Wave sign franchise mainstay Kristen McNabb to contract extension

Kristen McNabb has been with the San Diego Wave longer than any other player in club history.

And she's going to play for them even longer.

The Wave and the defender have agreed to a contract extension that will keep her in San Diego through the end of the 2027 season. The move was announced Monday, two days before the first-place Wave (5-1-0) take on the second-place Portland Thorns (4-1-1) in an early-season National Women’s Soccer League showdown.

McNabb holds the Wave's all-time record for regular-season appearances with 88 and counting, and is the lone player on the roster who has been with the club since its inception. This is the second extension McNabb has signed with the Wave; she agreed to a two-year deal with the club in October 2024.

"San Diego has become home to me, and I'm incredibly grateful to continue my career with this club," McNabb said. "Building this club from the start and to continue that journey is something I don't take lightly. We've created something special here, and I'm excited to keep competing with this group and chasing what we know this team is capable of."

A New Jersey native, McNabb is in her 10th NWSL season - half of that time spent with the Wave. San Diego selected her in the NWSL Expansion Draft in December 2021, months before the team's first-ever match. McNabb has played alongside now-departed Wave stars Alex Morgan, Jaedyn Shaw and Naomi Girma, and will soon play alongside Cat Macario, who hopes to join the club soon.

McNabb has scored six goals with San Diego. More importantly, she's been a trusted veteran presence on a team that's undergone more than one roster rebirth over the past few seasons.

Said Wave general manager Camille Ashton: "As a 10-season veteran, Kristen exemplifies professionalism, consistency, and a team-first mentality that is instrumental to this team's success and what we want to achieve as a club."

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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 3:57 PM.