The KC Current just traded away a starter and their 1st-round pick. Here’s why

The Kansas City Current and Utah Royals announced a trade, which provides the Current full protection from this year’s expansion draft, on Tuesday afternoon

But it comes at a cost.

Specifically, Kate Del Fava and the Current’s 2024 first-round pick, the No. 4 overall pick.

In return, the Current gained protection from the Utah Royals in the expansion draft and $75,000 in allocation money.

Del Fava, 24, came to prominence as a right back during the team’s 2022 run to the NWSL Championship Game. She has appeared in every regular-season game for the Current over the last two seasons.

In total, she notched three assists in 4,797 minutes with the team. Her first career goal came in the 100th minute of the Current’s 2022 Conference Semifinal victory over the Houston Dash.

Tuesday’s deal with Utah marked KC’s second move of the offseason. Coupled with the November trade of Alex Loera, which netted the Current $175,000 in allocation money, the Current essentially swapped two players and their first-round draft pick in return for $250,000 in allocation money and full expansion-draft protection.

Had neither of these trades happened, they likely would’ve lost two players for no compensation.

The NWSL Expansion Draft will take place on Friday. Bay FC and the Utah Royals will take the next big step in filling out their rosters as they begin their inaugural seasons in the NWSL in 2024. The conclusion of Friday’s expansion draft should also help lift a seemingly unspoken moratorium on free agency.

NWSL teams have been in a holding pattern with the expansion draft coming several weeks after the start of free agency. The reasoning: If an existing member of the NWSL signed a free agent, that free agent would have to be protected by their new club ahead of the expansion draft.

For teams like the Current, who have full protection from the draft, they can get started on their own business sooner. The Current joined the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit as the only teams completely protected from the expansion draft as of Tuesday afternoon.

That list may continue to grow ahead of Friday’s NWSL Expansion Draft, slated for 6 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

KC Current say they’ve sold out season tickets

In other Current news, the club announced earlier on Tuesday that they were completely sold out of season tickets for the 2024 regular season at the new CPKC stadium. There are 2,000 single-match tickets available per match in 2024.

“This is another exciting moment for our club and the amazing fans in Kansas City,” said Current co-owner Angie Long in a press release. “It validates, again, the rewards of investing in women’s sports. We cannot wait to open this beautiful riverfront stadium and bring the world-class experience and sold-out crowd to our city.”

The NWSL regular season is set to begin on Saturday, March 16, 2024.