The San Diego Wave have announced the signing of teenage star Jaedyn Shaw to a contract through 2023, ending a saga that saw the Washington Spirit miss out on a player they wished to sign and who has been training with them for months.
The 17-year-old from Texas joined the Spirit in the preseason and has been training with the team starting in February.
The Spirit wished to sign Shaw directly, but the NWSL decided that the teenager would have to go through the league’s discovery process – with San Diego sitting first in the discovery order.
The Spirit aimed to trade with San Diego for Shaw’s rights, but a source has told Pro Soccer Wire that the Wave asked for up to $250,000, or $150,000 plus a first-round pick. However, a deal was unable to be completed before the California club announced the signing.
A source with knowledge of the talks over Shaw's rights told me that San Diego's asking price was at one point around $250k #NWSL https://t.co/Y5QnR9wSYs
— Jason Anderson (@JasonDCsoccer) July 18, 2022
“First, I want to thank the Washington Spirit for providing me a professional training environment for the past six months,” the U.S. Under-20 star said in a statement. “I am very grateful for their support. I also want to thank the NWSL for facilitating a pathway for me to join the league and start my childhood dream of becoming a professional soccer player.”
As an under-18 player, Shaw was technically not allowed to enter the league until she turned 18. However, the league, as it did for Portland Thorns teenager Olivia Moultrie, granted an exemption last month.
“For a variety of reasons, including the fact that Shaw will turn 18 in November 2022 and has already taken the necessary steps to turn professional and forgo her NCAA eligibility, the NWSL has exercised its authority and amended its entry process to allow NWSL teams to select Shaw through the discovery process,” read the league’s statement on the matter.
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