2025 Chicago Stars FC season
Chicago Stars FC 2025 soccer season
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The 2025 Chicago Stars FC season was the team's seventeenth as a professional women's soccer team, and twelfth in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top tier of women's soccer in the United States. Based in Bridgeview, Illinois, and formerly known as the Chicago Red Stars, the club rebranded to Chicago Stars FC prior to the 2025 season.
Majority ownerLaura Ricketts
General managerRichard Feuz
Head coachLorne Donaldson
(until April 30)
Masaki Hemmi
(until July 3)
Ella Masar
(until August 22)
Anders Jacobson
(since August 23)
(until April 30)
Masaki Hemmi
(until July 3)
Ella Masar
(until August 22)
Anders Jacobson
(since August 23)
StadiumSeatGeek Stadium
(capacity: 20,000)
(capacity: 20,000)
| 2025 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Majority owner | Laura Ricketts | ||
| General manager | Richard Feuz | ||
| Head coach | Lorne Donaldson (until April 30) Masaki Hemmi (until July 3) Ella Masar (until August 22) Anders Jacobson (since August 23) | ||
| Stadium | SeatGeek Stadium (capacity: 20,000) | ||
| NWSL | 14th of 14 | ||
| Playoffs | Did not qualify | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Ludmila (10) All: Ludmila (10) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 26,942 (Jun 14 vs SEA) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 1,806 (Mar 30 vs LOU) | ||
| Biggest win | 5–2 (Sep 7 vs ORL) | ||
| Biggest defeat | 6–0 (Mar 15 vs ORL) | ||
|
| |||
| All statistics correct as of November 1, 2025. | |||
Background
Under head coach Lorne Donaldson, the Red Stars finished in eighth place and advanced to the 2024 postseason.[1] However, Chicago was quickly eliminated in the first round after eventual champions Orlando Pride flattened the Red Stars in a 6–1 victory.[2] The Red Stars also participated in the inaugural version of the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, but failed to advance past the group stage.[3]
Branding changes
In October 2024, the club rebranded to Chicago Stars FC, unveiling a new crest along with the name. Chicago continued as the Red Stars through the end of 2024, at which point they executed the rebrand prior to the 2025 season.[4]
As part of a league-wide refresh, the Stars announced a new secondary kit in February 2025.[5] The club's new jersey consists of a black background with liquid metal patterns meant to "[symbolize] the relentless intensity that lies within and the team's ability to adapt to any challenge."[6][7]
Stadium and facilities
For the tenth season in a row, the Stars used SeatGeek Stadium as its primary home venue. The club continued to find difficulty selling tickets and ranked as the least successful NWSL team in terms of attendance through the first eight games of the year.[8] In September 2025, the Stars announced that the club would be playing at the lakefront Martin Stadium on the campus of Northwestern University for 2026.[9] Chicago played one 2025 match at Martin Stadium, a 5–2 victory over the Orlando Pride that set a second-highest season attendance marker for the Stars.[10] The attendance numbers were only less than in Chicago's match against Seattle Reign FC at Soldier Field in June.[11]
Team
Coaching staff
- As of October 13, 2025
| Coaching | |
|---|---|
| Interim head coach |  Anders Jacobson |
| Assistant coach |  Ella Masar |
| Assistant coach |  Karina Báez |
| Interim head coach | Brenton Saylor |
Current squad
- As of November 1, 2025[12]
| No. | Nat. | Name | Date of birth (age) | Since | Previous team | Notes[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||
| 1 | |
Alyssa Naeher | April 20, 1988 (aged 36) | 2016 | Boston Breakers |
– |
| 19 | |
Mackenzie Wood | July 4, 2000 (aged 24) | 2023 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
– |
| 22 | |
Halle Mackiewicz | September 24, 2001 (aged 23) | 2025 | Trelleborgs FF |
– |
| 27 | |
Stephanie Sparkowski | April 18, 2002 (aged 22) | 2025 | Michigan Wolverines |
RRC |
| Defenders | ||||||
| 2 | |
Sam Angel | October 26, 2000 (aged 24) | 2025 | IFK Norrköping |
– |
| 3 | |
Sam Staab | March 28, 1997 (aged 27) | 2024 | Washington Spirit |
– |
| 6 |  |
Kathrin Hendrich | April 6, 1992 (aged 32) | 2025 | VfL Wolfsburg |
INT |
| 12 |  |
Natalia Kuikka | December 1, 1995 (aged 29) | 2024 | Portland Thorns FC |
INT |
| 30 | |
Camryn Biegalski | August 11, 1998 (aged 26) | 2024 | Washington Spirit |
– |
| 32 | |
Taylor Malham | May 20, 1999 (aged 25) | 2023 | Racing Louisville FC |
– |
| 41 | |
Hannah Anderson | April 3, 2001 (aged 23) | 2024 | Texas Tech Red Raiders |
– |
| Midfielders | ||||||
| 4 | |
Cari Roccaro | July 18, 1994 (aged 30) | 2023 | Angel City FC |
– |
| 10 | |
Shea Groom | March 4, 1993 (aged 32) | 2024 | Chicago Red Stars |
 |
| 11 | |
Meg Boade | July 3, 2002 (aged 22) | 2025 | Gotham FC |
– |
| 13 |  |
Leilanni Nesbeth | July 17, 2001 (aged 23) | 2024 | Florida State Seminoles |
– |
| 16 |  |
Manaka Hayashi | August 14, 2004 (aged 20) | 2025 | Santa Clara Broncos |
INT |
| 20 | |
Bea Franklin | October 4, 2000 (aged 24) | 2024 | Arkansas Razorbacks |
– |
| 21 |  |
Julia Grosso | August 29, 2000 (aged 24) | 2024 |  Juventus |
INT |
| 77 |  |
Maitane López | March 13, 1995 (aged 30) | 2025 | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
INT |
| Forwards | ||||||
| 7 | |
Ava Cook | October 3, 1998 (aged 26) | 2022 | Michigan State Spartans |
– |
| 8 | |
Jameese Joseph | May 3, 2002 (aged 22) | 2024 | NC State Wolfpack |
– |
| 9 | |
Mallory Swanson | April 29, 1998 (aged 26) | 2021 | Sky Blue FC |
ML |
| 14 |  |
Ludmila | December 1, 1994 (aged 30) | 2024 | Atlético Madrid |
INT |
| 18 |  |
Ivonne Chacón | October 12, 1997 (aged 27) | 2025 | Levante UD |
INT |
| 23 | |
Micayla Johnson | January 18, 2008 (aged 17) | 2025 | Michigan Hawks |
U18 |
| 24 | |
Jenna Bike | February 2, 1998 (aged 27) | 2023 | NJ/NY Gotham FC |
– |
| 26 |  |
Nádia Gomes | November 9, 1996 (aged 28) | 2024 | San Francisco Glens |
– |
| 34 | |
Ally Schlegel | February 7, 2000 (aged 25) | 2023 | Penn State Nittany Lions |
– |
denotes a season-ending injury.
Competitions
Win Draw Loss
Preseason
Chicago Stars FC played in four closed-door preseason friendlies prior to kicking off the NWSL regular season in March.[13]
| February 25 | Chicago Stars FC | – | Washington Spirit | Bradenton, Florida |
| Stadium: IMG Academy | ||||
| Note: Closed-door scrimmage. No scoreline announced. | ||||
| February 28 | Chicago Stars FC | – | Orlando Pride | Bradenton, Florida |
| Stadium: IMG Academy | ||||
| Note: Closed-door scrimmage. No scoreline announced. | ||||
| March 2 | Chicago Stars FC | – | Kansas City Current | Bradenton, Florida |
| Stadium: IMG Academy | ||||
| Note: Closed-door scrimmage. No scoreline announced. | ||||
| March 8 | Chicago Stars FC | – | Racing Louisville FC | Bradenton, Florida |
| Stadium: IMG Academy | ||||
| Note: Closed-door scrimmage. No scoreline announced. | ||||
Regular season
| March 15 1 | Orlando Pride | 6–0 | Chicago Stars FC | Orlando, Florida |
| 8:00 pm | Report | Stadium: Inter&Co Stadium Attendance: 19,237 Referee: Shawn Tehini |
| March 23 2 | Chicago Stars FC | 1–2 | Houston Dash | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,376 Referee: Iryna Petrunok |
| March 30 3 | Chicago Stars FC | 0–1 | Racing Louisville FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| 4:00 pm ET | Report |
|
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 1,806 Referee: Laura Rodriguez |
| April 14 4 | Bay FC | 1–2 | Chicago Stars FC | San Jose, California |
| 4:00 p.m. PDT (UTC-7) |
|
Report | Stadium: PayPal Park Attendance: 12,320 Referee: Brad Jensen |
| April 19 5 | Utah Royals | 1–0 | Chicago Stars FC | Sandy, Utah |
| 7:30 pm MDT (UTC-7) | Report | Stadium: America First Field Attendance: 17,085 Referee: John Matto |
| April 27 6 | Chicago Stars FC | 0–3 | San Diego Wave FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| 4:30 pm PT | Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Referee: Danielle Chesky |
| May 4 7 | Gotham FC | 0–0 | Chicago Stars FC | Harrison, New Jersey |
| 10:00 am ET |
|
Report | Stadium: Sports Illustrated Stadium Attendance: 7,330 Referee: Adorae Monroy |
| May 10 8 | Chicago Stars FC | 2–3 | Washington Spirit | Bridgeview, IL |
| 11:50 a.m. CDT (UTC-5) | Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,425 Referee: Trevor Wiseman |
| May 17 9 | North Carolina Courage | 2–0 | Chicago Stars FC | Cary, North Carolina |
| 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-5) | Report | Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park Attendance: 8,592 Referee: Jaclyn Metz |
| May 25 10 | Chicago Stars FC | 1–3 | Kansas City Current | Bridgeview, Illinois |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,886 Referee: Matthew Thompson |
| June 8 11 | Angel City FC | 2–2 | Chicago Stars FC | Los Angeles, California |
| 7:00 p.m. PDT (UTC-7) | Report | Stadium: BMO Stadium Attendance: 17,538 Referee: Brad Jensen |
| June 14 12 | Chicago Stars FC | 2–2 | Seattle Reign FC | Chicago, Illinois |
| 2:00 pm PDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Soldier Field Attendance: 26,942 Referee: Shawn Tehini |
| June 22 13 | Portland Thorns | 1–0 | Chicago Stars FC | Portland, Oregon |
| 7:00 pm PDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 17,779 Referee: Iryna Petrunok |
| August 2 14 | Chicago Stars FC | 1–1 | Gotham FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| 8:00 pm ET |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 2,874 Referee: Muhammad Hassan |
| August 10 15 | Chicago Stars FC | 1–1 | Bay FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,624 Referee: John Griggs |
| August 19 16 | Seattle Reign FC | 3–3 | Chicago Stars FC | Seattle, Washington |
| 7:00 pm PDT | Report | Stadium: Lumen Field Attendance: 7,290 Referee: Greg Dopka |
| August 23 17 | Chicago Stars FC | 3–3 | North Carolina Courage | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report |
|
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 2,473 Referee: Luis Arroyo |
| August 31 18 | Washington Spirit | 1–1 | Chicago Stars FC | Washington, DC |
| 4:00 p.m. EDT (UTC-4) |
|
Report | Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 16,605 Referee: Marie Durr |
| September 7 19 | Chicago Stars FC | 5–2 | Orlando Pride | Evanston, Illinois |
| Report |
|
Attendance: 10,127 Referee: Mark Verso |
| September 14 20 | Chicago Stars FC | 1–1 | Portland Thorns | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| 2:00 pm CDT |
|
Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,751 Referee: Servando Berna Rico |
| September 20 21 | Houston Dash | 1–0 | Chicago Stars FC | Houston, Texas |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium Referee: Abdou Ndiaye |
| September 27 22 | Kansas City Current | 4–1 | Chicago Stars FC | Kansas City, Missouri |
| 7:00 p.m. CDT | Report | Stadium: CPKC Stadium Attendance: 11,500 Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva Assistant referees: Matt Trotter, Stephen Milhoan Fourth official: Velimir Stefanovic |
| October 5 23 | Chicago Stars FC | 2–2 | Utah Royals | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report |
|
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,710 Referee: Jaclyn Metz |
| October 11 24 | Racing Louisville FC | 1–1 | Chicago Stars FC | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 7:30 pm ET | Report | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 5,703 Referee: Greg Dopka |
| October 19 25 | San Diego Wave | 6–1 | Chicago Stars FC | San Diego, California |
| 7:00 pm PT | Report | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium Attendance: 16,920 Referee: Atahan Yaya |
| November 2 26 | Chicago Stars FC | 2–1 | Angel City FC | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 4,219 Referee: Lauren Aldrich |
Regular-season standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Houston Dash | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 27 | 39 | −12 | 30 |
| 11 | Angel City FC | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 31 | 41 | −10 | 27 |
| 12 | Utah Royals | 26 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 28 | 42 | −14 | 25 |
| 13 | Bay FC | 26 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 26 | 41 | −15 | 20 |
| 14 | Chicago Stars FC | 26 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 32 | 54 | −22 | 20 |
Source: NWSL
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total goal difference; 3) total wins; 4) total goals scored; 5) head-to-head points; 6) head-to-head goals scored; 7) fewest disciplinary points; 8) coin toss (if 2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (if ≥3 clubs tied).
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total goal difference; 3) total wins; 4) total goals scored; 5) head-to-head points; 6) head-to-head goals scored; 7) fewest disciplinary points; 8) coin toss (if 2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (if ≥3 clubs tied).
Statistics
- As of November 2, 2025
Appearances and goals
Starting appearances are listed first, followed by substitute appearances after the + symbol where applicable.
Assists
| Rank | No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | NWSL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 34 | FW | |
Ally Schlegel | 5 |
| 2 | 3 | DF | |
Sam Staab | 4 |
| 3 | 21 | MF | |
Julia Grosso | 3 |
| 4 | 8 | FW | |
Jameese Joseph | 2 |
| 26 | FW | |
Nádia Gomes | 2 | |
| 77 | MF | |
Maitane López | 2 | |
| 5 | 14 | FW | |
Ludmila | 1 |
| 16 | MF | |
Manaka Hayashi | 1 | |
| 18 | FW | |
Ivonne Chacón | 1 | |
| 20 | MF | |
Bea Franklin | 1 | |
| 30 | DF | |
Camryn Biegalski | 1 | |
| 32 | DF | |
Taylor Malham | 1 | |
| Total | 24 | ||||
Clean sheets
| Rank | No. | Nat. | Name | NWSL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | |
Alyssa Naeher | 1 |
| Total | 1 | |||
Disciplinary record
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | NWSL | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  | ||||
| 3 | DF | |
Sam Staab | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | |
Cari Roccaro | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | FW | |
Ava Cook | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | FW | |
Jameese Joseph | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | |
Shea Groom | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | |
Chardonnay Curran | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | MF | |
Leilanni Nesbeth | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | FW | |
Ludmila | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | |
Manaka Hayashi | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | |
Justina Gaynor | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | |
Bea Franklin | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | MF | |
Julia Grosso | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | FW | |
Nádia Gomes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | DF | |
Camryn Biegalski | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | DF | |
Taylor Malham | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | FW | |
Ally Schlegel | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 77 | MF | |
Maitane López | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 34 | 0 | 0 | |||
Transactions
Contract operations
| Date | Player | Pos. | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 10, 2024 | Camryn Biegalski |
DF |
Re-signed to a one-year extension through 2025. | [14][15] |
| Nádia Gomes |
FW |
Re-signed to a short-term contract through March 25, 2025. | ||
| January 14, 2025 | Sarah Griffith |
FW |
Re-signed to a short-term contract through June 30, 2025. | [16] |
| March 28, 2025 | Nádia Gomes |
FW |
Extended through June 30, 2025. | [17] |
| April 10, 2025 | Catherine Barry |
FW |
Re-signed to a short-term contract through June 30, 2025. | [18] |
| June 24, 2025 | Taylor Malham |
DF |
Re-signed to a two-year contract extension through 2027 with a mutual option for 2028. | [19] |
| June 25, 2025 | Mackenzie Wood |
GK |
Re-signed to a two-year contract through 2027. | [20] |
| July 1, 2025 | Jameese Joseph |
FW |
Re-signed to a three-year contract extension through 2028 with a mutual option for 2029. | [21] |
| Nádia Gomes |
FW |
Extended through July 31, 2025. | [22] | |
| Stephanie Sparkowski |
GK |
Extended through July 29, 2025. | ||
| July 25, 2025 | Bea Franklin |
MF |
Re-signed to a two-year contract through 2027. | [23] |
| August 1, 2025 | Nádia Gomes |
FW |
Extended through the end of the 2025 NWSL season. | [24] |
| September 18, 2025 | Halle Mackiewicz |
GK |
Re-signed to a one-year contract through 2026. | [25] |
| October 8, 2025 | Meg Boade |
MF |
Extended through November 22, 2025. | [26] |
| October 23, 2025 | Sam Staab |
DF |
Re-signed to a four-year contract through 2029. | [27] |
| October 24, 2025 | Stephanie Sparkowski |
GK |
Re-signed to a roster relief contract. | [28] |
Loans out
| Date | Player | Pos. | Destination club | Fee/notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 27, 2025 | Sarah Griffith |
FW |
Calgary Wild FC |
Loaned through June 30, 2025. | [29] |
Transfers in
| Date | Player | Pos. | Previous club | Fee/notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 5, 2024 | Maitane López |
MF |
NJ/NY Gotham FC |
Free agent signed to a two-year contract through 2026. | [30] |
| December 9, 2024 | Halle Mackiewicz |
GK |
Trelleborgs FF |
Free agent signed to a one-year contract through 2025. | [31] |
| January 15, 2025 | Manaka Hayashi |
MF |
Santa Clara Broncos |
Rookie signed to a three-year contract through 2027. | [32] |
| January 24, 2025 | Micayla Johnson |
FW |
Michigan Hawks |
Under-18 player signed to a three-year contract through 2027. | [33] |
| March 12, 2025 | Justina Gaynor |
DF |
Michigan State Spartans |
Rookie signed to a one-year contract through 2025 with a mutual option for 2026. | [34] |
| March 13, 2025 | Catherine Barry |
FW |
South Carolina Gamecocks |
Rookie signed to a roster relief contract. | [35] |
| June 3, 2025 | Stephanie Sparkowski |
GK |
Michigan Wolverines |
Rookie signed to a roster relief contract. | [36] |
| June 11, 2025 | Kathrin Hendrich |
DF |
VfL Wolfsburg |
Acquired on a free transfer and signed to a two-year contract through 2026 with a mutual option for 2027. | [37][38] |
| June 23, 2025 | Sam Angel |
DF |
IFK Norrköping |
Acquired in exchange for an undisclosed transfer fee and signed to a two-year contract through 2027 with a mutual option for 2028. | [39] |
| August 25, 2025 | Meg Boade |
MF |
Gotham FC |
Free agent signed to a roster relief contract. | [40] |
| August 28, 2025 | Ivonne Chacón |
FW |
Levante UD |
Acquired in exchange for an undisclosed transfer fee and signed to a two-year contract through 2027. | [41] |
Transfers out
| Date | Player | Pos. | Destination club | Fee/notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 10, 2024 | Julia Bianchi |
MF |
SC Internacional |
Out of contract. | [14][15] |
| Ally Cook |
FW |
Spokane Zephyr FC | |||
| Sophie Jones |
MF |
Sporting Club Jacksonville | |||
| Tatumn Milazzo |
DF |
Utah Royals | |||
| Maximiliane Rall |
DF |
VfB Stuttgart | |||
 Sydney Schneider |
GK |
Tampa Bay Sun FC | |||
| June 30, 2025 | Sarah Griffith |
FW |
Lexington SC |
Out of contract. | [29] |
| Catherine Barry |
FW |
Lexington SC |
Out of contract. | [22] | |
| Justina Gaynor |
DF |
Lexington SC |
Mutual contract termination. | ||
| July 29, 2025 | Chardonnay Curran |
MF |
Rio Ave |
Mutual contract termination. | [42] |
Preseason trialists
Trialists are non-rostered invitees during preseason and are not automatically signed. The Stars released their preseason roster on January 27, 2025.[43] Midfielder Cassie Rohan was added to the Stars' preseason squad on February 19.[44]
| Player | Pos. | Previous club | Status | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catherine Barry |
FW |
South Carolina Gamecocks |
Signed to roster relief contract. | [43][35] |
| Justina Gaynor |
MF |
Michigan State Spartans |
Signed to standard contract. | [43][34] |
| Peyton McNamara |
MF |
Ohio State Buckeyes |
Not signed. | [43] |
| Cassie Rohan |
MF |
Sundsvalls DFF |
Not signed. | [44] |
| Sydney Schneider |
GK |
Chicago Stars FC |
Not signed. | [43] |
| Macy Schultz |
FW |
Arkansas Razorbacks |
Not signed. | [43] |
| Stephanie Sparkowski |
GK |
Michigan Wolverines |
Signed to roster relief contract. | [43][36] |
| Dasia Torbert |
MF |
Georgia Bulldogs |
Not signed. | [43] |
