NWSL’s newest team has a much more significant foundation, including the playing rights to two USA stars.

Racing Louisville waited until the end to make its giant splash.

NWSL’s new club in 2021 selected U.S. women’s national team stars Tobin Heath and Christen Press to cap its 14-player expansion draft on Thursday. Both Heath and Press are currently playing for Manchester United in England’s Women’s Super League, but their NWSL rights, if and when they return to the league, belong to Louisville.

Teams around the league were permitted to protect 11 players, including up to two who are on U.S. Soccer’s designated list of 23 allocated USWNT players (The full list of protected and unprotected players can be seen here). Teams could have lost up to two players, but if one of their USWNT allocated players were taken, then they would not be subjected to any more selections. Louisville, meanwhile, could only