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Olivia Moultrie, 15, has signed a three-year deal with the Portland Thorns of the National Women’s Soccer League, the club announced on Wednesday.
With the deal complete, Moultrie now becomes the youngest player ever to sign with an NWSL side.
Moultrie made headlines in May when she filed an antitrust lawsuit for the right to play in the NWSL, which has a rule that states that a player must be 18 years of age. The lawsuit had argued that the league’s age rule violated the Sherman Antitrust Act and also hindered Moultrie’s career development and chances of reaching the U.S. national team.
She was then granted a preliminary injunction by a federal judge earlier this month that that prohibited the NWSL from enforcing the age rule. The NWSL had appealed that order, stating that the age issue should part of the ongoing collective bargaining agreement (CBA) talks with the NWSL Players Association. However, the court decision prohibited the league from enforcing the rule.
“This is a dream come true and I can’t wait to officially join my Thorns teammates in competition,” said Moultrie.
“We are pleased to have Olivia join our team,” said Gavin Wilkinson, Thorns general manager and president of soccer. “She has been part of this club since early 2019 and there have been many Thorns staff fully invested in her development.”
“This step is very important for Olivia,” said Thorns head coach. Mark Parsons. “For this club to have the commitment and vision to sign a young, talented player that we really believe in is immense. Olivia has continued to grow and push forward throughout her time here and has taken every challenge and turned it into an opportunity.”
The NWSL said in a statement: “After the development of a comprehensive minor player protection plan and execution of a SPA, special addendum, and parent guaranty, the NWSL welcomed Olivia Moultrie into the league today. The NWSL continues to believe that age requirements for the league should be collectively bargained [as they are in other leagues] and those negotiations are ongoing.”
Olivia Moultrie is 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 a Thorn🌹
The 15-year-old midfielder signed a three-year contract with the club today.
Details: https://t.co/QmmJYiAUs2 | #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/dxF0l9Gr6N
— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) June 30, 2021
Moultrie had been training with the Thorns and had competed with the squad but only in preseason and friendly games. The three-year contract also includes an option.
Moultrie was offered a scholarship to the University of North Carolina when she was 11, but signed a deal with Nike two years later. She had been playing with the Thorns’ academy teams since joining in 2019. At the U.S. youth national team level, Moultrie was most recently in camp with the U-17 women’s national team in February 2020 as part of a 24-player roster for training camp.
The youngest signing ever in Major League Soccer was Freddy Adu at age 14. Another 14-year-old, goalkeeper Emmanuel Ochoa, was signed to a Homegrown Player contract by the San Jose Earthquakes in 2019.
There are age limits for other men’s professional leagues in the United States. Boys have to be 18 to sign with a Major League Baseball team (17 for internationals), 19 for the NHL and 19 for the NBA. NFL players have to be out of high school for at least three years.
WNBA players have to be 22 by Dec. 31 of the year they’re drafted.