Sisters Alyssa and Gisele Thompson sign contract extensions to stay with Angel City

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Alyssa Thompson and her younger sister Gisele are hoping this could be the season for a Thompson-to-Thompson goal.

The siblings both signed contract extensions with Angel City, the National Women's Soccer League team announced Wednesday.

Alyssa Thompson, 20, who was the youngest player on the U.S. national team's 2023 Women's World Cup squad, agreed to a three-year extension which will keep her with the team through 2028. Gisele, 19, signed a two-year deal.

“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 any more.′ It’s actually more fun because we always laugh and make light of whatever situation we’re in,” Alyssa said.

Alyssa was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL draft at 18 out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles. She had initially committed to Stanford but was able to go pro that year because of a rule that allowed 18-year-olds to join the league.

A native of Los Angeles, Alyssa developed her skills playing for the under-17 Total Futbol Academy boys’ team in MLS Next and scored in her Angel City debut.

Gisele followed her sister to Angel City last year. She also developed with the Total Futbol Academy before signing a pro contract just three days before her 17th birthday. The sisters were the first high school athletes to earn name, image and likeness deals with Nike.

The pair, who share an apartment, were both invited to the national team's January camp, which was moved from the Los Angeles-area to Florida because of the deadly wildfires. Alyssa was with the senior team, while her sister was invited into a “Futures Camp” for prospects.

“It just makes everything so much more comfortable," Gisele said about being able to have her sister with her in camp. "I think going into the women’s team environment, it’s very scary and a lot of stress and anxiety, but I think Alyssa really calms me down, makes me really grounded.”

After playing in the World Cup, Alyssa was left off the smaller U.S. roster for last year's Paris Olympics. She returned to the national team last fall, scoring her first goal in a 3-1 victory over Iceland in Texas. She has played in 13 games with the national team.

Since joining Angel City in 2023, she has scored nine goals with nine assists in 53 appearances across all competitions.

Gisele, a defender, played in 16 matches last year for Angel City, and earned her first assist in a draw against Utah.

“Alyssa and Gisele both have world class potential for both club and country and we look forward to continuing to support their growth and development on and off the pitch,” Angel City sporting director Mark Parsons said.

There has never been a sister-to-sister goal in the NWSL. Sam and Kristie Mewis played in the NWSL, but never on the same team. Tori and Maddie Huster both played for the Washington Spirit briefly 2018 but never combined for a goal.

The Thompsons would both love to be the first.

“Of course. I mean, I feel like that would be so fun,” Alyssa Thompson said. “We definitely need a celebration for that.”

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press