June 29, 2022 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – Racing Louisville FC News Release
Racing Louisville FC defender Allison Whitfield (right)
(Racing Louisville FC, Credit: Connor Cunningham)
Racing Louisville FC has signed a pair of defenders – Louisville native Allison Whitfield and veteran Zaneta Wyne – to national team replacement contracts, the club announced Wednesday.
Whitfield and Wyne will help fill out Racing Louisville’s roster with defenders Emily Fox (United States/Concacaf W Championship), Rebecca Holloway (Northern Ireland/UEFA Women’s Euro 2022) and Satara Murray (Jamaica/Concacaf W Championship) on international duty through most of July.
Whitfield, a 23-year-old outside back, has played with Racing’s USL W League squad through the summer, appearing in all 10 matches and scoring once for the pre-professional side. She is among the team leaders with 567 minutes played, returning to action this summer after rehabilitating a knee injury.
A former teammate of Racing winger Emina Ekic at DuPont Manual High School and the University of Louisville, Whitfield was a high school All-American who went on to start 49 matches in college. She tallied seven goals and 16 assists in four years with the Cardinals – three of those seasons alongside Ekic.
“I am beyond excited to have the opportunity to join Racing Louisville,” Whitfield said. “Playing professionally has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl, and now to be able to come back after setbacks and injuries and be able to represent my hometown is incredible. I’m looking forward to this whole experience and being a part of the Racing community.”
Wyne, 31, became a free agent after the 2021-2022 FA Women’s Super League season. The versatile University of New Mexico product, who can play fullback or midfielder, made 18 appearances last season with London-based West Ham United, which finished sixth in England’s top-flight league.
The American-French dual citizen is well-traveled in her career, playing for top-tier clubs in Cyprus, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Scotland in addition to her two stints in England. She won the Cypriot league and experienced the UEFA Women’s Champions League in a one-season stint with Apollon Ladies, coincidentally also the most-recent stop for coach Kim Björkegren before he took the reins at Racing. Wyne played in Cyprus four years ahead of Björkegren’s time.
“I’m really excited to join Racing Louisville,” Wyne said. “It’s my first time playing in the NWSL,…