Hochberg Sports Marketing

Itala Gemelli just signed a short-term contract with Kansas City Current, coming straight off a season as captain of Kansas City Current II, the first full-time, fully funded second team in history.

She helped Current II win the 2026 WPSL Championship and picked up All-Central Region and All-National honors along the way. Now she's got a deal with the first team, eligible to suit up as KC works through a stretch in August against Angel City, Houston Dash, and Gotham FC during a playoff push.

This is the development pathway working exactly as it was built to. We've believed in this route for players who don't take the traditional path to the league, and it's rewarding to see it pay off for Itala.

Full breakdown on the blog - link in the comments.

Big two weeks for the defenders on HSM's NWSL roster.

Utah Royals FC's Tatumn Milazzo paired with Kate Del Fava to shut down Orlando's frontline in a 1-0 win, earning her a Week 13 Team of the Week nod. She followed that up by scoring in Utah's 4-1 win over North Carolina Courage the next week, her third goal of the season.

Arin Wright, the Racing Louisville captain and ninth player in National Women's Soccer League history to reach 200 career appearances, earned her own Team of the Week recognition in Week 14.

And Karsyn Cherry made her first career NWSL start in Angel City Football Club's game against Racing Louisville on July 26.

Three defenders, three different ways of making an impact. Full breakdown on the blog - link in the comments.

Busy summer for HSM. Over the past two weeks, three of our players signed with new clubs and two more agreed to extensions.

Mac Midgley signed her first professional contract with Lexington Sporting Club Women, the reigning GainbridgeSuperLeague champions, after a successful career at Tennessee. Emma Jaskaniec is joining DC Power Football Club, coming off a spring that included Gainbridge Super League Team of the Month honors. Laveni Vaka is heading overseas, signing with Club Santos Laguna Femenil in Liga BBVA MX Femenil.

Regan Steigleder, the 2025-26 Gainbridge Super League Final MVP, has re-signed with Lexington SC. Justina Gaynor has re-signed with DC Power FC through the 2027 season after a strong first year in DC.

Five moves, two leagues, one busy stretch, and much more to come. Full breakdown in the comments.

Saorla Miller is finding the net at exactly the right time.

4 goals in her last 5 games and firmly in the Golden Boot conversation for Halifax Tides FC.

The Men's World Cup kicked off earlier this month and one of our biggest takeaways as an agency going into the tournament: brands are reaching for women's soccer players to anchor activations - even around the men's event.

On June 12th, the US Men's National Team played its home opener. Airbnb, an official FIFA World Cup sponsor, tapped HSM client Ali Riley to appear at the company's LA watch party and promote Airbnb Experiences, one of the company's strategic priorities.

A FIFA sponsor choosing a women's soccer player as one of the faces of their first-match activation says a lot. There's plenty of growth still ahead for women's sports. But it's worth taking a step back to recognize how far the ecosystem has come - moments like this weren't as common a few years ago.