San Diego Wave FC acquire NWSL rights to Welsh international Angharad James

With the 2021 NWSL expansion draft around the corner, moves keep happening, with San Diego Wave FC acquiring the NWSL rights to midfielder Angharad James, in exchange for full roster protection from the expansion draft for the North Carolina Courage.

James, 27, joined North Carolina for the 2021 season, where she made 17 appearances (10 starts), scoring one goal. Prior to her move stateside, James played professionally in England. Signing her first deal with Arsenal, she moved to Bristol City in 2012, then had stints at Notts County, Yeovil Town, Everton, and Reading. Also a Welsh international, she’s getting close to reaching 100 caps for her country.

While North Carolina have announced the deal, San Diego have not yet, and it’s worth noting the language of the trade is that James’ NWSL rights have been traded. That means she still needs to sign a contract to become a Wave FC player, and that may not be a guarantee. If she is out of contract, she may opt to head back to Britain instead of moving to San Diego. Alternately, she may be planning to joining Wave FC and the deal hasn’t been finished yet. Time will tell. Obviously the trade will be more consequential for San Diego if James becomes a player for them, but we’ll see what happens.

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