What We've Learned Ahead of the Chicago Stars 2025 Season Opener
A comprehensive look into this week's headlines and other news
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News of the Week
The Chicago Stars open the 2025 NWSL season tonight against the reigning NWSL Champions, the Orlando Pride, at 7pm CT on Amazon Prime.
Now, this isn’t going to be a preview of the match tonight, but a comprehensive look into this week’s news that you may have missed alongside important information related to the match.
Sam Staab activated off season-ending injury list
The biggest news of the week came as a bit of a surprise to some, as defender Sam Staab was activated off the season-ending injury list and is available for selection tonight against Orlando.
Staab mentioned during the club’s media day last month that she was not quite at 100% yet, but she was feeling good.
Yesterday, Stars Head Coach Lorne Donaldson spoke about Staab’s return to the pitch ahead of Friday’s match.
“It's nice to have Sam Staab back in the mix. Even if she's not, she's around the players. Her leadership and her knowledge of the game, especially helping out our young defenders has been… it’s something that, you know, you can't put money on that. But it's nice to have Sam Staab back.”
It’s still a question mark whether Staab will see minutes on the pitch against Orlando, but if she’s ready, she’ll be out there.
Midfielder Justina Gaynor signs with the club, switches position to Defender.
The club announced on Wednesday the signing of Michigan State University midfielder Justina Gaynor.
The Michigan native will join Chicago on a one-year contract through 2025 with an option for 2026. This comes after she spent the preseason with the Stars on a training camp invite.
Move to outside back
The most interesting aspect to this signing was the fact she will be signing as a defender and not a midfielder. Gaynor, who played as a midfielder in college, will be making a position change to outside back on the defensive line when the season begins.
CBS News Detroit spoke with Gaynor about the move to the back line.
"They had at the beginning of preseason mentioned the possibility of switching me to more of an outside back. And, I was open for it. Whatever the team needs, that's kind of how I've always been. That's how I was in college. That's how I took the approach, starting this pre-season," said Gaynor, "I learn something new every day there... It's been a good process and I've kind of just welcomed it as it's come."
Training with Alyssa Naeher
Moving from a defensive midfielder to an outside back isn’t a surprise when it comes to Gaynor’s signing, as her versatility in both the attack and defense was key to her success. Now, making a positional change in the pros isn’t easy for everyone, but it’s a good thing she’ll have a two-time World Cup Champion, Olympic gold medalist, and 2024 FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year behind her in Alyssa Naeher to help her make the transition.
"Throughout training, playing with Alyssa is honestly, I could have never imagined. I obviously watched her play growing up all the time, and she's just been great. She's a super good coach and obviously a fantastic goalkeeper... I was like a little starstruck... She's such a good voice, a good leader back there. She's definitely also helped make my transition to more of a defensive role, go super smoothly. She's a great player, a great person, and it's been such an honor to play with her so far and to continue playing with her."
Familiar Name
If the Gaynor name sounds familiar to you, it’s because Justina Gaynor’s sister, Celia Gaynor, was drafted by Chicago in the fourth round of the 2024 NWSL Draft. Ultimately, Celia didn’t end up with a contract with the club by the end of preseason came, however, she now plays for Fort Lauderdale United FC in the USL Super League.
Who’s OUT against Orlando?
There were expected names on the availability report heading into Friday, but the list of inactive players is a little larger than one may have hoped.
The obvious name was that of forward Mallory Swanson, who has been away from the club for a few months now due to personal reasons. The club provided media with the same update that they’ve been providing since the announcement of her absence was first released, that she is currently not with the club and it will be up to her when she’s ready to come back.
Chicago Stars Spokesperson: “We are just being supportive of her and giving Mal the space that she needs, and will be ready whenever she's ready to come back.”
Defender Natalia Kuikka was another name expected to be inactive as she was put on the 45-day disabled list this week due to a knee injury she sustained a few weeks ago while she was on international duty with Finland.
“She won't feature in this game,” said Stars Head Coach Lorne Donaldson. “We're hoping that she can come back as soon as possible. But it was one of those things that we can't do anything about.”
Forward Ava Cook, who sustained an ACL tear at the beginning of last season remains on the season-ending injury list to start the season.
The expectation since 2024 was that forward Ludmila would not be playing in the opening match of 2025 due to a red card suspension she received at the end of last season. Ludmila received a red card in Chicago’s October 20th match against Washington, which lead to a three-match suspension that ended up including the club’s regular season finale, the first and only playoff match of 2024, and the first match of 2025.
Forward Jenna Bike and midfielders Leilanni Nesbeth and Maitane will also be inactive against Orlando. Bike is dealing with a hamstring injury, Nesbeth with an illness, and Maitane a calf injury.
The loss of Maitane, who was expected to play a big role for the club to start the season, is significant. She’s listed as a midfielder, but is a Championship-winning center back for Gotham FC in 2023. With the question mark over Sam Staab’s playing time, Maitane was a likely candidate to slot in at center back until her return to the lineup. So, now we will wait for tonight to see who is rotating into that back line.
Another player is moving to the back line
Midfielder Bea Franklin, who was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2024 NWSL Draft, really made a name for herself in Chicago’s midfield last season, first playing alongside veteran midfielder Cari Roccaro and then new-addition Julia Grosso later in the season when Roccaro was moved to center back.
By the end of the season, Franklin also saw herself on the back line playing as a center back. Now, she’s moving to the back line again for 2025.
“Bea [Franklin] played as a midfield player last season, she's playing in the back now,” said Donaldson. “We made that decision even before we thought players were going to go down. The intention was to pull her back, so she's worked a lot there. She's doing well.”
How are the new players fairing?
Over the offseason, Chicago added four players to their roster through free agency and college signings, and made two additions this week.
Micayla Johnson - F
Forward Micayla Johnson, a 17-year-old out of Michigan, joined the club on a three-year contract. Johnson has been heavily featured on the U.S. U17 squads in recent years and decided to de-commit from Florida State University in order to go pro.
At 17, they are youngest signing in club history. Their nickname is MJ and she is going to be wearing #23. Putting that kind of pressure on yourself in the city of Chicago is the kind of confidence you like to see out of a rookie.
Head coach Lorne Donaldson also has confidence in the young rookie. Her playing time now just comes down to whether or not she can earn it.
“Age doesn't matter. It’s her performance, is she mature enough, you know? And I think she's in here, and she shows some maturity… I think you wouldn't know, if you're walking in, that she's a 17-year-old. She acts the part, she looks the part, and she's playing the part. So, it just has come down to what she's deserving, how many minutes she's [deserving]. Is she deserving to start or come off the bench, or just being left out of the roster? She's gotta make that. But along that line, we're helping her with a lot of on-field, off-field decisions. I think she's growing very, very fast.”
Manaka Hayashi - MF
Japanese Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team (Japan U-20 WYNT) captain Manaka Hayashi joined the Chicago Stars on a three-year contract through 2027 this offseason.
The midfielder spent one year at Santa Clara before going pro. In her freshman season at Santa Clara, Hayashi started in all 9 of her appearances for the Broncos, recording ten shots across 719 minutes played.
Manaka is here as a rookie, with only a short year of college under her belt and some youth experience at the international level, but she says she didn’t come here to stay on the bench.
“I’m not aiming to be on the bench. For sure, I’m going to make a play [for] the field, even though it’s my first professional [season].”
Coach Donaldson knows that speed of play is the biggest hurdle rookies have to get over when transitioning into their first season in the NWSL. He believes Manaka will also find that transition challenging, but she’s making the adjustments.
“Speed of play is always going to be a problem for Manaka, but she's adjusting, you know. She's a lovely person, great in the locker room, great presence. We love having her around. She's very, very, very technical, as most Japanese players are, and she's making the adjustments as a pro now… obviously you don't have to ask a Japanese player to work hard. That's a part of their culture. They're going to come in and they're going to grind with everybody. Their mentality is superb, they just want to win, not for themselves, but for the team. I think she's adjusting very well to what we're doing.”
Maitane - MF/D
Maitane joined the Stars this offseason on a two-year contract through 2026. The Spanish international spent two seasons with Gotham FC where the midfielder helped the club win the 2023 NWSL Championship. With Gotham, Maitane made 31 total appearances with 18 starts, and totaled 1,745 minutes across all competitions.
While at Gotham, Maitane mostly played as a center back and is expected to continue that role on Chicago’s back line when healthy. She could also move back to her midfield position depending on the needs of the club.
Maitane is inactive against Orlando while dealing with a calf injury, but Coach Donaldson knows her skills will play an important role when she returns.
“She's good on the ball, she can rotate the ball, she can do stuff with our midfielders in the back. I mean, that's one of the main reasons she's here, because of her experience and her smartness. Very comfortable on the ball.”
Halle Mackiewicz - GK
Goalkeeper Halle Mackiewicz joined the Stars on a one-year contract from Swedish side, Trelleborgs FF, where the goalkeeper played and started in 10 matches. Prior to joining Trelleborgs, Mackiewicz played soccer at Clemson University. In the keeper’s final year at Clemson, Mackiewicz recorded 13 shutouts for the Tigers breaking a 24-year-old record of 12 shutouts in a single season. Mackiewicz’s accolades at Clemson include being named an All-American, ACC Goalkeeper of the Year, First Team All-ACC and Top Drawer Soccer Best XI First Team Selection (2023) among others.
While she’s not expected to start or see much playing time with Alyssa Naeher still in the starting role with the club, the opportunity to learn from Naeher is a special one for Mackiewicz.
“It’s been awesome. Just taking it in and learning from her. Obviously, it’s a really special place to be because of who she is and the year she had last year, so I’ve just been taking it all in for that first week.”
Catherine Barry - F
With the amount of injuries the club is dealing with to start the season, they were eligible to sign a player through a roster relief contract. The club chose to sign forward Catherine Barry to a roster relief contract this week.
She joins the Stars from the University of South Carolina, where the forward spent five years and started in 98 of the 101 matches the forward played with the Gamecocks. While at South Carolina, the Massachusetts native scored 51 goals and recorded 27 assists.
What does the rest of the 2025 roster look it?
Red Stars Report has a detailed spreadsheet of the entire 2025 roster. Just click the bottom below to dive in.
Red Stars Report Podcast
You can watch or listen to this week’s Red Stars Report Podcast for a preview of tonight’s match against Orlando.
Make sure you check out Tuesday’s episode of the Red Stars Report Podcast to hear LT and Liz’s thoughts on the opening match of the season. New episodes of the Red Stars Report Podcast release every Tuesday at 6am CT.