One of the U.S. women’s national team’s rising talents has secured a move to WSL giants Chelsea.
Naomi Girma has joined Chelsea in a permanent deal from NWSL club San Diego Wave, both clubs announced Sunday. The 24-year-old Girma signed a four-and-a-half year contract which will run until June 2029.
“I’m so happy and really excited to be here. It doesn’t feel real,” Girma said in a club interview Sunday. “There are a lot of things about Chelsea that made me want to come here – the culture, the winning mentality, staff and players. It’s a top environment to learn and grow in.
“Right now, that’s what I’m looking to do,” she added. “It was an easy choice for me.”
Girma has enjoyed a rapid rise in her club and international career. After winning a National Championship at Stanford University in 2019, she was selected No. 1 overall by San Diego in 2022.
Girma won NWSL Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year in successive seasons and helped San Diego with the NWSL Shield in 2023.
On the international level, Girma previously won the U.S. Soccer Young Female of the Year and Female of the Year awards. She helped the USWNT win the Gold Medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, serving as the only field player to play every minute of the competition.
She was named to The Best FIFA Women’s 11 in 2024 and the IFFHS Women’s World Team during the same year.
Girma will now join USWNT teammate Catarina Macario at Chelsea. Chelsea sits nine points clear at the top of the WSL table following Sunday’s 1-0 London Derby win over Arsenal.
Interesting move with a lot of splash but not much sizzle. Chelsea is a top women’s team in WSL but the level of competition dramatically drops. However, some of the coaching and approach technically is probably better than what she is getting in SD. Champions League is a handful of really good teams from France and Spain. Plus there is lack of respect for the women’s players and leagues in Europe. NWSL has there past problems but dramatically moving forward with finances and overall media coverage.
Girma is an exceptional centerback and makes any team she plays for very good. I am intrigued how long she plays there and what her scope of career is? Also, disappointed not to see her play in person this year. NWSL lost a great player!
NWSL should have fought haaaarrdd to keep a talent like hers.
Wave are doing a house cleaning. They also previously sold Dahlkamper, Shaw and now Girma. At first I thought the Girma sale was a mistake, but they got a lot of money for her, enough to buy several very good players. They seem to be getting a lot more foreign players than they had before. Recent acquisitons include two French players and one from Nigeria.
I wonder if anyone told her that London will be like the San Diego June Gloom but all year long.
Girma is very underrated, should have gotten a move and bigger pay check sooner. Congrats to her! Keep it up! 👏
There isn’t a huge salary disparity between NWSL and WSL, but by making a move Naomi gets out of her rookie contract she was on with SD Wave. It is probably just as much about playing for Chelsea and being in the Champions League, even though the quality of play and payday would be similar, unlike if you played for San Diego FC in MLS compared to Chelsea.