San Diego Wave FC made their first free agent signing of the offseason in signing former Angel City FC midfielder Savannah McCaskill to a three-year contract through the 2026 season. 

McCaskill is the second addition that San Diego has made this offseason after losing defender Madison Pogarch to free agency, Kaleigh Riehl and midfielder Belle Briede in trades surrounding the NWSL expansion draft, and Rachel Hill, who was selected by Bay FC in the expansion draft.

McCaskill entered free agency after her best season yet, having played and started in all of the 22 regular season matches and Angel City’s one playoff match last season while marking four goals and three assists as an attacking midfielder in the 10 role for San Diego’s rival club. 

“Savannah is among the top midfielders in NWSL, and we are incredibly excited she has chosen to come to San Diego,” said San Diego Wave FC General Manager Molly Downtain. “We are confident that Savannah’s ability and experience will prove to be an important part of our continued success as a club. Her quality, work ethic, and tenacity fit our system well, and it’s fantastic to add a player of her level to our locker room.” 

McCaskill joined the NWSL in 2018 after being selected by the Boston Breakers, a now-defunct franchise whose players were sent around the league in the 2018 dispersal draft. 

“If I was going to make a move, it was going to be a move that was going to take my career to a new level and push me in ways that I haven’t been pushed before and also help in the pursuit of winning a championship,” said McCaskill  about her decision to join San Diego in her introductory press conference Thursday morning. 

This offseason was McCaskill’s first time entering free agency, where she could freely choose where she would play in the NWSL, which was only recently allowed at the end of the 2022 season. Previously, she played for Sky Blue FC, now New York/New Jersey Gotham FC, for two seasons, including a loan stint with Sydney FC, two seasons with the Chicago Red Stars, one season with Racing Louisville, and most recently, two seasons with Angel City FC.

McCaskill has already played alongside some of her new Wave teammates in her many stops with other clubs, including Kailen Sheridan and Danielle Colaprico in the NWSL and Alex Morgan and Abby Dahlkemper for the USWNT in the 2018 She Believes Cup. 

“(Casey Stoney) was super adamant on detail oriented areas so that she could help me improve my game, but also just providing a competitive training environment,” McCaskill said. “The amount of talent that’s on their roster already is going to help push me, and I think the combination of those two things and really pushing myself is what’s going to help me continue to progress in my career and hopefully be the best I can be.”

The other addition this offseason was Elyse Bennett, a forward from OL Reign who was selected by the Utah Royals in the NWSL Expansion Draft but was immediately traded to San Diego, where she wanted to play. Bennett provided great offensive depth off the bench last season for the 2023 NWSL Champion runner-ups.

Abraham Zepeda

Abraham Zepeda is a bilingual Chula Vista Native covering the Tijuana Xolos for EVT. He spent the summer of 2022 covering San Diego Loyal SC and San Diego Wave FC. He is also currently a student at the University of Oregon pursuing a degree in journalism.