The Houston Dash have signed defender Katie Naughton to a contract extension through the 2025 season, the team announced today.
Katie’s commitment to Houston is impactful in many ways and we’re thrilled that she has chosen to continue her career with us. She’s a deeply driven professional who elevates the Dash on and off the pitch with an unmatched level of consistency. Through her leadership, passion and energy, she is a key contributor to our vision of attracting and retaining top talent with a high-performance environment that is best-in-class in all facets.
Naughton has played in and started all 14 matches this season and ranks second in the league in clearances with 78. She leads the team in blocked shots at 11 and she has won 51 duels on the year. The 28-year-old defender is the only player on the team to play every single minute of the regular season and has helped lead the team to four clean sheets. Naughton, who has played more than 125 NWSL matches across all competitions, provides leadership on and the field and in the locker room as the team’s co-captain alongside goalkeeper Jane Campbell.
“The opportunity to play in the city of Houston for another three years is an honor,” Naughton said. “From the moment I came to the Dash, I was welcomed with open arms and fully embraced by the community. There is nowhere else I would rather be, and I cannot wait to see what this team will accomplish this year and those thereafter. The ceiling for this club is high, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that growth. Houston, I’m staying, y’all!”
Naughton has anchored the Dash backline since joining the team in January of 2020 and helped lead the club to its first league title, the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. In 2021, Naughton played every minute of every game and was voted the Players’ Player of the Year by her teammates and was named the team’s Defender of the Year.
The Elk Grove Village, Illinois native was drafted by the Chicago Red Stars in 2016 out of Notre Dame University.
