At the start of her professional soccer career, Jaelin Howell didn’t think she would be playing alongside world-class players, let alone win a championship with them. 

After being selected second overall in the 2022 NWSL draft out of Florida State, Howell’s next couple of years were rife with injury and adversity. It wasn’t until Gotham FC acquired Howell in late 2024 that the midfielder felt like she found her footing in the league.  

“Gotham was the first place that felt like home,” Howell said. “The coaches believed in me and did an incredible job taking me under their wing and making sure I had everything I needed. Ultimately, I could just play free and with joy again with world-class players and a very good coaching staff that knew how to get the best out of me.” 

Following a breakout season with Gotham last year, the Colorado native has continued that momentum as she helps the defending NWSL champions to another title run. This weekend, Howell returns to her hometown to play Denver Summit FC at Centennial Stadium at Noon Sunday. 

Howell grew up in Fort Collins and was teammates with Portland’s Sophia Wilson at Fossil Ridge High School and with club Real Colorado. 

Gotham (13-6-3) sits comfortably at the top of the league with 45 points and has not lost in 10 straight games, with its last loss being July 4 against San Diego. Denver (7-6-8), on the other hand, is making a playoff push in 10th with 27 points. 

2025 was a career-best season for Howell, who scored four regular-season goals and finished with five goal contributions after starting the year with three in her career. Howell played in all of Gotham’s matches but one, recording 2,246 minutes for the second most in club history.

Her season earned a return to the U.S. Women’s National Team, where she has had six appearances and one goal. 

“The players around me really allowed me to play my style and be the best I can be,” Howell said. “Our defense works well together. Our offensive threats, it’s easy for me to find them. For me, I try to do my job to the best of my ability.”

Those players she shares the pitch with include Olympian and World Cup champion Rose Lavelle and international star Sam Kerr, who signed with the club earlier this season through 2030.

While big names are part of the club’s success, it’s not the only reason. 

“The club sets the standard for others in the NWSL,” Howell said, “Their ownership involvement and what they pour into the club and us is unbelievable. A huge reason for our success is everyone’s willingness to invest in the club and in each other.

“The main reason why Gotham has been on top for the past three years is our consistency and leadership and experience.”

Howell likes to think of herself as the “engine” in the midfield that drives the intensity on the field. She boasts one of the top tackle (73) and interception (38) stats in the league. 

 “I will always work my hardest and bring that intensity to the team,” Howell said. “Whether that’s winning goals or connecting passes, whatever they need me to do.”

Winning an NWSL championship is a hard moment to beat, but Howell looks forward to continuing to grow and make more memories as she lives out a childhood dream. She has several family and friends coming to the game on Sunday, with several seeing her in an NWSL uniform for the first time. 

New York may be her home, but playing in front of a hometown crowd will be special. 

“I’m super blessed to be with Gotham,” Howell said. “I think it all works out for a reason. I’m pushing to get better and better every day and focus on that to be the best I can be for the team. The rest will fall into place. I’m soaking it all in and enjoying it.”

What I’m thinking

Co-captain Janine Sonis is getting the recognition she deserves with another NWSL Best XI honor for August. This is the third month in a row the defender has been named to the list, and marks the fourth in franchise history (Abby Smith, March; Sonis May/July/August). 

The Highlands Ranch native played every minute of the Summit’s six matches in August (540 minutes) and with five goal contributions (three goals, two assists) was the league’s only defender to score multiple goals. 

What I’m seeing

• Seb Hines was fired as head coach of the Orlando Pride, the club announced Aug. 31. The firing came with just eight regular-season games remaining, and assistant coach Yolanda Thomas will step in as interim coach. Orlando is currently 12th in the league standings. Notably, Hines was the head coach of the Pride team that won the NWSL Shield and Championship in 2024.    

• Gotham FC has re-signed USWNT midfielder Rose Lavelle through 2029, according to ESPN. Lavelle helped Gotham win the 2025 NWSL Championship, earned MVP honors and was one of the highest-profile 2027 free agents. Gotham is nearing its salary cap max and likely used the High Impact Player Rule to sign the Olympic and World Cup champion. The High Impact Player Rule allows teams to spend up to $1 million above the salary cap to keep high-impact players.

What I’m hearing

Denver Summit FC is having fun with midfielder Emma Regan’s viral “quadruple meg” that has 11.6 million views and 85,000 likes on X, formerly Twitter. The video has caught the attention of several major sports outlets, including ESPN and The Athletic. 

“I didn’t expect that to blow up like it did. I’m shocked it was caught on camera,” Regan said Friday. “I don’t think anyone would have believed me if it wasn’t caught on tape.”

According to Regan, she noticed her teammates walking in a line and that it was completely unplanned and not AI. 

The video even made it to the UK’s Sky Sports broadcast network, where coach Nick Cushing’s family saw it. 

“It’s a positive for us,” Cushing said. “It’s a good marker of the culture we are bringing here, that we can have good moments like that.”