Avery Patterson Bio
Avery Jean Patterson (born June 14, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right back, wingback, or winger for the Houston Dash of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team. She came up through one of the strongest youth development pipelines in the country before starring at the University of North Carolina and quickly establishing herself as a professional starter. In 2025, she earned her first senior cap for the United States and collected multiple individual honors in a breakout second season.
Early Life and Background
Avery Jean Patterson was born on June 14, 2002, in Jacksonville, Florida, where she was raised by her parents, Lori Patterson and Andrew Patterson. Her family has deep ties to American football, including her father, who played sprint football for Navy, and one of her great uncles, Tom Mack, who played for the Los Angeles Rams and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Despite that football background, Patterson chose soccer and started playing the sport at age four. She also ran varsity cross country and track in high school, building the endurance and speed that have shaped her athletic profile.
Path to Soccer
Growing up, Patterson played club soccer for Florida Elite Soccer Academy and was named the ECNL Southeast Player of the Year in 2018. At the Bolles School, she won three consecutive FHSAA championships from 2018 to 2020, establishing herself as one of the top high school players in Florida. She committed to play college soccer at the University of North Carolina as a sophomore. That decision launched her path toward the highest level of women’s soccer in the United States.
Avery Patterson Career
Early Career (2020–2023)
Patterson missed her freshman regular season at North Carolina due to injury in fall 2020, but she returned for the spring portion of the pandemic-delayed campaign, starting seven games at center back as the Tar Heels reached the NCAA tournament semifinals. In her sophomore year in 2021, she featured at outside back and produced five goals and three assists in 17 games. Her role and production grew steadily as she transitioned into a more attacking profile, and she became a team captain by her senior year.
Houston Dash Era (2024–Present)
The Houston Dash selected Patterson with the 19th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NWSL Draft, and she signed a three-year contract. She made her professional debut on March 16, 2024, starting and playing all 90 minutes of a season-opening 5–1 loss to the North Carolina Courage. Patterson played multiple positions across her rookie year before settling at right wingback, finishing with one goal, two assists, and 28 appearances across all competitions while logging the most minutes of any Dash field player. That performance earned her the club’s Newcomer of the Year award, and after the season she signed a new three-year contract that runs through 2027.
United States National Team Breakthrough (2025–Present)
Patterson’s international path started with the United States under-14 team in 2016 and continued at the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, where she scored six goals in five games to help the United States win the tournament. In January 2025, she was called into a Futures Camp by head coach Emma Hayes, and in March she received her first senior team call-up before friendlies against Brazil. Her senior debut came on April 5, 2025, when she entered as an 88th-minute substitute for Emily Fox in a 2–0 victory over Brazil at SoFi Stadium. She scored her first senior goal on June 26, 2025, heading in a cross from Rose Lavelle to open the scoring in a 4–0 win over the Republic of Ireland.
Driving Style and Strengths
Listed at 5 ft 6 in, Patterson combines endurance built through her high school cross country and track background with the versatility to play winger, midfielder, wingback, or right back. Coaches have praised her two-way work rate, ability to get forward down the flank, and tactical intelligence, all of which allowed Houston to deploy her across multiple roles during her rookie season before she settled at right back.
Notable Events and Milestones
Patterson’s senior debut was a memorable moment off the pitch as well, as she was stuck in a hotel elevator with Becky Sauerbrunn and Alana Cook for more than an hour earlier that same day. She scored the opening goal in her fifth appearance for the United States, a milestone that highlighted her rapid rise from Futures Camp to first-choice contributor.
Avery Patterson Career Wins
Patterson’s career highlights include an FHSAA high school three-peat at Bolles, a 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship with the United States, a 2023 NCAA tournament runner-up finish with North Carolina, and the Houston Dash Newcomer of the Year award in 2024. In 2025, she added the club’s Most Valuable Player honor and a place on the NWSL Best XI.
NCAA and Youth Honors
As a junior at North Carolina in 2022, Patterson led the Tar Heels with 13 goals and 8 assists, earned second-team All-ACC honors, and set an NCAA tournament record with five assists. She scored twice in the 2022 national championship final against UCLA, narrowly missing a title in a 3–2 overtime loss. As a senior captain in 2023, she posted 9 goals and 2 assists in 22 games, earning first-team All-ACC and third-team All-American recognition.
Other Wins and Performances
At the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, Patterson scored four goals in the first half against Puerto Rico and finished with six goals in five games as the United States lifted the trophy. She was nominated for NWSL Defender of the Year in 2025, becoming the first Houston Dash finalist for an NWSL individual award since Jane Campbell in 2023.
Avery Patterson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Patterson is the daughter of Lori Patterson and Andrew Patterson, both central figures in her upbringing in Jacksonville. Her father played sprint football for Navy, and one of her great uncles, Tom Mack, is a Pro Football Hall of Famer from his time with the Los Angeles Rams, giving the family a deep sports heritage.
Personal Life
Patterson came of age in Jacksonville, Florida, balancing soccer with varsity cross country and track at the Bolles School. She is not publicly known to be married, and she continues to focus on her professional career with the Houston Dash under a contract that runs through 2027.
2025 Season Performance
Patterson’s second professional season in 2025 marked her arrival as a cornerstone of the Houston Dash. She played and started in 22 games, scoring three goals, which tied her with Maggie Graham for second on the team, and she solidified her role at right back after a versatile rookie year. Her form was recognized at both the club and league level, with the Dash naming her Most Valuable Player and the NWSL placing her on the Best XI.
On the international stage, Patterson transitioned from the United States Futures Camp to the senior team within months, earning her first cap in April and her first goal in June against the Republic of Ireland. She also became the first Houston Dash finalist for an NWSL individual award since 2023, a sign of her growing profile. Heading into the rest of the 2025 campaign, Patterson remains central to the Dash’s ambitions and a key depth option for the United States on the right side of defense and midfield.
