Emma Sears wants out. The 25-year-old attacker has reportedly requested a trade from her club, Racing Louisville FC. Because Sears is a young star establishing herself as a USWNT mainstay, plenty of teams could be interested in her. Also, because she signed a contract extension through 2028, Louisville has significant leverage in any negotiations that may play out in the near future.
It’s not hard to understand why Sears wants to leave. Though she did not publicly explain why she requested a trade, Louisville has gone from a playoff team to last place in the matter of one season. A losing team with a significant, multi-year rebuild likely coming is not a great home for a player trying to establish herself as one of the best forwards both in the league and for the national team.
Sears had a strong year with Racing in 2025, scoring a single-season club record of 10 goals. But her 2026 season with the team has been lethargic in comparison, and now she’s made it clear she wants out.
So, what are some potential destinations for the dangerous attacker who wants to impress as the 2027 World Cup grows closer? It’s easy to see Sears join up with the Washington Spirit. Put her up front next to Trinity Rodman, and you are forcing defenses to make impossible choices. Plus, with Leicy Santos in a central scoring position and Hal Hershfelt’s midfield aggression, it’s easy to envision an attacking environment that would complement Sears’ pace and play. Sears and Rodman together up front could be the fastest attacking duo in the league, and, if successful, could even be a strategy employed at the international level. It’s easy to see why both Sears and the Spirit would be rooting for this option.
The Current provides another great opportunity for an attacker like Sears. She could find herself in a similarly intimidating front-line duo as in Washington, but instead, in Kansas City with Temwa Chawinga. Kansas City is already one of the league’s most dangerous attacking teams when Chawinga is healthy, and Sears would complement it well.
The Orlando Pride could also be a potential suitor for Sears. They have a strong and well-rounded roster, but recent injuries to star attacker Barbra Banda have reminded the team that they need more reliable scorers. Sears’ fast pace would fill this hole, and she would pair nicely with their consistent midfielders as well.
These three stand out as obvious potential destinations for Sears; however, other teams may throw their names into the hat, and for good reason. Angel City is known to invest in star talent, and bringing Sears on could be the latest in their series of blockbuster moves. While the North Carolina Courage are a very technical and practical team, they could use a player like Sears to stretch the defense with speed.
It’s harder to see a path forward for Sears with the remaining NWSL teams. Seattle may want to add Sears to the young core they are already building around, and San Diego could try to pile her onto their stack of talent as they eye a 2026 Shield win. But Portland and Gotham don’t seem to have the room or the need, and Chicago… Well, Sears is ostensibly leaving Louisville to at least try to win a championship, right?
Obstacles will no doubt present themselves as Sears attempts to wriggle out of Louisville. Because she’s signed through 2028, the club controls the situation, and many of the teams that make a good fit may have to tinker with salary cap boundaries to make room for her. Louisville will likely use all the leverage it has to demand a record-setting trade; until then, Sears is stuck in last place, but a girl can dream.
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