After record performances by African players in the last season, three more Nigeria internatonals have swelled the ranks of players from the continent in the NWSL.
Nigerians Deborah Abiodun, Favour Emmanuel and Chiamaka Okwuchukwu have joined the Washington Spirit and San Diego Wave respectively, bringing the total number of African players in the league to 13, with half of that number being Nigerians.
Abiodun joins the Spirit on a three-year contract, with an option to extend for another year, after two seasons at the University of Pittsburgh under former Nigeria women's national team coach Randy Waldrum.
At Pittsburgh, the midfielder was a standout player, racking up 10 goals and three assists in 34 games for the Panthers, and earning All-ACC honours in her two seasons with the Panthers. In 2023, Abiodun was named to the all-conference Freshman and Third teams while she earned Second Team All-ACC honors in 2024.
The 21-year-old also brings extensive international experience to Washington. She had previously represented Nigeria at the 2022 FIFA Under 20 Women's World Cup, and her outstanding performances earned a senior call up a month after that tournament. She made her debut at 19 in a 4-0 friendly match loss to the United States and has not looked back.
It was not until the squad selections for the 2023 World Cup that she really came to national attention when she was selected to the roster by Waldrum ahead of the more experienced fan favourite Ngozi Okobi.
That selection sparked some controversy, but it was all quickly doused after her opening match performance against Canada, where she ran the midfield as Nigeria upended pre-game predictions by holding the then Olympic champions to a 0-0 draw, even though her copybook was soiled by a stoppage time red card.
Abiodun also started all three games of Nigeria's 2024 Olympic Games campaign, as the Super Falcons failed to advance from the pool phase. She described the move to the Spirit as a dream come true and the perfect landing spot for her.
"I am so excited to be joining the team. It's a special one and a dream come true for me," she said. And added: "I'm beyond thrilled to take this next step in my career by joining Washington Spirit. This isn't just a dream; it's a purpose I've poured my heart and soul into and I'm ready to give everything I have to the game I love.
"Especially with a team that cares about its players' growth and development, which makes Washington Spirit a perfect team for me to achieve my purpose."
Okwuchukwu, who was a finalist in the CAF Women's Young Player of the Year award, has been signed by the San Diego Wave on a one year contract from Nigeria Women's Soccer League club Rivers Angels for an undisclosed fee.
Like Abiodun, Okwuchukwu was a standout player for Nigeria at under 20 level, taking part at the 2024 FIFA Women's Under 20 World Cup where she played all four of the Falconets games, tallying two goals and adding one assist.
A source close to the player told ESPN that Okwuchukwu caught the eye of the San Diego officials during that tournament.
She also represented Nigeria as a 16 year old at the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica, helping the Falconets go undefeated in the group stage and advance to the quarterfinals where they lost to Holland.
During the last season, she scored eight goals and weighed in with 6 assists for Rivers Angels during the course of their league and Cup campaign.
The most recent signing for the Wave came on Monday, with striker Favour Emmanuel putting pen to paper from Lokomotiv Moscow. The former Bayelsa Queens striker has yet to make her senior debut, but has represented the Falconettes at under 17 and under 20 levels.