Four Colorado players Denver could use to plant its flag in the NWSL

Craig Mitchelldyer-Imagn Images

Per an announcement last week, the National Women’s Soccer League is expanding to Denver, where it will establish its 16th team.

While the club’s first game is more than a year away, it’s always fun to take a look at who might be a good fit. And in Denver, where women’s soccer has long been producing some of the U.S.’s top talent, there’s no shortage of names. Currently, the NWSL counts 15 Colorado natives among its rosters, including Ryan Williams, who received her first U.S. women’s national team call-up in January. Four Paris Olympians — Mallory Swanson, Lindsey Horan, Janine Sonis (née Beckie) and Sophia Wilson (née Smith) — all call Colorado home.