The San Diego Wave reinforces its depth with the additions of two new signings, Elyse Bennet and Sierra Enge.
Over the weekend, the Wave announced the acquisition of Elyse Bennet from the Utah Royals via trade in exchange for $40,000 in allocation money.
“We are excited to welcome Elyse Bennett to the Wave,” said San Diego Wave FC General Manager Molly Downtain. “She is a young and dynamic player that is a threat in the attacking third and is an important addition to the team as we continue to build for the 2024 season.”
The 23-year-old was recently selected by the Utay Royals in last week’s National Women’s Soccer League Expansion Draft from OL Reign, and will now be making her way to San Diego.
Bennet, Illinois native, played for the OL Reign last season where she made 22 appearances and scored a pair of goals, and was part of a special season where the Reign made it all the way to the final before falling just short against Gotham FC, here in San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium.
Furthermore, the Wave also confirmed that they club has reacquired Sierra Enge from the Houston Dash. Enge is a San Diego native who was selected by Bay FC in last week’s National Women’s Soccer League Expansion Draft before being traded to Houston, and is now heading to her hometown.
In exchange for the San Diego native, the Houston Dash will receive midfielder Belle Briede, who played for the Wave the past two seasons after being selected 27th overall in the 2022 NWSL draft by San Diego. In addition, Houston will also receive $60,000 in allocation money from the Wave.
San Diego has already begun their off-season hunt towards their first NWSL title after resigning Amirah Ali to a new contract this month.
“We’re thrilled to re-sign Amirah to the Wave ahead of the 2024 season,” said Wave FC General Manager Molly Downtain. “She is a very talented forward with a huge upside and we look forward to her continued contributions to our club.”
The 24-year-old was originally acquired by San Diego via Portland Thorns through the Expansion Draft in 2022. Amirah is not only considered part of the bright future for San Diego Wave, but also a fundamental piece for the United States Women’s National Team.