Midfielder Jaelin Howell has updated the terms of her contract with Racing Louisville FC and added another year to the agreement, extending her deal through the 2025 season, the club announced Tuesday.
Howell was a fixture in Racing Louisville’s young lineup during her rookie year and emerged as a key figure in the locker room. The 23-year-old from Colorado started every game over the 2022 season and ranked 13th among NWSL field players in total minutes played with 1,902.
The No. 2 pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, Howell originally signed a three-year deal with Racing through 2024.
“I’m blessed and excited to be able to extend my contract after my first year at Racing,” Howell said. “I think this team and club have a lot of potential to do great things, and I can’t wait to be a part of that. I’m going to give everything I have to help the team succeed and hopefully turn Racing into a championship organization. I’m also super thankful for my teammates and coaching staff helping me in my rookie season.”
A two-time national champion and national player of the year at Florida State, Howell stepped right into Louisville’s setup as its top defensive midfielder and a vocal leader.
Her partnership with fellow standout rookie Savannah DeMelo as well as Australian international Alex Chidiac, Chinese international Wang Shuang and the versatile Lauren Milliet formed the central midfield core of Racing’s young squad.
Howell finished the season second in the league in duels won (173), sixth in fouls won (37) and seventh in interceptions (38). She notched two assists for the year and scored her first professional goal in Racing’s NWSL Challenge Cup finale at Houston.
“We are so happy to extend Jaelin’s contract,” said Racing coach Kim Björkegren. “She had a great first season as a professional, and I know she will work hard to improve on that this year. She is a key player for us and a team leader with a great personality.”
Howell joins DeMelo and Milliet as key fixtures in Racing’s lineup to extend their contracts this offseason, along with the signing of Brazilian international Ary Borges and Finnish defender Elli Pikkujämsä. The 2023 NWSL season kicks off March 25.
