The age of the “one-and-done” has spread from college basketball to women’s soccer.
Mary Long of Mission Hills, a one-time all-state performer at Shawnee Mission East High School, has opted to turn pro after a single semester at Duke University.
And she’s coming home.
Long will join the Kansas City Current in the National Women’s Soccer League for the 2025 season.
Long is fulfilling a lifelong dream, but soccer has already been omnipresent in her family background for the last few years.
After all, she’s the daughter of Current co-owners Chris and Angie Long.
Played for Duke, USA U-17 teams
Not that she expects to be treated any differently when she’s on the Current pitch.
“Everyone in the environment is held accountable to the same standards,” said Long, who has already worked out with the team at the Current’s Northland practice facility for the last two years.
Because Long, a forward, played last fall with the USA Under-17 team at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in the Dominican Republic, her time with the Duke Blue Devils was even further abbreviated.
“I knew that going pro — especially this opportunity being presented to me—couldn’t turn it down — it’s obviously what I wanted to do,” said Long, who turned 18 on January 24.
“But I definitely loved my (Blue Devil) teammates and roommate. That was probably the hardest part, leaving them behind,” she added.
When asked about Long’s signing before the Current left last month for their preseason camp in California, Current manager Vlatko Andonovski described her as a determined player.
“It showed, if you follow her path and trajectory, how she emerged and ended up getting on the (USA) national team,” he said. “It was a pure grind and hard work. Obviously, the quality comes with that.”
“A player like everyone else”
Will Andonovski coach Long any differently knowing that his bosses — her parents — are closely watching?
“She comes in as a player like everyone else,” said Andonovski. “She comes in as a player with lots of potential.”
While with the USA team in 2024, Long scored three goals and had two assists.
“Experiencing that tournament was a lot of what really made me realize, ‘I want to do this now and I’m ready,’” said Long.
For the Blue Devils, Long had three goals and an assist.
“I even watched her a little when she was at Duke,” said Current midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta, among the Current players who’ve practiced with Long. “She’s a finisher. She always knows where the goal is.”
Will have plenty of guidance at forward position
Long plays forward, the same position as Temwa Chawinga, the NWSL’s Most Valuable Player and Golden Boot winner after a record-setting campaign with 20 goals.
Chawinga signed a three-year contract extension last month that will keep her in Kansas City through 2028.
Long will also be under the tutelage of other high-quality forwards as teammates — Bia Zaneratto, Michelle Cooper and Nichelle Prince.
Zaneratto, who broke into international competition at the age of 14, has scored 36 career goals for Brazil in matches on the world stage. Cooper, who also played at Duke, was the NWSL’s second overall pick in the 2023 draft when selected by the Current.
“It’s a super-competitive environment,” said Long. “Everyone’s competing for that spot on the field.”
She added, “I feel like every day I go to training, I’m getting so much better playing the players of that caliber. It’s just going to make your game increase every time you step on the field. It’s also a lot of fun. They’re pretty talented.”
Because she’s entering her rookie season with the Current, Long isn’t certain on how many minutes she’ll receive in the upcoming NWSL season, which begins with the Current’s home opener against the Portland Thorns on March 15.
