Houston Dash trades defender Haley Hanson to Orlando Pride

Haley Hanson started her professional career with the Houston Dash but now will ply her trade elsewhere in the NWSL.

The Orlando Pride has acquired the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup champion defender from the Houston Dash, the clubs announced today. In exchange, the team from Florida sent $75,000 in Allocation Money and a 2023 NWSL Draft Second Round pick, previously acquired from the OL Reign. 

“Haley is a player that I've wanted to bring into our Club for quite some time and I'm thrilled to be able to add her to our group for the stretch run of the season,” Orlando Pride General Manager Ian Fleming said via a club statement. “For the last few years, Haley has been a mainstay on the backline of an improving Houston side and her combination of athleticism, technical ability, and understanding of the game will be a great asset as we continue to build our squad both for the short- and long-term future in Orlando. The development of our new-look Orlando Pride continues and we are excited to have Haley be a part of it.”

The Pride is 8th in the NWSL standings and five points out of the current playoffs picture. Hanson arrives having garnered one assist and 11 starts across 1,092 minutes in 15 matches for the Dash in 2022.

Flexible and feisty: Haley Hanson embodies Dash's early season success

Hanson has spent her first five NWSL seasons with Houston and helped the Dash win its first-ever championship, the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. In that tournament, the then 24-year-old made five starts in seven games, including the final against Chicago. Overall, Hanson made 80 regular season appearances and 70 starts, tallying one goal and three assists, while in Houston.

The Overland Park, Kansas, product made her professional debut with the Houston Dash after being drafted No. 7 overall in the 2018 NWSL Draft. Hanson played collegiately at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 2014 to 2017 as a midfielder, appearing in 75 matches and made 72 starts, scoring 19 goals and recording seven assists. 

The defender received her first call up to the U.S. Women’s National Team in April 2018, earning her first cap on April 8 in a friendly against Mexico. Later that same year, she helped lead the U23s to first place in the 2018 Nordic Tournament.

“We are thankful for the contributions Haley made to this club and throughout her time here in Houston,” Houston Dash president Jessica O’Neill said. “She is a phenomenal player and an even better person. We wish her the best in the next part of her career with Orlando.”