Report: Utah Royals trade Kelley O’Hara to Washington Spirit
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Utah Royals vs. Washington Spirit, soccer at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Saturday May 5, 2018. Utah Royals FC defender Kelley O'Hara (5) scores a goal. Defending is Washington Spirit midfielder Taylor Smith (7).
It appears another high-profile player is leaving the Utah Royals FC via trade.
The Royals have traded defender Kelley O’Hara to the Washington Spirit, per a report Sunday in The Athletic. The report did not say which players or assets the Royals will receive in the deal.
The move leaves just one U.S. Women’s National Team player on the Utah roster in Christen Press.
O’Hara has been injured for much of the last two seasons. She appeared in two games during the National Women’s Soccer League Challenge Cup and played only 64 minutes. She played only four games in 2019, when she and her USWNT teammates won the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The news came on the same day the Spirit traded away the rights to Rose Lavelle, another USWNT player, to the OL Reign.
The Royals traded former defender Becky Saurebrunn to the Portland Thorns before the 2020 season.
For over 150 years, The Salt Lake Tribune has been Utah’s independent news source. Our reporters work tirelessly to uncover the stories that matter most to Utahns, from unraveling the complexities of court rulings to allowing tax payers to see where and how their hard earned dollars are being spent. This critical work wouldn’t be possible without people like you—individuals who understand the importance of local, independent journalism. As a nonprofit newsroom, every subscription and every donation fuels our mission, supporting the in-depth reporting that shines a light on the is sues shaping Utah today.
You can help power this work.