Haley McCutcheon was still known as Haley Hanson when she joined the Orlando Pride on Aug. 18, 2022 in a midseason trade with the Houston Dash. The Pride gave up $75,000 in Allocation Money and a second-round draft selection. She joined Orlando for the stretch run, making her debut with the Pride on Aug. 20 in a 2-1 win over Gotham FC. Following the 2022 season, the Nebraska product signed a new contract through 2024 on Oct. 26 of last year. The Pride extended McCutcheon’s stay in Orlando on Dec. 20, 2023 by inking her to a deal through 2026.

Once again, the versatile veteran contributed in a number of different roles on the pitch, but she saved her best for last, scoring her first goals of the season in the Pride’s playoff run, helping Orlando get past Chicago and Kansas City and into the NWSL Championship against Washington.

Let’s look back at McCutcheon’s third year with the Pride.

Statistical Breakdown

McCutcheon appeared in 22 games during the regular season, starting 18 and logging 1,700 minutes, which was the sixth-most playing time among all outfield players behind three of the team’s defenders (Kerry Abello, Kylie Strom, and Emily Sams), and attackers Marta and Barbra Banda. Of her 18 starts, the first two games of the season saw her at left back, while she was in the midfield for her last 16 starts, although there were a few moments here and there where she moved around as needed when subs were made.

She did not score a goal or provide an assist in the regular season, largely due to a lack of clinical finishing, as she put only two of her 18 shot attempts on frame. She completed 80.4% of her passes, but tallied no key passes and completed just three crosses and 12 long balls on the season. Defensively, however, she shone brightly with 31 tackles and 23 interceptions, winning 69 headed duels. She committed 16 fouls, drew eight, and was booked twice.

In the NWSL playoffs, McCutcheon started in all three games, logging 270 minutes. She scored two goals, finishing the two of her three shots that hit the target, but did not record an assist or a key pass in the postseason. The midfielder connected on 62.8% of her 75 postseason passes. She contributed three tackles and three interceptions on the defensive end. She committed two fouls, did not draw one on the opposition, and was booked once.

McCutcheon made two appearances in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup (both starts), playing 162 minutes. She did not have a goal contribution or attempt a shot, but she was successful on two of three dribble attempts and completed 84% of her 55 passes, albeit without a completed cross or key pass and only one successful long ball. Defensively, she won four of her five tackle attempts (80%), recorded no interceptions, and won a headed duel. She committed two fouls, drew none on the competition, and was not booked. She attempted one penalty shot but saw her potential winning effort saved against North Carolina.

Best Game

There were a few decent options for McCutcheon’s top match of the year, but the standout for me is the Pride’s 3-2 playoff semifinal win over the Kansas City Current on Nov. 17. Ironically, it was one of her poorest passing performances of the season at just a 49% completion rate, but she managed to contribute in important ways on both ends of the pitch.

Her most important contribution came in the 41st minute with Orlando trailing 1-0. Ally Watt took the ball to the end line up the right channel and cut a pass back into the middle of the penalty area. With Adriana and Barbra Banda occupying the defenders, McCutcheon made a smart late run into the box, splitting her two teammates to get into an open area just as the ball arrived. McCutcheon’s first touch was a hard shot close to the goalkeeper, but the movement was too quick for Almuth Schult to recover and keep it out. With her second goal of the postseason, McCutcheon pulled the Pride level and they kicked on to take a 3-1 lead, ultimately winning 3-2 and advancing to the NWSL Championship.

Two games in a row with a goal 🔥#NWSLPlayoffs Haley McCutcheon is next level! pic.twitter.com/Byhvt9fYxe

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 17, 2024

That wasn’t McCutcheon’s only contribution, although it was her only shot attempt of the match. Her 51 touches in the game showed how involved she was, and her two tackles and two interceptions illustrate her importance to the defensive effort as the Pride held off the Current’s desperation rally attempt. She picked up one foul in the game and was booked in the 12th minute of stoppage time after Danielle Chesky awarded Kansas City a penalty, perhaps trying to give Vanessa DiBernardo a little more time to think about it. Aside from her stats and her goal, McCutcheon showed leadership, often pointing out assignments like an extra coach on the field. She was solid throughout Orlando’s postseason run, but this match was probably her biggest contribution to the three-game postseason sweep.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives McCutcheon a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2024 season. This is an improvement over the 6 we gave her last year and the 5 out of 10 grade she received in 2022. She was in the lineup nearly every game, missing just four games from Sept. 20 to Oct. 11. She sat out two of those (officially) with a knock and the last of those was an extra day of rest after the Pride had clinched the NWSL Shield. Other than that, she was on the field.

2025 Outlook

I don’t expect McCutcheon’s role to change much next season, although Seb Hines might like to get her more rest in 2025. With Luana’s illness and injuries to Angelina and Morgan Gautrat, McCutcheon ate up minutes in the Orlando midfield in 2024. Fewer injuries to that position group and/or adding depth in th off-season — and potentially the development of Ally Lemos — could help McCutcheon manage her minutes next year. Regardless of how much time she spends on the pitch, she will likely be one of the key, and vocal, veteran leaders pushing the Pride forward as they try to defend their NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship.

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Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

• Amanda Allen (11/28/24)
• McKinley Crone (11/29/24)
• Sofia Manner (11/30/24)
• Mariana Larroquette (12/1/24)
• Viviana Villacorta (12/2/24)
• Luana (12/3/24)
• Evelina Duljan (12/4/24)
• Cori Dyke (12/5/24)
• Carson Pickett (12/6/24)
• Brianna Martinez (12/7/24)
• Ally Watt (12/8/24)
• Summer Yates (12/9/24)
• Ally Lemos (12/10/24)

The Orlando Pride updated the team’s roster status today following the 2024 NWSL season and announced some off-season decisions. The team is well intact for the 2025 season with 25 players currently under contract and only four players officially departing.

The players under contract for 2025 or beyond include forwards Amanda Allen, Barbra Banda, Simone Charley, Julie Doyle, Mariana Larroquette, Adriana, and Ally Watt; midfielders Kerry Abello, Angelina, Luana, Grace Chanda, Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemos, Haley McCutcheon, Viviana Villacorta, and Summer Yates; defenders Cori Dyke, Brianna Martinez, Carson Pickett, Emily Sams, Rafaelle, and Kylie Strom; and goalkeepers McKinley Crone, Sofia Manner, and Anna Moorhouse.

The long list of players under contract is largely due to the work done during the season to sign several players to new contracts. Yates, Doyle, Gautrat, Crone, Watt, Villacorta, Dyke, Martinez, and Abello all re-signed midseason before their contracts expired.

Celia, Carrie Lawrence, and Megan Montefusco announced their retirements from professional soccer during the season, effective at the end of the year. Additionally, Evelina Duljan is out of contract and the club has decided not to bring the young attacker back.

Probably the biggest news from the updates is that the club is in discussions for club captain Marta to return for the 2025 season. The Brazilian saw her two-year contract expire, but had a resurgence at 38 years old, resulting in being named an NWSL MVP finalist.

Just as important to re-signing players were the midseason contract extensions of Pride Head Coach Seb Hines and Vice President of Soccer Operations and Sporting Director Haley Carter. The pair that led the Pride to the NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship signed new deals earlier this year through the 2026 season with options for 2027.

What It Means for Orlando

There weren’t going to be any major surprises because 25 of the 30 players were already under contract and three had announced their retirements. Duljan’s departure is a little surprising because she’s only 21 years old and was a highly-touted addition prior to the season. However, she only played in 11 games in all competitions and didn’t appear to be a major factor going forward with the young players in the squad.

The other big news is that the club is in discussions about a return for Marta. The captain has been with the Pride for eight seasons and lost a step after suffering a torn ACL two years ago. However, she was excellent this year, scoring 11 goals and leading the team to the double. The question was whether the club would want to re-sign the attacker — who will be 39 in February — or if she would want to ride off into the sunset with the most successful season in Pride history. The Brazilian sports icon has repeatedly said when asked that she would like to play one to two more years. That being the case, the most likely place for her to do that was in Orlando.

Regardless of the Marta decision, the Pride are in great shape moving forward. They have nearly all of their key players returning next season, setting them up for potentially another run at an NWSL Championship. However, Carter has vowed to continue trying to make the squad better, so having a lot of returning faces doesn’t mean there won’t be some activity this off-season.

Post-2024 Orlando Pride Player Contract Statuses

(Current club players in italics)

• Kerry Abello — Under Contract

• Amanda Allen — Under Contract

• Adriana — Under Contract

• Angelina — Under Contract

• Barbra Banda — Under Contract

• Grace Chanda — Under Contract

• Simone Charley — Under Contract

• McKinley Crone — Under Contract

• Celia — Retired

• Julie Doyle — Under Contract

• Evelina Duljan — Out of Contract

• Cori Dyke — Under Contract

• Morgan Gautrat — Under Contract

• Mariana Larroquette — Under Contract

• Carrie Lawrence — Retired

• Ally Lemos — Under Contract

• Luana — Under Contract

• Sofia Manner — Under Contract

• Brianna Martinez — Under Contract

• Haley McCutcheon — Under Contract

• Megan Montecusco — Retired

• Anna Moorhouse — Under Contract

• Marta — Out of Contract

• Carson Pickett — Under Contract

• Rafaelle — Under Contract

• Emily Sams — Under Contract

• Kylie Strom — Under Contract

• Viviana Villacorta — Under Contract

• Ally Watt — Under Contract

• Summer Yates — Under Contract

The Orlando Pride selected midfielder Ally Lemos with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft — the team’s first selection. The Pride wasted little time inking the UCLA standout to a two-year deal through the 2025 season just two weeks after the draft on Jan. 26.

Lemos got on the field quickly, making her professional debut in the Pride’s opening match of the 2024 season at Racing Louisville. The Pride were down a goal and a player when she was introduced, and Lemos was part of a gritty comeback as Orlando struck late through Summer Yates to salvage a road draw. The Pride’s refusal to lose lasted another 25 games in all competitions.

Let’s look at how Lemos fared during her first professional season, which was interrupted periodically for U.S. youth international duty for the young midfielder, who celebrated her 20th birthday in early March.

Statistical Breakdown

Lemos appeared in 13 regular-season matches for Orlando in 2024, starting two and logging 337 minutes. Her first season ended without a goal contribution or key pass, but Lemos attempted two shots, putting neither on frame. She passed at a 78% rate, completing 15 long balls and a cross. Defensively, Lemos tallied eight tackles, winning those challenges at a 57% success rate, with one interception and 14 headed duels won. The rookie committed four fouls, drew three, and was booked once.

In the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, Lemos had a bigger role, playing in all three matches and starting two, playing a total of 212 minutes. The defensive midfielder had no goal contributions but attempted a shot, which was not on target. She passed at an 81% rate, completing three long balls but no key passes. Defensively, she finished the tournament with three tackles, four interceptions, and four headed duels won. She committed three fouls, drew four on her opponents, and was not booked in the competition.

After seemingly earning a spot in the regular rotation midseason, missing time away on international duty cut into her role down the stretch, and Lemos did not appear in any of Orlando’s three playoff matches.

Best Game

There were muiltiple good options for Lemos’ best game in 2024, including her first NWSL start in the Pride’s 1-0 win over Racing Louisville on May 5, which saw the midfielder play a regular-season high 87 minutes and complete 84% of her passes. However, I’m going with her performance in a 90-minute outing in the NWSL x Liga MX Summer Cup in Orlando’s 2-2 draw and 5-4 shootout win over CF Monterrey on July 28 at Inter&Co Stadium.

Lemos went the full 90 minutes for Orlando. She didn’t have a goal contribution, but she managed a season-high three shot attempts, although none of them required a save. She set a career high in passing accuracy (86.96%) for a game with at least 10 attempts, which she later broke in a much shorter outing at Portland. She attempted 46 passes in the game, completing 40 on her 68 total touches. Lemos won four tackles and recorded an interception in the match, committing one foul while not drawing one, but she was not booked. The rookie also helped her team in the penalty shootout, scoring on her attempt to help the Pride edge out Monterrey 5-4 from the spot to earn the extra point.

2024 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff gives Lemos a 5.5 out of 10 composite score for her first NWSL season. There’s certainly no shame in a player her age not getting more minutes, particularly when she missed several matches while participating in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, where she helped the United States finish third in the competition. Seb Hines shortened his bench to some extent in the playoffs and leaned on his starters for longer than usual, but that’s not surprising and not a reflection on Lemos as a player. After all, when you’ve got former USWNT standout Morgan Gautrat off the bench, it’s going to be tough for a current U-20 player to get the nod. The 2024 season was one Lemos can, and likely will, build on.

2025 Outlook

Lemos is young and has a ton of upside. The fact that on this roster she could find regular minutes in central midfield as a rookie illustrates that potential. She will get stronger and wiser over time, and she should push for more minutes in 2025, even with the Pride’s depth in the middle of the pitch. On the day Lemos signed her first professional contract, Haley Carter said in a club press release, “We are investing in her development over time, but she has already demonstrated notable maturity in how she studies the game and in her approach to training and off-the-field priorities. She’s demonstrated she knows how to win championships at the collegiate level, and we are confident our veteran leadership and staff will help her successfully transition into the professional game.”

That speaks well for Lemos’ future. Next season might just be one more step toward the player she will become, but an expanded role isn’t out of the question. She’ll just need to earn it.

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Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

• Amanda Allen (11/28/24)
• McKinley Crone (11/29/24)
• Sofia Manner (11/30/24)
• Mariana Larroquette (12/1/24)
• Viviana Villacorta (12/2/24)
• Luana (12/3/24)
• Evelina Duljan (12/4/24)
• Cori Dyke (12/5/24)
• Carson Pickett (12/6/24)
• Brianna Martinez (12/7/24)
• Ally Watt (12/8/24)
• Summer Yates (12/9/24)