CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – As the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Playoffs get underway on Friday, November 8, a total of 58 former players from current Atlantic Coast Conference schools will look to help their respective teams push towards an NWSL Championship.
The 58 players are the most among all conferences with the next closest being 47. All eight teams in this year’s playoffs have at least four players from the ACC, highlighted by the Washington Spirit carrying a league-best 11 players. Gotham FC follows with 10 players, Bay FC carries nine players and North Carolina FC has eight.
Last season, nine players from the ACC were on the Gotham FC roster that claimed the 2023 NWSL title following a 2-1 win over OL Reign. Former Florida State standout Jenna Nighswonger earned the start for Gotham, while North Carolina’s Allie Long, Virginia’s Sinead Farrelly and Wake Forest’s Katie Stengel appeared as substitutes. Finishing as the league’s runner up, OL Reign was represented by eight ACC players.
The 2024 NWSL Playoffs begin on Friday when the top-seeded Orlando Pride take on the eighth-seeded Chicago Red Stars at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video. The quarterfinals continue on Saturday, November 9, when the fourth-seeded KC Current take on the fifth-seeded North Carolina Courage at noon ET on CBS and Paramount+. The opening round concludes on Sunday, November 10, when the No. 2 seed Spirit take on seventh-seeded Bay FC at 12:30 p.m. ET and third-seeded Gotham FC squares off with the sixth-seeded Portland Thorns at 3 p.m. ET. Both of those matches can be found on ABC.
Gotham FC
Cassie Miller, Florida State
Kelly O'Hara, Stanford
Tierna Davidson, Stanford
Sam Hiatt, Stanford
Jenna Nighswonger, Florida State
Emily Sonnett, Virginia
Taryn Torres, Virginia
Sinead Farrelly , Virginia
Ella Stevens, Duke
Crystal Dunn, North Carolina
North Carolina Courage
Malia Berkley, Florida State
Sydney Collins, California
Maycee Bell, North Carolina
Haley Hopkins, Virginia
Olivia Wingate, Notre Dame
Hensley Hancuff, Clemson
Brianna Pinto, North Carolina
Landy Mertz, Pitt
Portland Thorns
Sam Coffey, Boston College
Meghan Klingenberg, North Carolina
Becky Saeurbrunn, Virginia
Sophia Smith, Stanford
Alexa Spaanstra, Virginia
KC Current
Lo'eau Labonta, Stanford
Alana Cook, Stanford
Michelle Cooper, Duke
Bayley Feist, Wake Forest
Washington Spirit
Audrey Kingsbury, Wake Forest
Casey Krueger, Florida State
Makenna Morris, Clemson
Andi Sullivan, Stanford
Brittany Ratcliffe, Virginia
Gabrielle Carle, Florida State
Hal Hershfelt, Clemson
Paige Metayer, California
Nicole Barnhart, Stanford
Jenna Butler, NC State
Waniya Hudson, Notre Dame
Chicago Red Stars
Mackenzie Wood, Notre Dame
Sam Staab, Clemson
Cari Roccaro, Notre Dame
Leilanni Nesbeth, Florida State
Sophie Jones, Duke
Jameese Joseph, NC State
Jenna Bike, Boston College
Orlando Pride
Morgan Gautrat, Virginia
Brianna Martinez, Notre Dame
Carson Pickett, Florida State
Emily Sams, Florida State
Bay FC
Emmie Allen, North Carolina
Dorian Bailey, North Carolina
Tess Boade, Duke
Deyna Castellanos, Florida State
Caroline Conti, Clemson
Maya Doms, Stanford
Savy King, North Carolina
Catherine Paulson, Stanford
Kiki Pickett, Stanford