Angel City FC acquires Emily Sams from Orlando

Angel City Football Club’s week of additions ended Friday with the acquisition of defender Emily Sams in a trade with the Orlando Pride.

Sams, 26, was the NWSL’s 2024 Defender of the Year.

Angel City, not one to shy away from a hefty transfer fee, send the Pride $650,000 in intraleague transfer funds. The Pride had extended Sams’ contract through 2027. Angel City has extended the deal another year through 2028.

“Emily is a true professional with high standards, and she will add to our team first culture while raising the standard of those around her,” Angel City sporting director Mark Parsons said in a statement. “We believe our technical staff will be able to push Emily to another level and I am excited to see her impact on and off the field while competing for trophies in the coming years with Angel City.”

Sams was drafted No. 3 in the 2023 NWSL Draft by the Pride out of Florida State. She has made 86 appearances for the Pride.

Sams was recently called into the USWNT’s national team. She has made seven national team appearances.

In an Instagram post, Sams said her “time in Orlando played an important role in my growth and I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity to wear the badge. My teammates shaped me, this club challenged me and together we worked to provide a product that the city of Orlando could take Pride in.”

The move for Sams is the fifth announced this week for Angel City. The club signed Ary Borges, from Racing Louisville, to a three-year contract and inked graduating college seniors Carina Lageyre (Duke) and defender Karsyn Cherry (Louisville) to three-year deals.

On Thursday, the club signed Taylor Suarez, who left Florida State after her sophomore season.