The Wellington Phoenix Women have strengthened their midfield, securing a proven winner as their third visa signing.
American midfielder Maya McCutcheon is joining the Phoenix for the 2024-25 A-League from National Women’s Soccer League side North Carolina Courage.
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McCutcheon, 23, signed her first pro contract with the Courage this year after a decorated college career at Oklahoma and then West Virginia, where she won the Big 12 Championship in 2022.
At high school, she led FC Dallas to an Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) championship, as well as numerous conference titles.
Phoenix head coach Paul Temple believed McCutcheon would be a great fit for the team and the club, and he could not wait to start working with her.
“Maya is a player who I believe can make a big impact on the team and the A-League,” Temple said.
“She is everything I’ve been looking for this off-season, in terms of what the team needs for its balance and bringing something different that will complement the other players we have in the middle of the pitch.
“Maya can do a bit of everything and I think the supporters will love watching her play.”
McCutcheon was looking forward to taking the next step in her football career.
“When the opportunity came up to join the Phoenix it was kind of like a no-brainer,” McCutcheon said.
“I’ve learned a lot at North Carolina but now I want to gain some experience and I’m super excited about seeing another part of the world.
“When I talk to a lot of the girls here I feel like a lot of them regret not going abroad and taking the opportunity to learn a lot about themselves and the world when they were my age.
“After talking to Paul and learning about the team’s values it felt like a lot was aligning at the right time and it felt like the right step to make.”
She was convinced after speaking to former Nix forward Isabel Cox and some of her Courage teammates.
“I feel like the A-League and the NWSL seem to be pretty interconnected. There are at least four girls at North Carolina who have had experience in the A-League and played for Sydney and Brisbane.
“They all only said good things about the A-League. That’s what made me so eager to take up the opportunity because you’re talking to five people and you’re not hearing one bad thing.
“It seems to align with a lot of what I want to get out of my soccer career at this stage. The A-League is going to be a great league for me to compete in.”
And McCutcheon believes she has the attributes to help the Phoenix.
“I’m very athletic,” she said. “I have a physical presence, I’m good at ball distribution and I really cover the field.
“I would say I’m a box-to-box player and I’m pretty strong defender.
“I hope I can be another piece of the puzzle to help the team become great.”
McCutcheon is the 17th player confirmed in Paul Temple’s first team squad a week out from the start of pre-season training.
McCutcheon will join the Phoenix in Wellington once she obtains a New Zealand work visa
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