Royal roster build continues with Addisyn Merrick signing, and she 'can't wait to get to work'
Royal roster build continues with Addisyn Merrick signing, and she 'can't wait to get to work'
There was a lot of confusion over the weekend as Utah Royals FC traded one of two NWSL expansion draft picks to San Diego. But the build continues from the front office.
Utah Royals FC lost one of two NWSL expansion picks over the weekend when the club traded newly acquired forward Elyse Bennett to San Diego for $40,000 in allocation money.
Plenty of internet outcry followed, mostly from fans who only read the headline or one-line post on social media and not the rest of the release.
The Royals had discussed the move Friday evening, during an early timeout at the nationally televised expansion draft, with both the Wave and Bennett. It’s assumed, then, that all sides agreed to the deal that would send the former OL Reign forward to her fourth team in two years. Bennett even released a message to Wave fans on San Diego’s social media.
Then the next question was, are the Royals still building?
The answer came Monday with a strong affirmation.
Utah signed defender Addisyn Merrick, a league veteran with stops in North Carolina, Louisville and more recently Kansas City as the 14th player on head coach Amy Rodriguez’s preseason roster.
Merrick signed a two-year deal with the Royals, covering a stay on the Wasatch Front for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, according to a team release.
Like Bennett in San Diego, Merrick — whose father and brother both played professional baseball — also had a message for fans in her new home.
“I cannot wait to take this next step in my career, I’m beyond thankful for Utah for the chance to pursue this opportunity,” said Merrick, who made her NWSL debut in Utah during the 2020 Challenge Cup for the Courage. “In speaking to the leadership of the club, I’m so so excited to learn and seize this chance to grow. Amy has such an impressive resume, and Kelly (Chambers, sporting director) has a ton of different experiences in her history in the sport.
“I’ve heard nothing but great things about those two and everyone else there that is looking to build and establish a great culture. The facilities are amazing, in talking to the other signings I know that we all feel fortunate to experience world-class surroundings. The detail that Amy and ownership have put into their plan, the women-specific thought that has gone into this project is simply amazing.”
A native of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Merrick starred at the University of Kansas, where she set a program record with 7,630 minutes in 87 appearances. The Big 12 Defender of the Year as a senior also helped the Jayhawks win a conference title as a senior in 2019 before signing with North Carolina in 2020.
Racing Louisville selected Merrick as part of the NWSL expansion draft at the end fo the season, but the 5-foot-5 defender only ade five appearances with the Derby City before suffering an ankle injury.
Merrick was traded to the Kansas City Current along with Cece Kizer in June 2022, where she made her debut after a few days and started in her first game against the Washington Spirit a month later.
Now she moves to Utah for her fourth team in five years.
“From the top down, it’s obvious to me that Utah is going the extra length in every possible endeavor to make the athletes feel comfortable,” continued Merrick. “We can feel their passion for development, implementing the values of hard work and creating a supportive atmosphere is all we could ever expect.
“I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the fan support in Utah and how the community rallies around its teams,” she said, “and I cannot wait to get out there and get started for our 2024 season.”
Here’s a look at the Royals’ roster (so far), a lineup that will undoubtedly change plenty more before the regular season kicks off March 16, to say nothing of the NWSL draft on Friday, Jan. 12, when the Royals have the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the first round as part of nine selections overall:
GK: Mandy Haught (Gotham FC), Carly Nelson (Orlando Pride)
DF: Kaleigh Riehl (San Diego Wave), Madison Pogarch (San Diego Wave), Kate Del Fava (KC Current), Addisyn Merrick (KC Current)
MF: Mikayla Cluff (Orlando Pride), Michele Vasconcelos (Portland Thorns), Emily Gray (North Carolina Courage), Frankie Tagliaferri (North Carolina Courage)
FW: Hannah Betford (Portland Thorns), Imani Dorsey (Gotham FC), Paige Monaghan (Racing Louisville), Cameron Tucker (Houston Dash)
Keep your ear to the ground, and your notifications turned on. And by the way, more RSL news is expected tomorrow during the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.