The Houston Dash have agreed to a new multiyear contract with forward Rachel Daly for three seasons, the club announced today. The contract will see Daly remain with the Dash through the 2023 season.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be signing with the Houston Dash for another three years. This club has taken itself to a new high over the past few months with winning the Challenge Cup and the things we’ve achieved on and off the field this past year,” Daly said. “It’s a club I want to be a part of. I hold this club very close to my heart. I’ve spent five years here, and am set to be here for the next three.”
Daly was a key piece to Houston’s success during the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup bringing intensity and outstanding leadership to the field. Of Houston’s eight goals scored in the tournament, she played a role in five, opening her stellar tournament run by scoring a brace in the first game played against Utah Royals FC and capping it off with an assist in the Challenge Cup Final to secure the title. Leading the Dash to the first league title in club history, the England international claimed the tournament MVP and Golden Boot awards with three goals and two assists.
“Very happy Rachel has committed her future to the Dash, we’re excited to build on the recent success and push the team to another level”, said Head Coach James Clarkson. “It’s so important we retain our top players, which we have done so far, and continue to improve on and off the field”.
Daly joined the Dash in 2016 as the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NWSL College Draft and has held at least a share of the team’s Golden Boot award in each of the last three years. She scored three game-winning goals in 2019 and played a key role in Houston’s fast start to the season under then-first-year head coach Clarkson.
Daly scored a career-high 10 goals in her third season with the club and finished with three NWSL Team of the Month honors in 2018. The forward was named to the NWSL Second XI at the end of the season and named the club’s Most Valuable Player. The forward led the team in goals with five in 2017 despite playing as a defender for a portion of the season.
Since joining the Dash, Daly has played her way into the England Women’s National Team, earning 29 caps for the Lionesses and scoring three goals while splitting time as a forward and outside back. She played a key role in England’s semifinal run at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, seeing action in five of their seven matches and starting twice, including in the semifinal against the United States.
After capturing the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup in late July, the Dash are set to return to competition in September as part of an 18-game fall series. The league’s nine teams were divided into three three-team pods based on geography, and the Dash will play four matches against the North Carolina Courage and Orlando Pride. The schedule for the fall series will be announced soon.
