2010 Saint Louis Athletica season

The 2010 Saint Louis Athletica season was the second and final season for the team, both in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) and as an organization. On May 27, 2010, WPS announced that Athletica would fold effective immediately, forcing the league to finish the 2010 season with seven teams.

Background
During their inaugural season in 2009, Athletica finished the regular season in second place and third in the playoffs.

Offseason
In the first WPS expansion draft, Athletica lost two players to the Atlanta Beat. Atlanta used their second pick (fourth overall) on Athletica forward Amanda Cinalli, and their fifth pick (tenth overall) on defender Sara Larsson, who was the only international player to be taken by either team in the draft.

On September 30, when the WPS free agency period began, all teams announced which players they waived or let become free agents, with Athletica waiving/freeing ten players, while resigning or extending contracts for five other players, after exercising options for another four players two days earlier. Athletica release Niki Cross was picked up by FC Gold Pride at the end of October, as were Christie Welsh and Sarah Walsh by the Washington Freedom and Boston Breakers, respectively, in mid-February.

On November 23, Athletica put on their website that they had successfully signed Swedish forward Madelaine Edlund and Brazilian midfielder Elaine, both from Umeå IK, two bring Athletica's confirmed international count for 2010 up to three. They also later re-signed Daniela, for a total of four internationals.

The morning day of the 2010 WPS Draft, Athletica traded young goalkeeper Jillian Loyden to the Chicago Red Stars in exchange for Lindsay Tarpley. Later that day, they drafted UCLA Bruin Kristina Larsen, (second round, 17th overall,) UNC and Pali Blue goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris, (second round, 19th overall,) Santa Clara midfielder Amanda Poach, (third round, 28th overall,) and four other players.

In preparation for the dispersal of the Los Angeles Sol players, Athletica traded Angie Woznuk, Kia McNeill, and rights to Amanda Poach to the Atlanta Beat. In the dispersal draft, Athletica acquired Shannon Boxx, Aya Miyama, Tina DiMartino, and rights to Cathrine Paaske-Sørensen.

Transfers

 * In
 * Madelaine Edlund 🇸🇪 From Umeå IK (11/23/09) International Signing
 * Elaine 🇧🇷 From Umeå IK (11/23/09) International Signing
 * Lindsay Tarpley 🇺🇸 From Chicago Red Stars (1/15/10) Trade
 * Shannon Boxx 🇺🇸 From Los Angeles Sol (2/4/10) Dispersal Draft
 * Aya Miyama 🇯🇵 From Los Angeles Sol (2/4/10) Dispersal Draft
 * Tina DiMartino 🇺🇸 From Los Angeles Sol (2/4/10) Dispersal Draft
 * Niki Cross 🇺🇸 From FC Gold Pride (4/1/10) Free Agent


 * Out
 * Amanda Cinalli 🇺🇸 To Atlanta Beat (9/15/09) Expansion Draft
 * Sara Larsson 🇸🇪 To Atlanta Beat (9/15/09) Expansion Draft
 * Niki Cross 🇺🇸 To FC Gold Pride (10/26/09) Free Agent
 * Jillian Loyden 🇺🇸 To Chicago Red Stars (1/15/10) Trade
 * Angie Woznuk 🇺🇸 To Atlanta Beat (2/2/10) Trade
 * Kia McNeill 🇺🇸 To Atlanta Beat (2/2/10) Trade
 * Christie Welsh 🇺🇸 To Washington Freedom (2/15/10) Free Agent
 * Sarah Walsh 🇦🇺 To Boston Breakers (2/22/10) Free Agent


 * Released
 * Ashlee Pistorius 🇺🇸
 * Erin Kane 🇺🇸
 * Stephanie Logterman 🇺🇸
 * Lisa Stoia 🇺🇸
 * Melissa Tancredi 🇨🇦

Preseason
Athletica played four games in the 2010 preseason, double that from 2009. Wins against the University of Illinois (4-0) and University of Missouri (3-0) were followed by a 2–1 loss against WPS expansion side Atlanta Beat. Former Athletica player Kia McNeill opened the scoring for the Beat, with Ramona Bachmann (Atlanta) and Shannon Boxx (St. Louis) each adding one later. Athletica finished the preseason with a 3–0 win against a local boys' academy team.

Trade: May 5 w/ New Jersey
After losing to the Washington Freedom, Athletica made a defensive-minded trade with Sky Blue FC, sending India Trotter and their first-round pick in the 2011 WPS Draft to the New Jersey team in exchange for English international Anita Asante, rights to former Los Angeles Sol player Nikki Washington, and a second-round pick in the 2011 draft.

The trade was announced on May 4, but controversy and a league review followed. In the 2009 season, Athletica had traded their 2011 first-round draft pick to the Los Angeles Sol, which subsequently had dissolved. Unlike the Sol's players, the Sol's draft picks had not been dispersed to the other teams, so the draft pick's ownership was unknown. The league approved the trade the following day.

Trotter appeared for Sky Blue that weekend, though Asante and Washington were not ready to play for Athletica. To make room for the English international, Athletica waived Brazilian player Daniela.

Dissolution and dispersal
Saint Louis Athletica folded on May 27, 2010, and its sibling men's club A.C. St. Louis folded in January 2011. Spokesman Jeff Cooper announced the closure, precipitated when investors Sanjeev and Heemal Vaid defaulted on a funding contract. Its players were made free agents effective June 1.