Back when the National Women’s Soccer League wasn’t launched in 2013, the women’s players in America had other ways to be a part of the domestic experience. Either it was playing in the USL-W league, WPS, or ending up signing for a European team, that too, if you played your cards right. Take Christen Press, for instance. After graduating from her three-year collegiate stint with the Stanford Cardinal, she experienced all of those paths in that exact order, eventually breaking through into the NWSL a year after its debut by signing with the Chicago Red Stars.

But even though Press spent over three seasons in Chicago, the USWNT veteran never truly felt like she earned a contract with a team, especially considering she had specifically requested not to be placed there. Then again, looking at where Press is today—playing for Angel City since 2022 after enjoying two years with the Utah Royals between 2018 and 2020—one can hope things have improved. So, what exactly was the moment when CP23 felt the real NWSL shift?

Her answer? “When I signed for Angel City, I got my first NWSL contract,” began Press on the latest episode of the RE—INC podcast alongside retired USWNT star and fiancé Tobin Heath. “That was the first time a club paid me. That felt entirely different, and it felt like I got to play where I wanted.” It’s quaint that despite having kicked off her NWSL journey with the Red Stars, that too, over a decade ago, she considers her actual good time began with an ACFC stint.

That explains why she never really wanted to sign for the Illinois-based club in the first place. In fact, Press recalled the time with Heath when the players were asked to fill out forms for the teams they wanted to play for. While everyone filled it out, Christen didn’t. She even admitted, “I don’t care where you put me.” The exception? She didn’t want to play for two teams, Portland and another, being, yep, correct, the Chicago Red Stars!

“I was the only USWNT player that got on her ‘no’ list,” the 36-year-old added. Sure, Press loved the city and her successful time there (fun fact: CP23 hasn’t won any significant NWSL trophy with any club). Yet, the overall problem the former Manchester United star had with NWSL as a whole was that she wanted something more transformative in being able to choose where she desired to go and negotiate her contract, something she considers the actual shift.

Even during her time at the Utah Royals, Christen Press insisted that many things actually made it a good stint, be it playing for English manager Laura Harvey, decent facilities, or the support of the fans; everything was on par. But in the former Tyresö FF forward’s mind, it’s her time with Angel City, along with a hundred other shifts that made her embrace the NWSL. Then again, none of them stood out due to just one factor!

Christen Press extends gratitude to fans over major NWSL shift

The USWNT star recalled a time when stadiums only filled up if the national team was in town. Players who had never been part of an international camp would suddenly find themselves “shaking in their boots” in front of, say, even 20,000 fans, simply because they were used to playing in front of almost no one. For Press, that contrast made it a “ridiculous experience”—one that perfectly summed up the early days of the NWSL.

But compared to back then, things have completely changed. Game in, game out, fans are filling up stadiums, supported by significant financial backing from investors and stakeholders, both at the club and league levels. Even regular NWSL matchdays are breaking records, making it clear that the league is stepping up each day.

This is something that Christen Press ardently realizes, thanking fans for all the support throughout the years. “The biggest shift, other than the financial growth of the league, is the fans. If I really put my finger on what’s different in the last 3 years, it is the fans. Maybe I feel like that because now I’m playing for a team that has fans, but I feel like there’s fans everywhere we go,” concluded the Angel City forward.

You hear that? Looks like we fans are getting some well-deserved appreciation from true recognizers and supporters of the game. Agree? or Disagree? or Agree to disagree? Either way, tell us below.