Orlando Pride
Barbra Banda is On Pace to Shatter Multiple NWSL Scoring Records
There is a blueprint to number 22 moving to the top of the queue.
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/PrideWaveJR-88-scaled.jpg)
On Monday, The Mane Land’s Sam Denker wrote an excellent piece detailing how the Pride could (will) win the 2024 NWSL Shield. One of the primary reasons for the Pride’s undefeated start has been the offensive prowess of Barbra Banda, who in only 918 minutes of NWSL play has already amassed 17 goal contributions (12 goals, 5 assists). As someone who has followed the NWSL closely since the Pride joined the league, 17 goal contributions, 12 goals, and five assists all felt like pretty high numbers to me, so I pulled up my spreadsheets and started looking at where those ranked in NWSL history. I then extrapolated out where Banda would be by the end of the season if she continued at her current pace, and…yeah, you will want to read on. As Kerry Abello has been known to say, vamos.
While the NWSL has existed since 2013, there have only been 10 completed seasons in 12 years due to the pandemic in 2020 and because the 2024 season is still going. Every team in the NWSL has played 16 of its 26 games thus far — approximately 62% of the season (I know you all did that math in your head too). During those other 10 completed NWSL seasons teams played different numbers of matches, as few as 20 in 2015 as many as 24 during four different seasons. As a matter of comparison of yearly performances, we will look at it two different ways: actual total counts and then per 90 minutes played counts, which helps to standardize the different numbers of games played during different years. Let’s start with actual totals goals scored (all data courtesy of fbref.com, powered by Opta):
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/NWSL-Goals-per-Season-2.png)
A few notes on this chart:
- This is the all-time ranking for goals scored in a NWSL season and Banda, after 62% of the 2024 season, is already in the top 15.
- It may seem strange to see Kansas City and Current listed under Team, as well as Sky Blue, but this chart, and all others in this article, reflects the team name during the given year.
- Sam Kerr was, and still is, a powerhouse. I am glad she plays in another league and the Pride do not have play against her anymore.
- Banda is one behind Marta for the Pride’s single-season record. Methinks that record is going to be broken this season.
- Last but not least, the Pride as a team all deserve credit for having Banda on this list, as it takes an excellent team offense to have an individual player get the opportunity to score a lot of goals. Six different players have assisted on her goals this year and four others have secondary assists.
The first note in the list above made reference to the fact that, again, we are not even two-thirds of the way through the season and Banda is already in the top 15 all-time for goals scored. If you look at goals scored per 90 minutes, as opposed to just total goals scored in a season, the list of top goalscorers changes quite a bit:
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/NWSL-Goals-per-Season-with-90s-2-1024x347.png)
I believe the chart on the right is a better indication of goal-scoring prowess, since it normalizes all the data. Kerr is still a powerhouse, but the per-90-minute evaluation shoots Banda to second overall all-time. Nadia Nadim’s 2014 season does come with an asterisk as well, since she only played a total 495 minutes during that season. Now, Nadim did score seven goals, so she was unquestionably prolific during those 495 minutes, but small sample sizes often produce outlier results. Back to Banda though, let’s play out that she stays on a similar pace of 1.18 goals per 90 minutes for the rest of her 2024 season.
Thus far this season she is averaging 76.5 minutes played per game. Now, that is skewed a little bit because she suffered an injury during one game, which affected her minutes played for that game and the next game. However, because it is the actual value, let’s go with 76.5 minutes per game multiplied by 10 games, which is 765 minutes. Multiplying by 10 is so easy! 765 minutes is 8.5 iterations of 90, and Banda averages 1.18 goals per 90 minutes. At this current pace Banda would end up with…drum roll please…10.03 more goals this season. We will go ahead and round that down to 10. And, adding that to the 12 goals she has already scored, we see that if she continues at her current pace, the Pride’s No. 22 will end up with 22 goals — an increase of, you guessed it, 22% over the current record. Sam Kerr, welcome to second place.
If Banda was only a goal scorer this would still be tremendous, as you have to score goals to win games, but as I mentioned in the opening paragraph, she also already has five assists on the season. That is tied for 28th all-time, so I’ll spare you the long chart showing you everyone above her who has six assists or more. I will, however, show you the assists-per-90-minutes chart, because once again she is already near the top:
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/NWSL-Assists-per-Season-90-2.png)
If we play out the same exercise for Banda’s final 10 games as we did earlier for goals, she would add another 4.17 assists to her five she has already accumulated, taking her to nine on the season (rounding down). A total of nine assists would rank Banda tied for second all-time with Lauren Holiday, behind only Tobin Heath’s 2016 season, when she had 10. As an aside, that is the Lauren Holiday who used to be Lauren Cheney, one of the best midfielders the U.S. Women’s National Team has ever had, a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, and a member of the 2015 World Cup champions.
Back to Banda.
By the power of extrapolation, Banda would end up with 22 goals and nine assists if she continues on her current pace. She currently has 17 goal contributions, which is good for a tie for ninth all-time. Let me repeat for emphasis, she is already tied for ninth all time and she still has about one-third of her season still to play. The all-time leaders in goal contributions in the NWSL are Kim Little during her 2014 season, when she had 16 goals and seven assists, and Kerr during her 2019 season when she had 18 goals and five assists. Banda is on pace to blow that record away, and here are two more nuggets about that:
- Only 43 NWSL players have more than 30 goal contributions in their careers. Banda may do it in one season.
- There have been 621 NWSL player-seasons when a player was listed as an attacking player and played 495+ minutes (495 in order to include Nadim). The average goal contributions per player for those 621 players: 5.24. So, 31 is, in my best Bob Uecker voice, juuuuussssssst a bit more than 5.24.
I think my favorite chart of all though is the one below, which takes those 621 player-seasons and shows them as a scatterplot for their actual goal contributions and their goal contributions per 90 mins:
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Goal-Contributions.png)
The ideal place to be on this chart would be in the upper right, meaning that you have a high number of goal contributions (the x-axis) and a high total of goal contributions per 90 minutes (the y-axis). The light blue circle is Banda so far this season, ahead of nearly everyone in NWSL history in goal contributions per 90 minutes but still behind in total goal contributions. The orange circle is her extrapolated numbers at her current pace of goal contributions per 90 minutes. Look how big that gap is between the orange circle and every other season! Barba looks like she is living out a Jay-Z line from the The Blueprint 2, she is “so far ahead of her time she is about to start another life.”
The comparison that came to mind first for me though was a cross-sport comparison to Babe Ruth, back when there were seasons when he hit more home runs by himself than some teams hit as a team. Banda has scored more goals herself than the Utah Royals (8) and Houston Dash (11) in 2024, so it is quite possible that by the end of the season she will have matched the Babe’s feat with her feet and, if so, at that point I will use all the superlatives I can think of in writing about just how amazing, outstanding, incredible and transformational the 2024 season was for Banda.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Sign Goalkeeper McKinley Crone to New Contract
The Pride have signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone through 2026.
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/JRPRIDE130242055-scaled.jpg)
The Orlando Pride announced this afternoon that the club has signed backup goalkeeper McKinley Crone to a new contract. The deal runs through the 2026 NWSL season.
“Mac has played an important role in our goalkeeping corps, continuing to push our group each day while investing in herself both on and off the pitch,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “We are very excited for her to continue her career with us here in Orlando, where we can continue to support her development as a player. We believe she can become a competitive goalkeeper in this league, and we look forward to providing her with the resources and environment to reach her potential.”
Crone went undrafted in 2023 before joining the Pride as a non-roster invitee during preseason. The Maitland native continued with the Pride as a training player and was awarded with a National Team Replacement Player contract on June 27, 2023 when Marta and Adriana departed for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The 25-year-old signed a second National Team Replacement Player contract and was signed for the remainder of the season on Sept. 13, 2023.
Her play in training and during her call-ups earned Crone a NWSL contract for the 2024 season. She only made the team sheet once in 2023, but became the regular backup this year. Anna Moorhouse was called up to the England National Team when the NWSL went on break for the Olympics, opening a spot for Crone. She made her professional debut in a 1-1 draw with the North Carolina Courage on July 20 in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. The young goalkeeper made five saves on six shots while conceding once and helping the Pride maintain their unbeaten record this year in all competitions.
“To be staying here in Orlando, the place I grew up, means everything to me. Being given the chance to represent this city as well as this club has been a huge honor, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue living out my dream,” Crone said in a club press release. “What we are building here is really special and I can’t wait to continue to be a part of it for years to come. This club and this city mean so much to me and I will do everything I can to help bring championships to the City Beautiful. Roll Pride!”
Prior to joining the Pride, Crone played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Alabama. Her final three seasons for the Crimson Tide saw her make 66 starts, play 9,519.77 minutes, and concede 70 goals while making 229 saves. She had a goals-against average of 1.10 and saved 76.6% of the shots she faced. She finished her collegiate career with Alabama’s record for single-season wins (10), career shutouts (23), and career wins (41).
What This Means for Orlando
Crone has worked her way from a non-roster invitee last preseason to the team’s primary backup. When the club signed Finnish goalkeeper Sofia Manner during the off-season, it was expected the newcomer would be behind Moorhouse. However, Crone has been on the team sheet for every game this season, while Manner only appeared during the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.
During the summer break tournament, Crone’s five saves topped the Pride’s goalkeeping group, which saw Crone, Manner, and Moorhouse start one game each. In addition to equaling Moorhouse with a team-best one goal conceded, she saved two penalties in the shootout, more than Moorhouse and Manner.
Crone’s role as the primary backup this season and her play in the Summer Cup makes her the obvious choice for the same role next year. For this reason, it was a matter of when and not if the Pride would attempt to sign her to a new contract. With Moorhouse and Manner already signed through the 2025 season, the Pride now have their goalkeeping corps for next year.
Orlando Pride
Finding Glory? The Orlando Pride “Just Keep Winning”
As Orlando’s NWSL rivals stumble, the Pride have shown no signs of slowing down.
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/OPvNJNY-2024.09.01-72-1-scaled.jpg)
Nearly two months ago, the Orlando Pride defeated the Kansas City Current 2-1 for a gritty road win to enter the Olympic break on top of the league table and favorites for the NWSL Shield. If any fans were anxious about the Pride’s form dipping in their return to action, they should now let go of those fears.
While Orlando has continued to rack up points with stingy defense and timely goals, the other credible contenders for the shield, the Current and the Washington Spirit, have both dropped points. Now, there are just eight matches remaining in the regular season, and the Pride have a six-point lead in the table. So, to paraphrase the ever-optimistic Dory from Finding Nemo (and also from the sequel, Finding Dory), “just keep winning.”
Since returning from the break, Orlando has won at the last-place Houston Dash and against fourth-place NJ/NY Gotham FC at home. The latter match featured 12 Olympians, and could have passed for a gold medal rematch due to Gotham’s U.S.-heavy squad and Orlando’s Brazilian contingent. Both the Dash and Gotham games were ones Orlando would be disappointed not to win, but winning is never a given in a league as competitive as the NWSL. Just ask the Current, who started the season unbeaten through 15 matches and set the pace at the top of the table, only to lose three straight and drop to third. On the other end of the table, both Utah Royals FC and Seattle Reign FC are on two-match winning streaks, showing just how quickly things can change for better or worse.
Orlando, however, leads the league and is not slowing down, because the Pride have avoided the trap games and off nights that can bite most teams. It is a testament to values instilled in the squad by Head Coach Seb Hines, now the winningest coach in Pride history, that the players have remained focused and ready for each match. Following the win over Gotham, Orlando’s fifth straight, center back Kylie Strom put it simply, “at the end of the day, we have to stick to our principles, and we did exactly that.”
Strom was referring specifically to the team’s defensive performance, but around the pitch, players are staying true to the other key principles that got them here. In recent matches, defense, as well as squad depth and versatility, have set this club apart from the competition.
Defensively, the numbers speak for themselves. Orlando now has five clean sheets in its past six NWSL matches and has only conceded 12 times in 18 matches. During the previous six matches, the Pride have started seven different players in the back four positions, and that does not include Rafaelle, who has been struggling with leg injuries this season. One of the players deputizing due to injuries to Rafaelle and Bri Martinez is Cori Dyke, who despite only starting three matches to this point in her debut season, is beginning to thrive in the environment the staff and other players have created.
Dyke exemplifies how squad depth has also been key to this defensive run. Despite a couple of injuries, the Pride still have not trailed in a match since the first month of the season, nor have they conceded a goal past the 75th minute. This stat could only be achieved because the roster is ready top to bottom to do the dirty work of defending, whether the players on the pitch are regular starters, or late game specialists. Also, it never hurts to be able to bring on Orlando’s newest addition, veteran defender Carson Pickett, to help see out games.
Orlando’s depth and versatility have also shown for the attack in recent weeks. While outsiders may wrongly view the Pride offense as a one-player “Barbra Banda show” due to her team-high 12 goals, the Dash and Gotham games demonstrated how lethal Orlando can be even without a goal from Banda. Against Gotham, it was Adriana who contributed two great goals within 20 minutes to put the game out of reach right after kickoff. Despite a slower start to 2024 following her electric debut campaign, Adriana now sits on five goals for the season. This tally brings her level with Marta, who has hit her highest individual goal mark since 2019, and Summer Yates, who subbed on and scored her fifth of season, a game winner, against the Dash.
Again, Yates’ goal highlights how the Pride players continue to perform well, whether they start or come off the bench. Goals are not the only way Pride attackers have contributed from the bench either, though Julie Doyle did almost have the goal of the season on Sunday if not for the offside flag. Doyle was also critical to seeing out the win and clean sheet because she drove the ball into the opposition half and toward the corner flag repeatedly to kill time and disrupt the flow of the match. Watt performed much the same role after her introduction as well, ensuring that Gotham did not have as many chances to score towards the end of the match.
At the end of the day, these are the types of contributions that Orlando will need to keep winning and maintain their lead at the top of the table. This includes the way the defense doesn’t let the opposition breathe, no matter who is playing. It includes timely goals from the entire Pride roster and not just Banda. And, it includes players in each position remaining focused and doing what they have done to be in the position they are in today. That position is one where they finally have daylight between them and their rivals at the top.
While there are still eight matches to go, the Pride will know that if they can take care of business against the teams outside of the top four in the NWSL, such as this weekend’s against the Chicago Red Stars, the path for other teams to catch them will get much trickier.
Orlando Pride
Orlando Pride Loan Amanda Allen to Lexington SC
The Pride have sent Canadian international forward Amanda Allen on loan to USL Super League side Lexington SC.
![](https://themaneland.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/MarkThor-PridevChicagoRedStars-032924-OCOP1702-1-scaled.jpg)
The Orlando Pride announced today that the club has sent forward Amanda Allen on loan to USL Super League side Lexington SC. The loan is for the 2024-25 USL Super League season, which runs through May, and includes a right to recall.
“Amanda has shown her potential and maturity during her time here in Orlando and we’re happy to find an opportunity for her to get more minutes on the field,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Amanda has played an important role so far this season and we are happy to be able to give her the opportunity to compete in Lexington. We look forward to watching her play and will continue to support her from afar during this loan spell.”
The Mississauga, Ontario, native joined the Pride on April 3, 2023 on a three-year deal running through the 2025 season. She made her debut on May 6, 2023 against Racing Louisville FC, becoming the youngest player to play for the Pride at 18 years, two months, and 15 days old.
In her two years in Orlando, Allen has made 17 appearances with two starts while recording 293 minutes with one assist in all competitions. That includes 11 NWSL regular season appearances, three Challenge Cup appearances, and three NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup appearances. Her assist came in this year’s season opener in a 2-2 draw against Racing Louisville when she found Summer Yates for the late equalizer.
Allen has spent time with the Canadian National Team and the youth squads. The 19-year-old forward is currently at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, where she started in the team’s first two group games.
What This Means for Orlando
The Pride have two primary forwards this season in Barbra Banda and Ally Watt, with the other forwards usually being left on the bench or out of the matchday squad. Even veteran and Argentina international Mariana Larroquette has found it hard to see the field. The club views Allen as part of the future of this team, but she was unlikely to see much more time this year in the regular season or postseason.
This loan gives the 19-year-old an opportunity to see first-team minutes at a high level, as the USL Super League is a first division league. The team was already heavy on forwards, resulting in the waiving of rookie Alex Kerr on Aug. 29. This move clears more space at the position while stating that Allen is part of the future of the team.
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