HOUSTON (Dec. 27, 2024) - The Houston Dash acquired forward Yazmeen Ryan in a trade with NJ/NY Gotham FC, both teams announced today. Houston also acquired $80,000 in intra-league transfer funds for the 2025 season from Gotham in exchange for $400,000 in allocation money plus an international roster spot in 2025.
“Yazmeen's versatility and unmatched work ethic has led to success at the club level plus an opportunity to showcase her talent on the international stage with the USWNT,” Dash Interim General Manager, Erik Ustruck said. “Her addition embodies our ambition to build a winning culture with a strong foundation for years to come. She is thrilled to champion this project and help our team achieve sustained success.”
Ryan has won four trophies since making her professional debut in 2021 with Portland Thorns FC. She was drafted as the No. 6 overall pick by the Thorns and won the Women’s International Champions Cup Champion and NWSL Shield in her rookie season. The forward helped Portland lift the 2022 NWSL Championship prior to joining Gotham for the 2023 season. The TCU alum claimed her second NWSL title with Gotham in 2023, scoring a goal in the quarterfinals against the North Carolina Courage.
“I’m thrilled to join the Houston Dash and embark on this ambitious project to elevate the team to unprecedented success,” Ryan said. “I’ve been in this situation before and understand the commitment and sacrifice needed to compete for trophies in the most competitive league in the world. I want to thank club leadership for their belief in my abilities and the responsibility to execute the vision they have for the club.”
The 25-year-old was named to the 2024 NWSL Best XI Second Team and finished with five goals and six assists last season. Ryan has appeared in 82 regular season games since making her debut in 2021, scoring nine goals and tallying 12 assists.
Ryan earned her first U.S. Women’s National Team cap earlier this year on Oct. 24 against Iceland. She tallied the game-winning assist in the USWNT’s victory over the Netherlands on Dec. 3 in Europe. The Norman, Oklahoma native has also represented the United States at the U-18 and U-23 level.
The midfielder led Texas Christian University to the Big 12 championship in 2020, the first conference championship in program history. She was a Mac Hermann Trophy Award semifinalist in her final season with the Horned Frogs and named to the United Soccer Coaches, TopDrawerSoccer and All-Big 12 first team in 2021. She scored 23 goals and tallied 23 assists across 75 appearances for TCU.
