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OL Reign has reportedly finalized a trade to acquire the rights to U.S. women’s national team star Tobin Heath, according to The Equalizer.
Heath’s NWSL rights had previously been in the possession of Racing Louisville since November 2021. However, the club agreed to trade Heath’s rights in a swap for $50,000 in allocation money, a second-round pick and a natural fourth-round pick in the ’23 NWSL draft.
Not long ago, Heath played for Arsenal, aiding the Gunners to finish second on the England’s Women’s Super League during the 2021-22 season. While playing for her childhood favorite club, Heath faced different injuries that restricted her to nine league games with only three starts and four appearances in the UEFA Champions League.
Prior to Arsenal, the a two-time Women's World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist played one season at Manchester United. Heath's move to OL Reign puts her back in the NWSL to battle against her former team, the Portland Thorns FC.
Heath was a founding member for the club in 2013 and helped the Thorns secure an inaugural NWSL championship. She also helped Portland win a title in ’17 and played with the club in the ’19 season.
However, in 2020, she opted out of the NWSL Challenge Cup in Utah due to the COVID-19 pandemic before signing a one-year contract with Manchester United in summer ’20.