HOUSTON (Jan. 17, 2025) The Houston Dash acquired goalkeeper Abby Smith in a trade with NJ/NY Gotham FC, both teams announced today. Houston acquired the two-time NWSL champion in exchange for $20,000 of intra-league transfer funds.
“The organization is thrilled to add a veteran like Abby to the roster and bolster our goalkeeping corps for the upcoming season,” President of Women’s Soccer, Angela Hucles Mangano said. “Her success is a testament to her character and competitive spirit, which will be key in shaping a new culture in Houston that strives for sustained success.”
The veteran shot stopper has won five trophies across nine campaigns in the NWSL. She has started 60 regular season games and tallied 14 clean sheets throughout her career. Smith spent the last two seasons with Gotham FC where she won the NWSL title in 2023 and the 2024 NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup. She appeared in 15 games for Gotham and earned five Save of the Week honors during the 2023 season.
“I’m excited to continue my career closer to home and help the Houston Dash develop a new identity,” Smith said. “The organization is committed to building a new culture and that was evident as I evaluated this opportunity. I can’t wait to meet my new teammates and start contributing to the team’s future success.”
Smith won three trophies with Portland Thorns FC between 2021-2022. She joined the Thorns in a trade in August 2021 and helped the team win the 2021 Women’s International Cup and the 2021 NWSL Shield. She won the NWSL Championship the following year, earning her first regular season start against the North Carolina Courage on Aug. 24.
The Plano, Texas native began her professional career in 2016 after the Boston Breakers selected Smith in the third round of the NWSL College Draft. She appeared in 21 matches for the Breakers prior to joining Utah Royals FC in 2018 through the NWSL Dispersal Draft. She finished with six clean sheets for the Royals in their inaugural campaign, a new regular season high for the goalkeeper. She appeared in six games for the Kansas City Current in 2021 prior to joining the Thorns.
Smith played college soccer for the University of Texas and finished with 60 appearances for the Longhorns. She finished with 30 shutouts at the collegiate level, a school record for career shutouts.
At the international level, Smith has represented the U.S. National Team at the youth and senior category. She joined the senior national team in 2018 for a pair of friendlies against China PR and earned her invitation to the senior squad in 2017 for friendlies against Norway and Sweden. At the youth level, she won the La Manga Tournament and Four Nations Tournament with the U-23 team in 2015.
