On Tuesday, I wrote about Bay FC and their effort to turn their program around under their new head coach after they finished with the second-worst record in the NWSL. On Wednesday, the worst team in the league, the Chicago Stars, made their first big move of the offseason in re-signing former USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher through the 2026 season.

I’m currently working on an article about women’s sports in Chicago, and one fact that is undeniable is that our stars leave, usually to go win championships elsewhere. From Sylvia Fowles to Elena Delle Donne, Kahleah Copper, Marina Mabrey, Sam Kerr and Christen Press, Chicago fans have learned to enjoy star players while they last because odds are they won’t be here very long. Alyssa Naeher is the one notable exception. Naeher has been one of the best goalkeepers in the world throughout most of her career, and 2026 will mark her 11th season with the Stars.

At 37 years old and having retired from international competition in 2024, Naeher is no longer the best goalkeeper in the world. In fact, only Louisville’s Katie Lund was worse in Post-Shot Expected Goals minus Goals Allowed last season. Even so, getting Naeher to sign on for one more season is a big win for this team and this city as they look to rebound from a disappointing season in which they won just three games.

While Chicago was an unmitigated disaster in the first half of the season, the second half was quite respectable. Chicago went 2-8-3 after the international break including a seven-match unbeaten streak coming out of the break. The Stars will hope to build on that momentum in 2026 with new manager Martin Sjögren, who was hired in August but stayed in Sweden to finish out the season with Hammarby.

Sjögren will be Chicago’s eighth manager since Rory Dames stepped down in 2021. It will be interesting to see what kind of roster he has to work with. The Stars had the second-oldest team in the league by weighted average age. While having Naeher in goal for 2,069 minutes may skew those stats, it is unclear who on this roster, if anyone, will be on the next great Stars team. Leading goalscorer Ludmila was a revelation after she played seven games for the Stars in 2024, but she turned 31 this month. Chicago will hope to get Mallory Swanson back after she gave birth in November, and they will also hope for improvement from 23-year-old Jameese Joseph, who often looked like Chicago’s best player last season. One potential problem for the Stars is that nearly all of their best players are forwards or midfielders. That may explain why they tied for ninth in goals scored, but they allowed 12 more goals than any other team in the league.

Chicago’s offense will be fine, especially if Mallory Swanson returns, but improving the defense has to be the top priority. Getting Alyssa Naeher back to be a leader in the locker room and to organize the back line was a big first step. Now they just need to get her some help.