Former Red Stars No. 1 pick Tierna Davidson signs with Gotham FC

When the Red Stars drafted Tierna Davidson with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, the club was seemingly on the precipice of greatness.

Five years later, Davidson’s departure as a free agent to sign with reigning NWSL champion Gotham FC is another confirmation of the uncertainty that lies ahead for the Red Stars.

“Thank you to the fans, the Red Stars organization, and to my family for sticking by me throughout my career thus far,” Davidson wrote in a social media post. “Your support has allowed me to develop both my ability and my identity. I feel so at peace remembering my time in Chicago as I take this next step in my career.”

Davidson left Stanford a year early at 20-years-old and was a significant addition to an already stacked roster that included international soccer star Sam Kerr, two-time World Cup champion Julie Ertz, World Cup champion Yuki Nagasato and USWNT keeper Alyssa Naeher.

The current roster is a shell of the team that made two NWSL Finals appearances (2019 and 2021) and appeared in the inaugural Challenge Cup title game in 2020.

A roster overhaul in 2021 and 2022 was a symptom of ongoing misconduct within the club. Former coach Rory Dames was named in an explosive report that detailed systemic abuse within the NWSL. He later received a lifetime ban from the NWSL, while former owner Arnim Whisler — also named in reports of misconduct — was urged to sell his stake in the club by the board of directors and players.

Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts has since led a group of high-powered Chicago women in the purchase of the Red Stars. In November, Karen Leetzow was hired as the club’s president. A month later, the Red Stars hired a new coach, former Jamaican National Team coach Lorne Donaldson.

The changes weren’t enough to retain the team’s premier unrestricted free agent, who was once touted as the cornerstone of the organization’s future.

The Red Stars’ remaining unrestricted free agents are local product Casey Krueger, Bianca St. Georges, and Emily Boyd.

In December, defender Kayla Sharples announced she had agreed to terms through the 2025 season with the NWSL’s expansion franchise Bay FC. According to multiple reports, Mallory Swanson is expected to re-sign with the Red Stars.

Donaldson will have five picks in the upcoming NWSL draft on January 12 to help rebuild the Red Stars’ roster. As has been proven with the last two years of moves, free agency is where teams will continue to build formidable rosters. In order to compete in that market, Ricketts and the Red Stars new ownership group will have to take significant steps in redefining the clubs’ new era.