Rocky Rodríguez will play for Angel City next season

Once a Thorn… The Tica is heading to sunny California.

Photo: Thorns FC / Craig Mitchelldyer

Portland Thorns announced on Tuesday they have acquired $275,000 in allocation money from Angel City FC in exchange for midfielder Rocky Rodríguez.

After four years with the club, the Penn State graduate is not coming back, even though she had a contract with the club through the 2025 season.

“We want to thank Rocky for her contributions to the Thorns and the Rose City these past four years, she has been instrumental in helping us achieve so many wonderful highs, including our third Championship,” General Manager Karina LeBlanc said.

Rodríguez arrived in Portland in 2020 in exchange for forward Midge Purce after spending four seasons with Sky Blue – now Gotham – and helped the club to win multiple trophies in her time with the Thorns, among them the 2022 NWSL Championship.

“Rocky is an elite midfielder who has proven to be one of the best in the league at her position,” said former Thorns coach Mark Parsons said in a statement back then. “She is a perfect fit for what our needs are on the field and she is someone who has the character and leadership to help grow our culture even stronger.”

And he was right. Rocky made an instant impact on the field and had a strong presence in the middle in all the 72 matches she played for Portland. During her time in the Rose City, she registered seven goals and three assists.

Sadly, her time with the club came to an end after her playing time had dwindled last season. That, and after strong rumors about a certain Canadian midfielder joining the Thorns popped this morning, suggests that maybe this was bound to happen and Rocky was always destined to move this winter.

Regardless, the Thorns will be facing Rocky in a different jersey this year. Despite that, we remember: Once a Thorn, always a Thorn!