The Denver Summit have acquired forward Ally Watt in a trade with the Orlando Pride, making her the expansion club's first player.
The Summit will start play in the National Women's Soccer League next season. As part of the deal announced Wednesday, Watt was loaned back to the Pride for the rest of this season.
Watt, a 28-year-old native of Colorado Springs, has been with the Pride since 2022, making 73 appearances across all competitions with the club and scoring eight goals with six assists. She also had stints with the North Carolina Courage and the Seattle Reign.
The announcement comes a week after the Summit announced that Nick Cushing would be the team's head coach.
“It’s an incredible honor to be the first player in Denver Summit FC history,” Watt said in a statement Wednesday. “As a Coloradan, this opportunity means so much to me, not just to play the game I love, but to represent the place that shaped who I am in front of the people that mean the most to me. I’m proud to help lay the foundation for something special alongside Nick Cushing, and I can’t wait to be a part of building a team that this city can be proud of.”
Watt was signed by Denver through the 2028 season. Orlando receives $75,000 in expansion allocation money and $35,500 in intra-league transfer funds as part of the trade.
“Ally has been an exceptional contributor to our organization, and when the opportunity arose to facilitate her return to Colorado — where she can help establish professional women’s soccer in her home state — we knew it was the right decision,” said Pride sporting director Haley Carter. “The loan structure through 2025 allows us to retain her valuable contributions on the field as we pursue our championship goals, while also enabling her to be part of Denver’s inaugural NWSL season."
The Pride are the defending NWSL champions.
The Summit and the expansion Boston Legacy will bring the NWSL to 16 teams next year.
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