Alexa Spaanstra Bio
Alexa Christine Spaanstra (born February 1, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for the Utah Royals of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), on loan from Portland Thorns FC. She played college soccer for the Virginia Cavaliers, where she was a five-time All-ACC selection, and she was drafted by the Kansas City Current in the first round of the 2023 NWSL Draft. Internationally, she has represented the United States at the under-17, under-19, and under-20 levels, winning CONCACAF tournaments at two age groups. Standing 5 foot 4 inches, she is a versatile forward who can also operate in midfield.
Early Life and Background
Alexa Christine Spaanstra was born and raised in Brighton, Michigan, the older of two children born to Andrea and Scott Spaanstra. Her father played college basketball for the Northern Michigan Wildcats, and her mother ran track at Aquinas College, giving the family a strong athletic background. Spaanstra joined the Michigan Hawks of the ECNL at the under-11 level and helped the club win ECNL national titles in 2014 and 2017, finishing as runners-up in the years between those championships.
Outside of soccer, Spaanstra was a competitive sprinter, winning a national 200-meter dash at age 10 and lettering in track at Brighton High School. Her combination of speed and technical skill helped her stand out in youth soccer, and she was ranked by TopDrawerSoccer as the No. 7 recruit in the class of 2018. That blend of athletic tools and club pedigree set the stage for her college career at a major Atlantic Coast Conference program.
Path to Soccer
Spaanstra’s pathway to the professional game ran through the U.S. Soccer youth development system and one of the top college programs in the country. She first trained with the United States youth national team at the under-14 level in May 2013, was called up to the under-17 team for friendlies in South Korea in August 2014, and trained with both the under-17 and under-20 squads in August 2015. Those early international opportunities coincided with her club success at Michigan Hawks and established her as one of the top attacking prospects in her age group.
Her selection as the No. 7 recruit in the 2018 high school class led her to the University of Virginia, where she joined the Cavaliers as a five-year starter from 2018 through 2022. At Virginia, she developed into a five-time All-ACC performer and helped lead the program to conference titles and deep NCAA tournament runs. By the time she declared for the 2023 NWSL Draft, she had already represented the United States at two FIFA youth World Cups and a pair of CONCACAF championships, making her one of the most experienced forwards in her draft class.
Alexa Spaanstra Career
Early Career (2018–2022)
Spaanstra began her senior career as a freshman forward for the Virginia Cavaliers in 2018 and immediately contributed, recording nine goals and six assists to share the team lead in both categories. She was named All-ACC third team and ACC All-Freshman that year, and she also earned all-tournament honors at the ACC tournament, the first of four consecutive years she would collect that recognition.
Across her five seasons at Virginia, she grew into one of the conference’s most reliable attacking players. As a sophomore in 2019, she posted three goals and a team-best twelve assists, including four assists in one game. As a junior in 2020–21, she made the All-ACC first team with ten goals, helping the Cavaliers reach the NCAA tournament semifinals. She added second-team All-ACC honors in 2021 and third-team All-ACC in 2022, finishing her college career as a five-time All-ACC selection with a 2021 ACC regular season title to her credit.
NWSL Breakthrough (2023–2024)
The Kansas City Current selected Spaanstra tenth overall in the first round of the 2023 NWSL Draft, and she signed a two-year contract. As a rookie, she made fifteen appearances with five starts, gradually earning a larger role as the season progressed. She recorded her first professional assist and her first goal in a 6–0 win over the Chicago Red Stars on October 7, 2023, then scored the following week to help salvage a 2–2 draw at NJ/NY Gotham FC. Her late-season form earned her the NWSL Rookie of the Month award for September/October 2023.
In 2024, Spaanstra started eight matches and added a goal and an assist across eleven regular-season appearances for the Current. She also featured in four matches in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup and one match in the Women’s Cup, where she scored the winning goal against South African club Mamelodi Sundowns on August 15. Her production in both league and cup play confirmed her as a reliable attacking option heading into her second professional season.
Portland Thorns Era (2024–Present)
On August 19, 2024, Portland Thorns FC acquired Spaanstra from the Current in exchange for $25,000 in intraleague transfer funds and $15,000 in allocation money. The move gave the forward a fresh opportunity within a club with championship expectations, and she quickly worked into the rotation. In her first year and a half with the Thorns, she made eleven starts in twenty-eight appearances across all competitions, recording two assists.
One of those assists came against Angel City FC in October 2025, helping Portland clinch a place in the 2025 NWSL playoffs. On March 22, 2026, Portland loaned Spaanstra to the Utah Royals on a short-term loan through June, giving her a chance to feature more prominently while the Thorns manage their roster. Throughout the move, she has been described as a team-first player willing to take on different roles to help her club compete.
Driving Style and Strengths
Spaanstra is a quick, technical forward whose track background shows up in her ability to separate from defenders in transition. She combines that speed with sharp passing and good off-the-ball movement, allowing her to play across the front line and as an attacking midfielder. Coaches have valued her willingness to set up teammates, while her finishing improved markedly in her rookie season as she grew more comfortable finishing chances in the NWSL.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in her young career include her first-round selection in the 2023 NWSL Draft, her first professional goal against the Chicago Red Stars in October 2023, and her NWSL Rookie of the Month award for September/October 2023. She has also represented the United States at three FIFA youth World Cups, won the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship, and lifted the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship.
Alexa Spaanstra Career Wins
Across club, college, and international play, Alexa Christine Spaanstra has built a résumé that includes conference championships in college, ECNL national titles at the youth level, and CONCACAF trophies with the U.S. youth national teams. Her professional trophy case is still developing, but her winning habits at Virginia and with U.S. youth teams established a foundation for her NWSL career.
Virginia Cavaliers Highlights
During her five years at Virginia, Spaanstra helped the Cavaliers win the 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title and reach the finals of the ACC tournament in both 2019 and 2021. She also helped Virginia advance to the NCAA tournament semifinals in 2020–21. She earned all-tournament honors in each of her first four seasons and was selected to an All-ACC team every year, finishing as a five-time All-ACC honoree.
Other Wins and Performances
At the youth level, Spaanstra helped the Michigan Hawks win ECNL national championships in 2014 and 2017, and she led the U.S. under-19 team to a tournament title in China in September 2017, where she was named the most valuable player. Internationally, she was part of the United States teams that won the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship and the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, and she competed at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Alexa Spaanstra Family
Family Background and Soccer Lineage
Spaanstra comes from an athletic family in Brighton, Michigan. Her father, Scott Spaanstra, played college basketball for the Northern Michigan Wildcats, and her mother, Andrea Spaanstra, ran track at Aquinas College. The combination of basketball and track backgrounds helped shape Alexa’s blend of court awareness, speed, and competitive edge on the soccer field.
Personal Life
Alexa Christine Spaanstra is the older of two children raised by Andrea and Scott Spaanstra. She grew up in Brighton, Michigan, attended Brighton High School, and played her club soccer with the Michigan Hawks before heading to the University of Virginia. She has prioritized her professional soccer career and is active on social media under her own name.
2025 Season Performance
For the 2025 NWSL season, Spaanstra served as a depth forward for Portland Thorns FC, contributing starts and substitute appearances across the regular season. Her versatility as both a forward and an attacking midfielder gave the Thorns flexibility in how they approached different matchups, and she was used in rotation behind the club’s more established attackers.
One of her most important moments came in October 2025, when she recorded an assist against Angel City FC to help Portland clinch a spot in the 2025 NWSL playoffs. That contribution underlined her value as a player who can deliver in high-stakes moments, even in a reserve role. The playoff berth extended Portland’s run of postseason appearances and reinforced Spaanstra’s reputation as a dependable squad player.
Heading into the offseason, Spaanstra’s role with the Thorns was expected to evolve, with the club weighing how to deploy her alongside its other attacking options. Her loan to the Utah Royals in March 2026 was framed as a short-term move to give her more minutes, suggesting Portland still saw her as part of its long-term plans. The 2025 campaign ended as a transitional year in which she built trust with teammates and coaches while contributing to a playoff push.