Gotham FC are getting a massive boost as the 2026 NWSL regular season nears. Club captain Tierna Davidson has been activated from the NWSL’s season-ending injury list on Sunday, clearing the way for the 27-year-old center-back to return to match action.
For months, Davidson had to watch from the sidelines as her teammates engaged in training sessions and ultimately lifted the 2025 NWSL championship and the 2025 Concacaf W Champions Cup without her valuable on-pitch contributions.
Davidson’s 2025 season was cut short after just three matches when she suffered a torn ACL against the Houston Dash at Shell Energy Stadium on March 28.
Gotham will be taking part in closed-door scrimmages, with Sunday’s exhibition coming against the Orlando Pride in Florida. Davidson recently spoke about her long-awaited return.
“For me personally, it was a lot about just being back out on the field with my teammates in whatever capacity I was allowed to be, so it was really nice to be more integrated into training and connect with my teammates again on the field and just feel a little bit more part of the fold again,” Davidson said.
Davidson Shares Her Excitement About New Gotham Signings
Davidson is entering her second season as club captain and her third season with the Bats after departing Chicago Stars FC as a free agent and signing for Gotham as an unrestricted free agent in January 2024.
Longtime Gotham defender Mandy Freeman inherited the captain’s armband and lifted both of the 2025 championship trophies in Davidson’s absence.
Gotham’s backline will be packed with experience and leadership, with Davidson, Freeman, Emily Sonnett and Jess Carter playing key roles. Last season’s NWSL Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale showed tremendous poise when called upon to play at left-back or centrally.
Davidson is encouraged by the additions of veteran midfielder Savannah McCaskill and several rookie signings that include forward Jordynn Dudley, attacker Talia Sommer, forward Andrea Kitahata and goaltender Teagan Wy.
“That’s been great,” she said. “I think our new signings have worked into the team seamlessly. I’ve been able to be a part of the training on the field, but also watch part of training off the field, and to be able to see both perspectives and see how effortlessly people have worked into the team has been amazing.
“I’m really excited to see the levels that we can get to this season. Even though last season we ended with a championship, there’s so much more in store for us, so I’m really excited to see what we have.”
Gotham played through a marathon season in 2025. The new campaign has already taken the Bats to Spain for preseason training and London for the 2026 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup, where Gotham finished in third place. Davidson is hoping to add more silverware to the club’s trophy cabinet.
“With our preseason in Spain and England, it’s like we never stopped,” she stated. “So I feel like it’s just a continuation of last season and building on where we left off. We’re all really hungry for this season and to prove ourselves once again.”
Now that we’ve entered March, Gotham’s 2026 NWSL season opener is less than two weeks away. The Bats open NWSL league play against Boston Legacy FC in the expansion club’s debut match at Gillette Stadium on March 14.
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