Consider the NWSL summer transfer window officially in full swing.The Boston Legacy acquired 2025 Rookie of the Year Lilly Reale on Wednesday via trade with Gotham FC in a shocking exit for the young U.S. defender. Reale, a Boston native, joins the club on a four-year deal through December 2029.As part of the trade, Gotham will receive $350,000 in allocation money and $50,000 in intraleague transfer fee funds, setting the 2025 NWSL champions up for a potential major signing.“Understanding where this club is going and the direction that it’s going in excites me the most,” Reale said of Boston in a club statement. “Being able to understand not only the investment that ownership from top down has really put into this club and then also the team and the direction they’re going in, understanding that this is the beginning, but that they’re really hungry and asserting a style that you don’t see as often in the NWSL – that really excites me.”Reale leaves Gotham after one and a half impactful years with the club. The UCLA alumna helped guide them to their second NWSL Championship season in her rookie campaign, replacing Tierna Davidson after a season-ending ACL injury early in the season. Her versatility and flexibility in the backline were critical throughout the season, earning her ROTY honors as well as a call-up to Emma Hayes’ U.S. women’s national team.She made her debut with the USWNT last summer and has earned nine caps under Hayes. Reale’s familiarity with veteran defenders like Davidson and Emily Sonnett, as well as existing chemistry with her now-former Gotham teammates Rose Lavelle and Jaedyn Shaw, allowed her to fit seamlessly into their system. The 22-year-old remained a consistent call-up for Hayes as the team now looks ahead to World Cup qualifiers later this year.Lilly Reale made her debut with the U.S. women’s national team last summer and has earned nine caps under coach Emma Hayes. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)It is no surprise that Reale is heading back to Boston, where her friends and family are. What is surprising, however, is how soon this move came for the young player. When she first joined Gotham from UCLA in 2023, she arrived on a multi-year contract that was set to run through 2027. Then she played a game in Boston.