One of the more obvious moves became official this morning, as Angel City FC decided to cause a little NWSL Free Agency chaos. The team announced the official signing of, now 18-year-old defender, Gisele Thompson, sister of 2023 NWSL Draft number one pick, Alyssa Thompson. Gisele signed on for a three-year contract that keeps her in LA through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. Thompson signed her contract with ACFC on November 28, four days prior to her eighteenth birthday via the NWSL U-18 Entry Mechanism. She is the youngest player ever to sign with the club, joining her sister Alyssa, who is 13 months older.
đź“ť #AngelCityFC announced that the club has signed Los Angeles-native defender Gisele Thompson through the NWSL 2025 Season with an option for 2026.
Visit the link for today’s announced roster update.
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) December 7, 2023
“I’m thrilled to be joining Angel City to take this next step in my soccer career,” said Thompson in a statement. “It’s such a great organization with an awesome fan base. Being from Los Angeles, I’m really looking forward to trying to bring a championship to my hometown. Having been able to watch Alyssa’s pro transition this past year, I’ve been able to really see what it takes to succeed at that level. I’m confident I can come in and contribute, and am also excited for all the growth and learnings ahead.”
“Gisele is an incredibly exciting player with endless potential,” said Angel City General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano in a statement. “The opportunity to discover and develop talent from our own backyard is really important to us, and Gisele’s success on the field in her youth career speaks for itself. While she will be joining her sister on our squad, Gisele will no doubt make her own impact on our environment and among the team.”
Thompson is currently a senior at Harvard-Westlake School in Studio City, CA, where she and her sister Alyssa, ACFC’s 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick, became the first high school student-athletes Nike partnered with in 2021. Before signing with the club, she was committed to compete for Stanford University’s women’s soccer team in the fall of 2024 upon graduation. Thompson has been a stalwart defender and consistent starter for the U.S. National Youth Teams, recently earning a bronze medal at the Pan American Games, a silver medal at the 2023 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship, and a gold medal at the 2022 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship. She also competed at the 2022 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Everyone say, “HI, GISELE! 👋” pic.twitter.com/iBFYsPZU3y
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) December 7, 2023
The real interesting question that arises now that the deal is done, is what does this mean for Angel City and their expansion draft protection process? The answer, nobody is quite sure. The rules for the draft state that U18 players are automatically protected from selection, however there is no clear deadline for that. Meaning, we aren’t sure if they have to be under 18 when they sign during 2023, or if that means having to be under 18 the day of the draft. If it’s the latter, then Angel City will definitely be using a protection spot on Gisele as leaving her unprotected would be silly.
The team did move smartly, as signing her prior to her 18th birthday means they are able to get her outright without having to make moves to trade up to select her the way they did for Alyssa. This way LA maintains control over the situation, able to protect her and keep her home in Los Angeles. Those answers will become more clear in the coming days, but for now, if you have the chance to sign Gisele, you sign her, even if it costs you a protection slot. One thing is for sure, Angel City have their foundation at the front, and now at the back, for their future. We, like the rest of you, can’t wait to see the Switchblade Thompson sisters in action at BMO!
Thoughts on the signing? Leave a comment below!