Purce, as they did.

Then, others might have left to find more minutes. Maitane López and Sam Hiatt signed with the Chicago Red Stars and Portland Thorns FC respectively in search of a starting role and more consistent playing time. This was something that Gotham could not offer them given the team's depth in midfield and central defense.

In addition, goalkeeper Cassie Miller was most likely not going to pass Ann-Katrin Berger on the goalkeeper depth chart, so a move to Seattle, where she does have more of a chance of earning a starting spot, makes sense for the player. That was the same trade that saw Biyendolo leave.

Also, one must look at aging players. McCall Zerboni is 38 years old, less than 18 months removed from an ACL tear, and was far down the pecking order in the midfield when she came back from injury in the second half of the season. Many teams would have elected not to re-sign her if they were in Gotham FC's shoes.

One must also look at personal reasons. As mentioned, Ryan was traded to Houston this year. At first, the skepticism was raised after her departure, but her trade request could be personal. Possibly, she requested the trade to remain on the same team as Delanie Sheehan, who she is rumored to be in a relationship with. The winger is also a little closer to her home in Oklahoma and closer to where she went to college at Texas Christian University.

Plus, with Gotham agreeing to her request, the club received $400k in allocation money. The trade possibly helps the team with the salary cap. Therefore, some moves during the offseason could have related to that, like Abby Smith.

The former Gotham goalkeeper was also traded to the Dash. Outside of a one-minute cameo in last October's Summer Cup Final, Smith has not truly played in over 18 months after a severe leg injury against San Diego Wave FC in June 2023. This move not only gets the Plano, Texas and former Texas Longhorn closer to home, but it also clears up some cap space for Gotham as Smith was most likely one of the higher-paid backups in the league. Hence, her trade could have been related to personal reasons, the salary cap, and possible playing time.

Another player whose departure fueled the skepticism that there are issues with the club was Dunn. However, the contract termination could have been due to personal reasons and the salary cap as well. She was on a relatively large salary and when she was playing for Gotham and was largely unimpressive. Letting Dunn go not only frees up needed cap space for the NJ/NY side but also gives her a much-needed fresh start with PSG in France after a tough 2024 season.

While Nighswonger's departure was sudden and something both parties were not necessarily planning on, it makes sense for both sides. The left-back has long been a player not afraid to expand her horizons and explore the world via soccer. Originally from Southern California, she went to college in Florida, started her pro career in New Jersey, after originally planning to play in Europe before deciding to register for the 2023 NWSL Draft at the last minute, and now continues her career in London with Arsenal Women.

For Gotham, this move gives them salary cap space for not just this season, but next season as well. Nighwonger's rookie contract was due to end after 2025 and she would have been in line for a big pay raise. As such, this is one less thing they have to worry about. Plus, Gotham gets immediate cap space instead of potentially losing her for nothing at the end of the season.

So while it is understandable for fans to be concerned given some of the outside noise regarding the team combined with the amount of high-profile departures this offseason, most moves can easily be explained for normal reasons seen all the time across sports. Players looking for pay raises, more playing time, and the opportunity to play closer to home are all personal reasons. Teams looking for cap space, a younger roster, as well as a different mix of players, are all business reasons that players and teams go through every single offseason.

It is easy to look at these departures from a surface level combined with the timeline of how things happened and previous rumors and quotes to make fans skeptical about Gotham FC. When one takes a step back and looks a little bit deeper, it may suggest that things are not as bad as they may have originally seemed.

Yes, it is still disappointing to see some of these players go. Hopefully looking at the sporting reasons gives some fans a piece of mind that this is not indicative of deeper problems that could sink the team in the future. Plus, if Gotham FC had culture problems, then one would assume players would be willing to fully speak out after the changes that were made post previous NWSL controversies.

Maybe one day the full story will come out for the shocking departures. Until then, Gotham FC supporters should rally behind the team they have now and welcome the new players to the club.