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NWSL · DEFENDERS · 2026/27

Highest paid NWSL defenders

Jacquie Ovalle is the best-paid defender in the NWSL, on £6,100 a week at Orlando Pride Women, or £317,200 a year. Gisele Thompson is next on £4,200 at Angel City FC Women. We hold wages for 99 NWSL defenders in 2026/27.

BEST PAID £6k
AVERAGE WAGE £1,494
SHARE OF WAGE BILL31%
TOP 10 A WEEK £31k
WAGES HELD99

The 50 best-paid NWSL defenders

Weekly wage, 2026/27. A player who plays in two areas of the pitch is on both lists, at the full wage.

The best-paid defenders in the NWSL in 2026/27, ranked by weekly wage, with the yearly wage, club, age, position and nationality.
# PLAYER WEEKLY YEARLY CLUB AGE POSITION NATION
1 Jacquie Ovalle £6,100£6k £317,200£317k Orlando Pride Women 25 Left wing-back, attacking midfielder
2 Gisele Thompson £4,200£4k £218,400£218k Angel City FC Women 19 Full-back
3 Midge Purce £2,900£3k £150,800£151k Gotham FC Women 29 Right-back, attacking midfielder, striker
4 Sam Staab £2,600£3k £135,200£135k Chicago Stars FC Women 28 Centre-back
5 Abby Dahlkemper £2,500£3k £130,000£130k Bay FC Women 32 Centre-back
6 Bruninha £2,500£3k £130,000£130k Gotham FC Women 23 Right-back, central midfielder
7 Alana Cook £2,500£3k £130,000£130k KC Current Women 28 Centre-back
8 Arin Wright £2,500£3k £130,000£130k Racing Louisville FC Women 32 Centre-back
9 Ana Tejada £2,500£3k £130,000£130k Utah Royals Women 23 Defender, defensive midfielder
10 Alex Loera £2,500£3k £130,000£130k Utah Royals Women 26 Centre-back, defensive midfielder
11 Caprice Dydasco £2,400£2k £124,800£125k Bay FC Women 31 Full-back
12 Christen Westphal £2,400£2k £124,800£125k Houston Dash Women 31 Right-back
13 Casey Krueger £2,400£2k £124,800£125k Washington Spirit Women 34 Defender
14 Emily Sams £2,300£2k £119,600£120k Angel City FC Women 26 Centre-back
15 Emily Sonnett £2,300£2k £119,600£120k Gotham FC Women 31 Defender, defensive midfielder
16 Felicitas Rauch £2,300£2k £119,600£120k NC Courage Women 29 Left-back
17 Ellie Jean £2,300£2k £119,600£120k Racing Louisville FC Women 28 Centre-back
18 Esme Morgan £2,300£2k £119,600£120k Washington Spirit Women 24 Defender
19 Hailie Mace £2,200£2k £114,400£114k Orlando Pride Women 28 Full-back, left winger
20 Gabby Carle £2,200£2k £114,400£114k Washington Spirit Women 26 Defender
21 Jun Endo £2,100£2k £109,200£109k Angel City FC Women 25 Wing-back, attacking midfielder
22 Jess Carter £2,100£2k £109,200£109k Gotham FC Women 27 Defender
23 Kelli Hubly £2,000£2k £104,000£104k Bay FC Women 30 Centre-back
24 Lisa Boattin £2,000£2k £104,000£104k Houston Dash Women 28 Full-back
25 Kaleigh Riehl £2,000£2k £104,000£104k Utah Royals Women 28 Centre-back
26 Kate Del Fava £2,000£2k £104,000£104k Utah Royals Women 26 Centre-back, defensive midfielder
27 Michelle Alozie £1,900£2k £98,800£99k Chicago Stars FC Women 28 Right wing-back, right winger, striker
28 Natalia Kuikka £1,900£2k £98,800£99k Chicago Stars FC Women 29 Right-back
29 M.A. Vignola £1,900£2k £98,800£99k Portland Thorns Women 27 Full-back
30 Makenna Morris £1,900£2k £98,800£99k Racing Louisville FC Women 23 Right-back, central midfielder
31 Paige Nielsen £1,800£2k £93,600£94k Houston Dash Women 31 Centre-back
32 Rafaelle £1,700£2k £88,400£88k Orlando Pride Women 34 Centre-back
33 Reyna Reyes £1,700£2k £88,400£88k Portland Thorns Women 24 Defender, defensive midfielder
34 Tierna Davidson £1,600£2k £83,200£83k Gotham FC Women 26 Centre-back
35 Sarah Puntigam £1,600£2k £83,200£83k Houston Dash Women 32 Centre-back, defensive midfielder
36 Sofia Huerta £1,600£2k £83,200£83k Seattle Reign FC Women 32 Right-back, attacking midfielder
37 Tatumn Milazzo £1,600£2k £83,200£83k Utah Royals Women 27 Centre-back
38 Tara Rudd £1,600£2k £83,200£83k Washington Spirit Women 26 Centre-back, striker
39 Brooklyn Courtnall £1,500£2k £78,000£78k Bay FC Women 22 Defender
40 Allysha Chapman £1,500£2k £78,000£78k Houston Dash Women 36 Left-back
41 Angharad James-Turner £1,500£2k £78,000£78k Seattle Reign FC Women 31 Right-back, defensive midfielder
42 Cori Dyke £1,400£1k £72,800£73k Orlando Pride Women 25 Centre-back
43 Courtney Petersen £1,400£1k £72,800£73k Racing Louisville FC Women 27 Left-back
44 Emily Menges £1,300£1k £67,600£68k Bay FC Women 32 Centre-back
45 Elise Evans £1,300£1k £67,600£68k Chicago Stars FC Women 20 Centre-back
46 Ellie Bravo Young £1,300£1k £67,600£68k KC Current Women 23 Full-back
47 Elizabeth Ball £1,300£1k £67,600£68k KC Current Women 29 Centre-back
48 Elisabeth Tsé £1,300£1k £67,600£68k Washington Spirit Women 22 Centre-back
49 Gabrielle Robinson £1,200£1k £62,400£62k KC Current Women 24 Centre-back
50 Hannah Anderson £1,200£1k £62,400£62k Orlando Pride Women 24 Centre-back

What each position earns in the NWSL

Average weekly wage of the players aged 22 or over we hold a wage for

Goalkeepers £1,301 Defenders £1,494 Midfielders £1,343 Attackers £1,914

Defenders take 31% of what the NWSL pays its players of that age. The four shares add up to the whole bill, because a player who plays in two areas gives half the wage to each.

The clubs that pay their defenders the most

Every defender wage we hold at each NWSL club, added together, a week

Orlando Pride Women £18k Washington Spirit Women £13k Gotham FC Women £13k Racing Louisville FC Women £12k Utah Royals Women £12k Bay FC Women £11k Houston Dash Women £11k Chicago Stars FC Women £11k Angel City FC Women £9,800 KC Current Women £9,140

Orlando Pride Women pay 11 defenders £18,088 a week between them, and Jacquie Ovalle takes 34% of it.

The best-paid defender at every NWSL club

14 clubs, 2026/27, with where each ranks among the league's defenders

Each NWSL club's best-paid defender in 2026/27, the weekly wage, and that player's rank among every defender in the league.
CLUB PLAYER WEEKLY RANK
Orlando Pride Women Jacquie Ovalle £6,100£6k 1
Angel City FC Women Gisele Thompson £4,200£4k 2
Gotham FC Women Midge Purce £2,900£3k 3
Chicago Stars FC Women Sam Staab £2,600£3k 4
Racing Louisville FC Women Arin Wright £2,500£3k 8
Utah Royals Women Ana Tejada £2,500£3k 9
Bay FC Women Abby Dahlkemper £2,500£3k 5
KC Current Women Alana Cook £2,500£3k 7
Washington Spirit Women Casey Krueger £2,400£2k 13
Houston Dash Women Christen Westphal £2,400£2k 12
NC Courage Women Felicitas Rauch £2,300£2k 16
Portland Thorns Women M.A. Vignola £1,900£2k 29
Seattle Reign FC Women Sofia Huerta £1,600£2k 36
San Diego Wave FC Women Kristen McNabb £1,000£1k 62

The best-paid defender in every women's league

4 leagues, ordered by their best-paid defender. The NWSL ranks first.

The best-paid defender in each women's league we rank defenders in, the weekly wage, and the league's average defender wage over players aged 22 or over.
LEAGUE BEST PAID WEEKLY AVERAGE
NWSL Jacquie Ovalle £6,100£6k £1,494£1k
Women's Super League Leah Williamson £5,000£5k £1,648£2k
Frauen-Bundesliga Giulia Gwinn £4,200£4k £961£961
Liga F Laia Aleixandri £3,000£3k £667£667

Frequently asked questions

Who is the highest paid defender in the NWSL?

Jacquie Ovalle of Orlando Pride Women, on £6,100 a week in 2026/27, or £317,200 a year. Gisele Thompson of Angel City FC Women is second on £4,200 a week.

How much do NWSL defenders earn?

The average NWSL defender aged 22 or over earns £1,494 a week, and the median one £1,300. Defenders take 31% of what the NWSL pays its players of that age.

Which NWSL club pays its defenders the most?

Orlando Pride Women, £18,088 a week across the 11 defenders we hold a wage for, led by Jacquie Ovalle on £6,100.

Who is the highest paid defender in women's football?

Of the 4 women's leagues we rank defenders in, the best-paid is Jacquie Ovalle of Orlando Pride Women in the NWSL, on £6,100 a week. No league pays a defender more than the NWSL does.

Where to next

The same NWSL squads, cut a different way

See the highest paid NWSL players in every position, the best-paid player at every club, what NWSL players are paid at every age, or the NWSL wage bill, club by club.