Is it championship or bust for Kansas City Current in 2023?

The last time fans saw the Kansas City Current, the players and coaches were walking off the pitch at Audi Field in Washington D.C. on October 29. In the background, the Portland Thorns were hoisting the NWSL Championship trophy and the celebrations were on.

“After the championship game, it was obviously a disappointing result,” said Current forward Cece Kizer. “I don’t think we played up to the standard we had played all season.

“I think we all have that taste in our mouth and we know what a championship experience is like.”

The sour taste of defeat is what lingers, though. And it’s lit a fire for the Current both in the front office and on the field.

Within a month of closing the books on the 2022 season, general manager Camille Ashton was hard at work, assembling a roster the Current hoped would put them over the top the next time out.

After landing two of the biggest free agents, Morgan Gautrat and Vanessa DiBernardo, a month after the season ended, coach Matt Potter pointed out in an interview with The Star that part of the reason for those acquisitions was their championship game experience.

“One thing I point to in the final was, we look at Portland and they’re bringing on Janine Beckie, and Crystal Dunn, and we’re bringing in two rookies,” Potter said. “The depth of that position speaks to trying to become a championship caliber team.

Fast forward to the club breaking for preseason camp: The Current swapped out veteran forward Lynn Williams in a blockbuster move for the second overall pick, landing Michelle Cooper in the draft.

The Current added two Swedish internationals: a forward with a nose for goal in Mimmi Larsson, and one of the world’s premier fullbacks in Hanna Glas. Oh, and to top it all off, they added one of the most prized free agents in the world, Debinha.

Those are money moves brought on by championship aspirations, and now there are championship expectations. Is it championship or bust for the Kansas City Current in 2023?

“One hundred percent, and if the whole club isn’t feeling it, the front office is for sure,” Lo LaBonta told The Star after training on Wednesday. “We made all these signings and moves in the offseason to create that depth.”

While injuries and recovery from offseason surgeries might have the team without a majority of its newer signings early on, the depth is there for a reason. And relying on that depth is going to be key.

“We know how long the season can be, and you’re gonna get knocks and everything, but you have players that can step up,” Kizer said. “I think we have a full roster, and I think that you’re gonna see that week after week.”

When asked the same question — “Is it championship or bust?” — on Wednesday, Potter cracked a joke: “In our third year of existence?”

When you look at it from that perspective, it’s mind-boggling. But given the meteoric rise in success on and off the field, it’s not too far-fetched. Ultimately, as Potter pointed out, the expectations start at the top of the organization.

“The expectations that are sent from ownership haven’t changed from day one,” Potter said. “The expectation is really clear, and the idea is: Can we compete on the biggest of stages, in the biggest of events, and can we put together a team that can compete?

“Championships are a byproduct of performing well consistently. And if you put yourself in a consistent place, then you get to compete for them.”