DEFENDER DAHLKEMPER FIRST PLAYER TO SIGN WITH WAVE
The expansion San Diego Wave FC announced its first player Monday, a 28-year-old central defender who has played at the highest levels in college and the pros.
But the new women’s pro soccer team got something else in Abby Dahlkemper: a 28-year-old central defender who has won at the highest levels.
She captained her high school team in Northern California to a state title. She won an NCAA title at UCLA. She won two W-League titles in the college offseasons. She won a National Women’s Soccer League title with the Western New York Flash and two with the North Carolina Courage. She won a Women’s World Cup title in 2019 with
Team USA.
“I feel so fortunate and thankful to have won on multiple stages and multiple teams,” Dahlkemper said. “I think that’s why I keep finding myself talking about building foundation and culture. One person can’t win a game and one person can’t win championships.
Soccer, obviously, is a team sport.
“It’s really important to build something that’s going to be really strong and is going to last, something contagious in a way so that people see what we’re doing and want to come here. Knowing the people involved already in this organization, it’s only a matter of time before we’re successful.”
Dahlkemper chose the Wave as much as the Wave chose her.
Five months ago, she was in England playing for Manchester City as part of a 2½year contract. Three weeks ago, she was playing for the Houston Dash of the NWSL, a league that does not have free agency in the traditional sense.
“Absolutely, this is the team and destination and location I wanted to be in,” Dahlkemper said. “I chose this. When news broke that San Diego was having a team, I was really excited about maybe an opportunity to represent the city and California. I might be biased, but I think California is the
best state. I love living in California.
“Through a little bit of determination, we were able to make it happen on both sides.”
There were obvious connections. Wave President Jill Ellis was her U.S. national team coach for years, and General Manager Molly Downtain was the team administrator. Wave coach Casey Stoney schemed against her in England while at Manchester United.
“I’ve followed Abby’s career for a long time and always admired her qualities as a centerback,” Stoney said. “She’s a top player who I feel has a lot to offer any team on the field and in the locker room. Those qualities will be of great value to our club as we build a team to be competitive in this league.”
North Carolina technically still controlled Dahlkemper’s rights, loaning her to Houston for the end of the 2021 season after she returned from England. The Wave signed her to a three-year contract after sending the Courage a 2023 first-round draft pick and $190,000 in allocation money.
The deal has been in the works for months, and Dahlkemper has already
purchased a home in North County and moved west with her husband and dogs.
It’s been a crazy year that has involved four pro teams (Courage, Man City, Dash and now Wave) plus the disappointment of a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, in which the U.S. women won only two of six games.
Three weeks later, she left Man City and returned to the NWSL with an eye toward the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
“In the NWSL you see players doing well and being rewarded and being called into the national team,” said Dahlkemper, who is currently with the national team for two games in Australia. “It helps players develop and it also sets them up for success at the international level. I missed that challenge. It puts you in uncomfortable positions as a defender.
“I ultimately want to be the best player I’m capable of being, and I think the NWSL and San Diego will give me the best shot of that. … There was a definitely a lot of change this year, but looking back at it, all of it was worth to be here in San Diego and build hopefully a very successful foundation with this team.”