Additional reporting by: Donovan Gibs
The Washington Spirit introduced newly appointed President of Soccer Operations Haley Carter and General Manager Nathan Minion joined a virtual press conference on Dec. 9, giving the media its first opportunity to hear directly from the club’s new leadership about their vision and the roster decisions ahead.
Carter, appointed Dec. 1, will be responsible for “defining and executing the long-term vision and strategic plan for the Spirit’s soccer operations,” while Minion — recently promoted to general manager — will oversee day-to-day roster construction, salary cap management and coordination with technical staff.
Carter said she joined Washington after conversations with owner Michele Kang, noting she was drawn to the club’s ambition and its commitment to elevating women’s soccer.
A former NWSL goalkeeper with the Houston Dash, Carter transitioned into front-office leadership in 2023 when she became general manager and vice president of soccer operations for the Orlando Pride.
During her three-year tenure, Orlando won the 2024 NWSL title and added major talents, including Barbra Banda and Lizbeth Ovalle.
Minion brings a decade of operational experience, beginning with his tenure as LSU’s Director of Soccer Operations in 2010.
He joined the Spirit’s technical staff and was integral to Washington’s 2025 playoff run before being elevated to general manager under Carter.
Their arrivals come at a consequential moment, entering 2026, with the league expanding and the Spirit facing key roster decisions.
Carter’s history of identifying and securing top talent is expected to play a pivotal role this offseason as star forward Trinity Rodman and other major players hit free agency.
Washington hopes the new structure brings both stability and long-term growth as the club attempts to build a sustainable contender.
Carter said the Spirit’s leadership group played a major role in her decision to come to Washington.
“If you know about my past position as vice president, I basically had three positions in one at Orlando. So to have the opportunity to leave leaders like Nathan, James, Adrian and Alicia, the crew that we have on staff, was one of the reasons that I came to Washington,” Carter said to reporters. “The ability to kind of take a step back and think at a higher level, I think, is really important.”
She added that her connection with Kang and shared commitment to advancing the women’s game ultimately made the move an easy choice.
“I’m very committed to the growth of the women’s game and to be able to work and help [Kang], under her leadership, execute the vision that she has for growing a women’s game and not just football, but women’s professional sports, period. That’s just an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
The press conference also addressed roster construction, with Carter emphasizing that her job is to support Minion and strengthen the club’s ability to operate effectively internally and across the league.
“Me coming on board is really to support Nathan and what he’s working on and ensure that, again, he has the resources and the advocacy to succeed in the things that he needs to support the staff and the players,” Carter said. “Also to think outward and upward and ensure that the stakeholders from across the game and within the NWSL are getting what they need from the Washington Spirit, but that we’re also getting what we need from them to be successful, not just as a club, but as a league.”
Minion said Carter’s experience will be essential as the NWSL continues to evolve.
“The league is expanding and growing and there are nuances to it that are continuing,” Minion said. “So having Haley’s expertise as a long-term executive in the league, it just adds to our ability to provide the best for our players and our staff.”
Both were asked extensively about Rodman’s future in Washington. When pressed for updates, Minion said there was “no update as of right now.”
“We’re continuing to work with the league, work with Trinity’s representation and have conversations pretty much daily with everyone, trying to find a resolution with everything,” Minion said.
Carter reiterated that Rodman is the club’s top priority while acknowledging the broader league-wide implications.
“Trinity is the number one priority right now, but as part of that, there’s a holistic conversation that’s going on around the potential for league level solutions,” Carter said.
As the Spirit turn their attention toward the 2026 campaign, the new leadership duo steps in at a pivotal moment. Washington opens the year with the Challenge Cup on Feb. 20, 2026, before beginning a balanced 30-match regular-season schedule on March 13 in an expanded 16-team NWSL.
With preseason already underway and roster decisions still in motion, the focus now shifts to how Haley Carter and Nathan Minion plan to shape the club’s next chapter.
For Carter, the first weeks on the job will be defined by gathering information and building internal trust.
“My job is to watch and listen,” Carter said. “My job isn’t to come in and disrupt everything, right? It’s really just to partner with the people who are here and understand what is working, what’s not working, identify where we need support, align some resources toward those shared priorities.”
Carter said her early efforts will span the entire organization — from technical staff to players to business operations — as she works to identify areas where additional investment is needed.
“I’ll be spending a significant amount of time with our business operation side, in addition to our tech staff, sporting department and our players,” Carter said. “It’s about identifying what the gaps are and where we need additional investment? And what’s the culture we want to build? What do we want to be known for?”
Carter’s approach is rooted in long-term thinking of the team.
“Because even when you’re finding success on and off the field, the only way we can continue to get better is through constant improvement and innovation,” Carter said. “And thinking through, what does success look like, not just this season, but 3 years from now? And those are the questions I’ll be asking in the first 90 days, but my job is not to come up with the answers. My job is to help the people who are here on the ground answer those questions.”
As the league expands and international clubs increase investment in women’s soccer, Carter said the Spirit — and the NWSL as a whole — will need creative mechanisms to keep top players in the league.
“This is a global game,” Carter said. “We are gonna have to start getting creative because it’s bigger than just one team. It’s bigger than just one player. It’s about the league’s ability to keep its best players in this league as we continue to grow.”
Minion echoed that the team’s on-field progress will depend on building a cohesive roster within league limits.
“Well, the league roster is limited to 26 roster players,” Minion said. “So, trying to fill the roster with the right positional profiles, the right people, teammates and everything else is important in constructing a roster. It goes far beyond just the playing ability. There’s so much more that goes into building a cohesive roster and a roster that can compete, especially across multiple competitions.”
With two roster spots already vacated this offseason and several players working their way back from injury clearance, depth and flexibility will be central to his work with the coaching staff.
“Working with the coaching staff and what they’re seeing on a daily basis in training, we’re just kind of continuing to refine so that we can add in the pieces that the coaches will need to get through what will be a long season,” Minion said.
He added that self-evaluation will be a year-round priority as the club pushes toward its ultimate goal, competing for a championship.
“Throughout the season, we want to try and figure out what we can do better next year, how we can reinvent ourselves, how we can continue to grow and be better,” Minion said.
With Carter and Minion now aligned at the top of soccer operations, the Spirit are positioning themselves for a reset — one built on development, stability and long-term ambition.
For a club openly targeting an NWSL title, the 2026 season marks the start of a new era, and Washington’s new leadership believes the foundation they build now will determine how far the Spirit can go.
Picture Credit: Fox Sports Radio Photographer Joy Washington
