Attacking and defensive additions have come on board during the winter break looking to make an impact at their new clubs
The 2025/26 Gainbridge Super League season resumes this Saturday with a full slate of games on Peacock, and with it comes a collection of new faces that the league’s nine clubs have added over the winter break.
We’ve picked out four players that could make an impact for their new club this Spring, including two versatile attackers looking to rebound and make their mark, and two experienced defenders aiming for success in the next chapters of their respective careers.
Tune in as all four potentially make their Gainbridge Super League debuts this Saturday on Peacock.
Ava Cook | Forward, Carolina Ascent FC
As we noted last week, Carolina Ascent has been in search of a finisher to lift their chances in the Players’ Shield race. The addition of Ava Cook after four seasons with the Chicago Stars in NWSL is a step in that direction, with the 5-foot-10 forward aiming to recapture her form after a torn ACL resulted in limited action over the past campaign.
A native of Battle Creek, Mich., Cook had a bright rookie season in the NWSL in 2022 with two goals and three assists in 951 minutes, production that saw her log a career-best Goals Added mark of +4.36. She continued to be a spark off the bench in 2023, scoring three goals in 961 minutes, but then injury in April, 2024 curtailed her progress. As a former standout in NCAA Division II, where she logged 76 goals and 32 assists in 80 appearances for Grand Valley State, it’s going to be interesting to see how Head Coach Phillip Poole employs his new arrival in the pursuit of an attacking boost.
Lauren Flynn | Defender, Dallas Trinity FC
Coming out of Florida State after starting every game of the Seminoles’ undefeated season and winning Most Outstanding Defensive Player as the side won the College Cup in 2023, Lauren Flynn was flying. Since being selected with the No. 16 pick of the last NWSL Draft by Utah Royals the following spring, things haven’t quite gone as smoothly. The 23-year-old arrives in Dallas as the potential solution to a problem for Trinity, however, as she begins the next step of her career.
On paper, Dallas Trinity has been above average as a defensive unit in the Gainbridge Super League this season. The side ranks fourth in the league with a 1.38 Expected-Goals Against mark per 90 minutes, but the combination of some major misfires – including conceding 10 goals across meetings with Lexington SC and Fort Lauderdale United FC in September – sees the side enter the spring with an 1.62 goals-against average. Flynn’s qualities as a defender and organizer in the back line that were on display regularly with the Seminoles could translate well in Dallas as the side looks to ensure a second consecutive postseason berth.
Maddie Pokorny | Winger, Tampa Bay Sun FC
Entering the winter break with the fewest goals in the Gainbridge Super League, the defending title-holder Tampa Bay Sun have attempted to find some new blood that can spark a second-half rally. In acquiring Maddie Pokorny on loan from Racing Louisville, they’ve added an attacking piece looking to make a breakthrough after a frustrating year on the sidelines that previously had a solid track record in front of goal.
Pokorny shone at Danish top-flight club HB Koge over three seasons, scoring 23 goals in 64 appearances as the club won three consecutive league title. She then latched on at Louisville as a National Team Replacement Player during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Since then, she’s logged 332 minutes for Louisville, but in her time on the field she’s been lively. Pokorny has averaged 2.17 shots per 90 minutes in the NWSL, and alongside the arrival of Jordan Fusco – who scored on her debut in the final game of the fall – she will try to spark the Sun in the final third.
Regan Stiegleder | Defender, Lexington SC
Lexington has made a couple of additions to its back line this winter including a versatile option in Regan Stiegleder, who enters her fifth professional campaign after spending the past two seasons with Kansas City Current in the National Women’s Soccer League. The 27-year-old served as a depth option primarily for the 2025 NWSL Shield winners, but appeared in four out of five outings as the Current won the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Summer Cup, including coming on as a late substitute in the side’s 2-0 win against Gotham FC.
Stiegleder brings additional top-flight experience from Sweden, where she began her professional career with KIF Örebro DFF in 2022. She made 54 appearances for the club across all competitions while logging 3,240 minutes in the Damallsvenskan, offering a good level of experience in one of Europe’s stronger leagues that can help bolster Lexington’s league-best defense.