‘Celly Queen’ is here to stay. KC Current signs LaBonta to extension through 2028
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- Lo’eau LaBonta signs three-year extension to remain with KC Current through 2028.
- LaBonta totals 180 NWSL appearances, 21 Current goals and national team debut.
- Current emphasize leadership and legacy as team advances to 2025 NWSL playoffs.
Lo’eau LaBonta has been the heartbeat of the KC Current since the team returned to Kansas City in 2021, wearing the captain’s armband for the last couple of seasons.
With the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs now here and free agency potentially looming on the horizon, the Current and LaBonta aren’t letting any doubts about the future creep in.
The Current announced a three-year contract extension for LaBonta on Thursday, ensuring the player nicknamed the “Celly Queen” for her fun in-game celebrations will keep playing at CPKC Stadium through the 2028 season.
“From baseball field to NWSL Shield, I’ve seen how far we’ve come and I’m hyped to see how far we can go,” LaBonta said in a team news release announcing the deal. “I’ve grown with this club and this city, and I’ve seen how belief turns into history. This new contract is about more than just soccer — it’s about building a legacy, one celly at a time.”
LaBonta first came here in 2016 to play for FC Kansas City. She followed the club in its relocation to Utah, then returned when the Long family and Brittany Mahomes acquired the rights to an NWSL franchise and brought the Utah roster back to Kansas City in 2021.
LaBonta has since been a fixture with the Current and enjoyed some of the best play of her career in Kansas City. LaBonta has scored 17 goals in 85 appearances since 2021 and even broke into the US Women’s National Team roster for the first time in her career at age 32.
“Lo has been a staple of the Kansas City Current since the beginning, and we are excited to extend her time here,” general manager Caitlin Carducci in the club’s news release. “Her presence in training, in matches, in the locker room, and in the community is one of a kind. Lo has been vital in cultivating a standard of excellence here at the Kansas City Current and will be for years to come.”
LaBonta has amassed 180 career appearances and 13,000 minutes in the NWSL regular season. She has 21 goals and seven assists with the Current and is tied with Megan Rapinoe at 14 for the most penalty kicks converted in league history.
The Current continues to plot its path to a championship, and the first test of the postseason awaits on Sunday: KC plays host to Gotham FC at CPKC Stadium at 11:30 a.m. (TV: ABC).
Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.
This story was originally published November 6, 2025 at 1:44 PM.