Houston Dash acquire Cece Kizer from Kansas City Current
(image via Nick Tre. Smith/KC Star)
The Houston Dash have completed a trade to acquire forward Cece Kizer from the Kansas City Current. In exchange, Houston sent forward Nichelle Prince to KC. The Dash also received a 2024 international slot from the Current in the deal.
“First and foremost, on behalf of the Club, I want to extend a massive thank you to Nichelle. She has been an important part of this organization, someone who has represented this team with passion and pride, and more importantly, is one of the kindest people in this league. We wish her nothing but continued success,” Dash General Manager Alex Singer said.
Kizer started her professional career with the Dash after being selected in the 2nd round of the 2019 NWSL Draft. She made 16 appearances with just 2 starts and was a part of the team that won the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. She was selected by Racing Lousiville in the 2020 Expansion Draft and spent two seasons with Racing before she was traded to KC in August 2022. In 2023 she scored 8 goals and added 3 assists for the Current. One of her goals came at Shell Energy Stadium in April when KC beat Houston 2-0 in the NWSL Challenge Cup.
“I’m excited for my return to Houston to get to play with old and new teammates,” Kizer said. “I look forward to being welcomed back by the Houston Dash fans and to be a part of more Dash history. I'm grateful I get another chance to Hold It Down for H-town.”
“Cece has proven to be one of the most dynamic and effective attackers in this league,” Singer said. “As we continue to build our roster into our game model, we are adding an enormous threat in the attacking third and a creative player who will add another layer of potency to the squad. We are excited to welcome her back to Houston. ”
Prince spent her entire professional career in Houston after being picked by the Dash in the 3rd round of the 2017 NWSL Draft. The Canadian international made 88 apperances for the Dash, scoring 12 goals. Prince scored the first hat trick in club history, scoring three times in a 5-0 win over Orlando Pride on June 3, 2022. Prince represented Canada in last summer’s World Cup after recovering from a serious injury and then made 7 appearances for the Dash in 2023.
Kizer, who is 26, gives the Dash some options with her ability to play across the front line, either up front or on the wings. She is two and a half years younger than Prince and is coming off arguably her best season. Kizer has better defensive numbers than Prince, which should work well if new head coach Fran Alonso opts to play for a formation with wingbacks like a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2. Here are Prince’s (blue) and Kizer’s (red) percentile ranks compared to each other. Prince’s stats are from 2022 while Kizer’s are last season.
