Today, Angel City announced that defender Paige Nielsen has agreed to exercise her option with the club, signing a two-year contract ahead of its second season in the NWSL.
“We are just getting started building a legacy here in LA,” said Nielsen. “I’m so honored to continue to play for this club, community, and city. We have work to do and I’m excited to give it everything I have.”
'Paige has the energy of a young player combined with the experience of a veteran, which is such a unique blend. She offers a lot of versatility to our team,” said General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano. “It's exciting to know she has so much more to offer coming into this next year, and is helping to set the stage for how Angel City will be talked about for years to come.'
Nielsen, a 2012 NCAA champion with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, was drafted 25th overall by OL Reign in the 2016 NWSL Draft, becoming the first Nebraskan drafted to the NWSL. She played abroad with the W-League Western Sydney Wanderers in 2016, the WK League Suwon UDC in 2017, and the W-League Canberra United in 2018 before returning to the NWSL, signing with the Washington Spirit in 2019.
In 2020, Nielsen’s Spirit teammates named her their Player of the Year. She played a key role for the Spirit in the 2021 season, when they were crowned NWSL Champions.
ACFC selected Nielsen in the fourth round of the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft, and she started 14 of 20 matches in 2022 for a total of 1,299 minutes on the pitch.
So far in the offseason, in addition to Nielsen, Angel City has also re-signed defender Megan Reid to a one-year contract; defender Jasmyne Spencer has signed on a two-year contract with an option for a third year.
