Washington Spirit and Star Defender Tara McKeown Exercise Mutual 2028 Option
2024 NWSL Defender of the Year finalist under contract with Spirit for next four seasons
Washington, D.C. (01/07/2025) – The Washington Spirit and standout defender Tara McKeown have exercised the mutual 2028 option on McKeown’s contract, the club announced today. McKeown and the Spirit agreed to the defender’s current contract late in the 2024 season.
“Tara will continue to be a very important part of the Spirit moving forward and we’re thrilled she will be staying with the club,” said President of Soccer Operations/General Manager Mark Krikorian.
McKeown completed an Iron Woman season with the Spirit in 2024, playing all 2,350 possible regular season minutes. Since making the move from forward to defender two years ago, McKeown has been a stalwart of the Spirit back line, having only missed 120 minutes of regular season action since the start of the 2023 season. The standout center back earned her first senior call-up to the U.S. Women’s National Team this week and will take part in this month’s camp.
“I’m excited to lock in another year at this amazing club and looking forward to the next four seasons,” said McKeown.
Originally from Newbury Park, California, McKeown attended the University of Southern California before being drafted by the Spirit with the eighth overall pick in 2021. In four seasons with the Trojans, McKeown tallied 33 goals and 28 assists in 76 appearances, earning First Team All-American honors once and First Team All-Pac-12 honors twice in the process. McKeown also earned a Pac-12 All-Freshman Team nod in 2017 and an All-Pac-12 Third Team nod in 2018.
The Spirit will take the field in 2025 looking to build on last season’s second place finish in the NWSL. Behind stellar performances from the side’s star players and rookie phenoms, the Spirit set new single season club marks on the pitch in wins (18, also a league record), points (56) and goals (51) in front of record attendances at Audi Field in 2024. Fans can secure their spot to see the Spirit in the team’s next match at Audi Field by becoming 2025 Season Ticket Members here.
About The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. In 2024, the Spirit drafted an epic class of rookies who are already breaking records and wowing fans. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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