LOS ANGELES — Alyssa and Gisele Thompson are entering a new chapter of their careers, with aspirations to achieve something monumental: a Thompson-to-Thompson goal. Both sisters have recently secured contract extensions with their team, Angel City, a franchise in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), as confirmed on Wednesday.
Alyssa, the elder at 20, made headlines as the youngest player to participate in the U.S. national team during the 2023 Women’s World Cup. She has inked a three-year contract extension, ensuring her stay with Angel City until 2028. Meanwhile, Gisele, aged 19, has signed on for two additional years with the club.
Alyssa expressed her excitement about playing alongside her sister, stating, “I love doing everything with her. We’ve been doing that since we were young, so it’s not like, ‘Oh, I don’t want to be with Gisele anymore.’ It’s actually more enjoyable because we always make each other laugh and lighten up any situation we find ourselves in.”
Making quite the impression, Alyssa was selected as the top pick in the 2023 NWSL draft at just 18 years old after her tenure at Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles. Initially committed to Stanford, she opted to turn professional earlier thanks to a rule allowing players aged 18 and up to join the league.
Raised in Los Angeles, Alyssa honed her abilities with the under-17 boys’ team at Total Futbol Academy in MLS Next and marked her debut with Angel City by scoring a goal. Gisele joined the family team last season, having trained at the same academy and signing her professional contract just three days shy of her 17th birthday. The two sisters made history as the first high school athletes to secure name, image, and likeness deals with Nike.
Their bond continues off the field, where they share an apartment. Both were invited to attend the national team camp held in January, which was relocated from Los Angeles to Florida due to destructive wildfires. While Alyssa trained with the senior squad, Gisele participated in a “Futures Camp” for upcoming prospects.
Gisele shared her thoughts on having her sister nearby during the intense camp experience, saying, “It just makes everything so much more comfortable. I think going into the women’s team environment can be really daunting, and it elevates my stress and anxiety, but Alyssa helps to keep me calm and grounded.”
After representing her country in the World Cup, Alyssa was not selected for the reduced U.S. roster aiming for the Olympics in Paris. However, she successfully returned to the national team last fall, marking her comeback by scoring her inaugural goal in a 3-1 win against Iceland in Texas. Overall, she has participated in 13 games with the national team.
Since her debut with Angel City in 2023, Alyssa has impressed, netting nine goals and providing nine assists over 53 matches played across all competitions. Gisele, who plays as a defender, appeared in 16 games during her inaugural year with Angel City and tallied her first assist in a draw against Utah.
Mark Parsons, the sporting director of Angel City, emphasized the potential both sisters hold, stating, “Alyssa and Gisele both have world-class potential for both club and country, and we are excited to support their ongoing development both on and off the field.”
To date, no sisters have scored against each other in the NWSL, despite the presence of Sam and Kristie Mewis in the league and the brief partnership of Tori and Maddie Huster with the Washington Spirit in 2018. The Thompsons hope to be a part of this significant first.
“Of course! It would be so exciting,” Alyssa remarked about the possibility. “We definitely need a celebration for that.”
