San Diego Wave, longtime goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan mutually agree to part ways

by Ryan Finley

After the San Diego Wave’s front office overhauled the club’s roster, trading and selling its superstars in the wake of Alex Morgan’s retirement, just one household name remained.

Goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan remained a steadying force as a young, largely international club rallied to make the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League playoffs.

Now Sheridan is gone, too. The club announced Monday that it and Sheridan had mutually agreed to terminate her contract, making the Canadian a free agent.

Sheridan was the only goalkeeper under contract with the club. Wave officials said earlier this month that they were continuing to negotiate with backup DiDi Haračić; the club released fellow reserve Hillary Beall.

“Kailen has been an integral part of this Club since Day 1,” Wave sporting director Camille Ashton said. “After discussions, we mutually agreed that this was the right decision for all parties. We thank her for the contributions to this club and this city and wish her the best in the next chapter of her career.”

The ball gets past the Wave's goal keeper Kailen Sheridan allowing a score for Bay FC during the first half at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego on Sunday, May 04, 2025. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) — The ball gets past the Wave’s goal keeper Kailen Sheridan allowing a score for Bay FC during the first half at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego on Sunday, May 04, 2025. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Sheridan, 30, started 87 matches for the Wave after joining the club ahead of its inaugural season in 2022. She was named the NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022, and earlier this year notched her 600th career regular-season save, becoming just the second goalkeeper in the league to do so. Sheridan allowed 0.94 and 0.95 goals per 90 minutes in her first two seasons with the Wave; the figures ballooned to 1.34 goals per 90 minutes in 2024 and 1.29 in 2025.

Sheridan’s departure means just one player, Kristen McNabb, remains from the club’s 2022 squad.

Morgan chose to retire near the end of the 2024 season after announcing she was pregnant with her second child. Defender Naomi Girma was sold to Chelsea in England for $1.1 million, but has appeared in just eight matches there due to injury.

The Wave traded midfielder Jaedyn Shaw to the North Carolina Courage a year ago; she was then sold to NJ/NY Gotham FC for $1.25 million, and helped lead her new team to a league championship. Striker Maria Sanchez was transferred to Mexico’s Tigres UANL in June.