Why did Louisville trade Reilyn Turner for Portland's Janine Beckie?

The Portland Thorns and Racing Louisville have been two of the busiest clubs during the 2024 NWSL summer transfer window. And, they're not done yet.

On Wednesday, Thorns winger Janine Beckie was traded to Louisville in exchange for Racing striker Reilyn Turner.

The trade comes after Portland general manager Karina LeBlanc already picked up Alexa Spaanstra from the KC Current for $40,000; while in Louisville, her counterpart, Ryan Dell, brought in Bethany Balcer from the Seattle Reign, in exchange for $50,000 and Jaelin Howell, as well as Ángela Barón from Colombian side Atlético Nacional.

Racing also traded away Carson Pickett to the Orlando Pride in exchange for $75,000, in order for the full back to be closer to family in Florida.

Beckie also extended her contract with Racing, which was set to expire in December 2024. She is now signed up through the end of the 2026 season. Turner is also signed through the 2026 NWSL season, and the Thorns will inherit those terms.

Racing is interested in adding more players to their squad during this summer window, with transfer fees rather than trading players expected to make any further deals happen.

What's the complexion of the trade?

The biggest feeling surrounding this deal is how much it seems rooted in the present versus the future, and positional need.

How much do you want to 'win now'? Or, how important is bringing in a premier young player who still needs some polishing up? Do you need a leader today or goals tomorrow?

With an NWSL Championship (with Portland), two FA Cups (with Man City), and an Olympic gold medal (with Canada) in her trophy cabinet, Beckie is the more established player. The 29-year-old is an incredibly reliable winger who has consistently played for winning teams since going to Manchester in 2018.

She also is a vocal leader on the Canadian national team; and has been a vital part of their legal disputes against the federation as well as the impressive journey quarter-finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Which came after the team was embroiled in a drone scandal that saw head coach Bev Priestman suspended. In the dressing room, that's a big add.

Beckie seemingly isn't slowing down either. Especially considering that speed and physicality haven't necessarily been the most important parts of her game. Tidy runs, choice ball delivery around the box, and long-range shooting are much more her wheelhouse.

The Colorado-born attacker is on course for her best individual season, in terms of goals + assists, since 2019-20 when she got eight assists for Man City. At midseason, this year she has three goals and two assists in the NWSL.

The 107-time Canadian international also has positional versatility as a big upside. She can basically play anywhere on the right-hand side of the pitch, from full back, to wing-back, to midfielder, to right-winger, and even as a 'No. 9' if necessary.

Of course, that doesn't mean Turner is necessarily inferior to Beckie when it comes to production on the pitch this season.

When you look at just this season's numbers, in her rookie season, the 21-year-old Turner been teetering on becoming a breakout star, despite somewhat limited minutes (733 out of a possible 1,440). If it weren't for the wonders of Croix Bethune, there would be more 'Rookie of the Year' conversations surrounding Turner.

As you can see on the stat comparison (above), Turner is leading the way in terms of goal and assist statistics. And that's with only seven starts this season for Louisville, with Beckie coming in at 10 starts. Most of Turner's impact has been off the bench.

The two have almost identical numbers when it comes to xG and shots taken, so the real difference isn't necessarily in taking shots, it's about creation. Beckie is creating more chances for teammates than Turner.

That's a big help to Louisville, who just lost one of their biggest chance creators in Pickett. The now-former Racing player is one of the best crossers in the NWSL.

Racing hasn't had a true out-and-out winger find success this season when it comes to creating passing chances. Elexa Bahr and Uchenna Kanu have mostly been used in the wide attacking department, or to score goals, with Ary Borges another option who has struggled with injuries.

That difference is mostly reflective of their roles on the pitch. Turner has seen the majority of her minutes as a true 'No. 9', where she is there to get on the end of chances and make stuff happen in the box. However, she can do a job on the right wing in a 4-3-3 too.

Turner's exceptional aerial duel win rate of 60.5% which puts her in the top 91% shows that she's a brilliant target. With an astute ability to convert those headers into both goals and assists.

The former UCLA striker is a smart forward with an expert nose for goal and a gift for smoothly ghosting into spaces. But there's an argument she's not quite ready yet to lead the line for 90 minutes in the NWSL. Albeit, in a few years she could be one of the best players in the league at doing just that.

So why did the deal get done?

It will hurt to see a player with a ceiling as high as Turner leave Louisville. But, with Balcer coming in from Seattle this week, Louisville had another very adept aerial 'No. 9' who can contribute immediately. That would likely stunt Turner's growth in Racing this season, taking further minutes away from the 21-year-old.

Dell clearly wanted to build out a more veteran 'win now' look for his team by adding Beckie in the attacking midfield/winger positions. A younger player, who is bedding in, like Turner, could be seen as a gamble.

It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway), whether Racing will in fact 'win' this season remains unknown. How Balcer performs in Kentucky, and the player Turner goes onto become, will undoubtedly shape how this trade is viewed henceforth.

Since joining the NWSL in 2021, Racing have never made the playoffs and become a bit of a figurehead for being stuck in the middle of the table. Beckie's signing shows that 2024 is the year to try and change that. Quick results matter in Kentucky. Winning is crucial.

For the Thorns, who actually sit 11 points and four places above Racing in the NWSL table, they could afford to let a more established player go and feel good about getting one of the most promising young players in the league.

Why not invest in the future if you feel good about the right now? Especially when you have made contingency plans, like getting another promising player who has struggled for minutes this season in Spaanstra.

I wouldn't want to see the number six overall pick of the 2024 NWSL Draft and a former NCAA Champion and standout at UCLA leave my club. But in terms of the logic behind this deal, I can see what Dell is trying to do in the here and now.

The one last ironic thing to point out about this trade is that Beckie was in fact briefly technically a Louisville player before. Racing picked up her 'player rights' during the 2021 NWSL Expansion draft, and the Thorns actually paid $75,000 to get them in order to sign her in 2022.

So, perhaps Beckie never thought she'd play in lavender, but life found a way. For the California-born Turner, she's back to the West coast and a little bit closer to home.