The Orlando Pride acquired Meggie Dougherty Howard from the Washington Spirit on Dec. 24, 2020, along with two draft picks and Allocation Money for Emily Sonnett. They re-signed the midfielder on Feb. 17 to a one-year contract, keeping her in Orlando this year.
Dougherty Howard immediately became a regular for the Pride last year, playing in 21 league games. This season, she was arguably the team’s best player, winning the team’s only player award during the season when she was named to the NWSL Team of the Month for August.