It’s a big day in Washington Spirit land.
The club dropped a triple dose of news on Tuesday: star defender Tara Rudd has signed a new contract extension, three Spirit players — Trinity Rodman, Rudd, and Kate Wiesner — have been called up to the USWNT for the 2026 SheBelieves Cup, and defender Esme Morgan has been named to England’s squad for the opening round of 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying.
Let’s break it all down.
Tara Rudd Locks In With the Spirit
First, the contract news. Rudd — the 2025 NWSL Defender of the Year — has agreed to a new deal that runs through the 2028 season with club options for 2029 and 2030. The deal also includes a signing bonus.
This is the kind of move that tells you the Spirit front office is serious about keeping their core together. Rudd has been one of the most consistent defenders in the league over the past three seasons. She followed up her Iron Woman campaign in 2024 by earning her first USWNT callups and then taking home Defender of the Year honors in 2025. She was top two among all NWSL defenders in interceptions last season with 50, and ranked in the top four in both blocked shots and tackle success rate among defenders with at least 1,000 minutes played.
“I’m beyond excited to continue my journey with the Washington Spirit,” Rudd said. “D.C. has become my home and there’s no place I’d rather be.”
Spirit President of Soccer Operations Haley Carter called Rudd “a Washington Spirit cornerstone” and praised her development into one of the league’s premier defenders.
Originally from Newbury Park, California, Rudd was drafted eighth overall out of USC in 2021. She put together a decorated college career with the Trojans — 33 goals and 28 assists in 76 appearances, plus First Team All-American and two-time First Team All-Pac-12 honors.
Three Spirit Players Headed to the SheBelieves Cup
On the international front, Trinity Rodman, Tara Rudd, and Kate Wiesner have all been named to the USWNT roster for the 2026 SheBelieves Cup. The U.S. will face Argentina, Canada, and Colombia in the 11th edition of the annual tournament.
Trinity Rodman
This is Rodman’s first USWNT callup since re-signing with the Spirit last month. She’s been in strong form — scoring in each of the USWNT’s January friendlies against Chile and Paraguay. One of those goals came off an assist from Spirit teammate Rudd. Across 49 appearances for the national team, Rodman has tallied 13 goals and nine assists.
Tara Rudd
Talk about a good day. Rudd signs her new deal and picks up her eighth senior USWNT callup. She made her SheBelieves Cup debut last year against Colombia, recording her first international assist on an Ally Sentnor goal. She also connected with Rodman for a goal against Paraguay last month. That’s ten caps and three assists now for Rudd at the international level — pretty solid numbers from a center back.
Kate Wiesner
Wiesner earns her third consecutive USWNT callup, having debuted for the senior team in November’s friendly against Italy. Heading into her third season with the Spirit, Wiesner continues to climb the ranks — this will be her fourth overall USWNT camp dating back to a training player invitation in May 2024.
2026 SheBelieves Cup Schedule
- USA vs. Argentina — Sunday, March 1 at 5:00 p.m. EST (Geodis Park, Nashville, TN)
- USA vs. Canada — Wednesday, March 4 at 6:45 p.m. EST (ScottsMiracle-Gro Field, Columbus, OH)
- USA vs. Colombia — Saturday, March 7 at 3:30 p.m. EST (Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, NJ)
Esme Morgan Called Up to England for World Cup Qualifying
It’s not just the Americans. Spirit defender Esme Morgan has been called up to the England Women’s National Team for the Lionesses’ first two qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, taking on Ukraine and Iceland in early March.
Morgan has been a consistent presence for England, earning 19 caps since her senior debut in November 2022. She was part of the Lionesses squad that captured a second consecutive Women’s Euro title last summer — so yeah, she knows how to show up in big moments.
Since joining the Spirit in the summer of 2024, Morgan has appeared in 40 matches and logged over 3,000 minutes. She played in 31 of the Spirit’s 34 contests in 2025 and was a key part of the run to the NWSL Championship.
England’s March Schedule
- England vs. Ukraine — Tuesday, March 3 at 12:00 p.m. EST (Mardan Sports Complex, Antalya, Türkiye)
- England vs. Iceland — Saturday, March 7 at 7:30 a.m. EST (The City Ground, West Bridgford, England)
What’s Next for the Spirit
The Spirit are coming off back-to-back NWSL Championship appearances and clearly aren’t slowing down. Locking up Rudd long-term while sending four players to represent two different national teams during the international break? That’s the kind of depth and ambition you want to see heading into the 2026 season.
Fans can kick things off at Spirit Fest on March 8 at 2:00 p.m. at The Anthem in D.C. — it’s free. Then the real action starts on March 13 at 8:00 p.m. when the Spirit host Portland Thorns FC at Audi Field for the 2026 home opener, a rematch of last season’s electric semifinal.
It’s going to be a fun year.
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