ORLANDO, Fla. (March 1, 2024) — The Orlando Pride and defender Kerry Abello have agreed to a new contract, keeping the defender with the Pride through the 2026 season, it was announced today. Abello was originally drafted by the Pride with the No. 24 overall selection in the 2021 NWSL Draft and has been in Orlando since.
“We are thrilled to keep Kerry in Orlando through 2026. Since joining the Club, she has proven to be a reliable and versatile player for our team,” VP of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter said. “In a few short years, she has grown into a leader in our locker room and sets the standard for professionalism and accountability, two values we center our culture around. Ensuring she remains a part of what we are building here, both on and off the field, was a priority for us in the off-season. We are happy to bring that to fruition and look forward to her continued growth and performance.”
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there is truly no place I’d rather be. Thank you, Orlando, for having me for the next three years,” Abello said. I’m feeling full of joy, gratitude, and inspiration. There’s work to be done, and I can’t wait to put my whole heart into this season and all the rest. Vamos!”
Since entering the league, Abello has appeared in 49 matches across all competitions and scored one goal to go along with two assists, all of which have come with the Pride. She tallied her first professional goal last season with a first-half finish against Racing Louisville FC on Oct. 6, 2023.
Throughout the 2022 campaign, the Penn State alum appeared 24 times across all competitions, including all but one of the Pride’s regular-season contests, tallying an assist on the year. In 2023, she continued to be a familiar face on the pitch for the Pride as she played in all but two of the Pride’s regular season matches and all but one of their UKG Challenge Cup matches.
On an international level, Abello has earned call-ups to numerous U.S. youth national teams over the course of her career. She earned a call-up to the U-23 U.S. Women’s National Team for the 2022 Women’s U-23 Three-Nations Tournament, going on to score in that tournament in a 3-0 victory for the Stars and Stripes over Sweden.
Playing collegiately at Penn State University, Abello helped the Nittany Lions to three Big Ten titles while also earning three All-Big-Ten honors and two All-North region honors during her five-year career.
The Pride are set to open their 2024 NWSL regular season on Saturday, March 16 at Lynn Family Stadium as they face off against Racing Louisville FC. The Pride will then welcome Angel City FC for the Club’s home opener at INTER&Co Stadium on March 22. Tickets for that match, as well as season tickets and flex plans, can all be found here.
TRANSACTION: Orlando Pride signs defender Kerry Abello to a three-year contract through the 2026 season.
