Caiya Hanks Bio
Caiya Hanks (born September 26, 2004) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Portland Thorns FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, earning first-team All-American honors after leading Wake Forest to the 2024 national title game. Standing 5 foot 4 inches tall, Hanks wears the number 7 jersey for the Thorns and is widely regarded as one of the most promising young forwards in American women’s soccer.
Born in Oakland, California, and raised in Hawaii, Hanks combined a track background with club soccer to develop into a two-way attacker known for her speed, composure in front of goal, and playmaking ability. Her rapid rise from the USL W League to a starting role in the NWSL has drawn attention from United States youth national team coaches, who called her into training with the senior squad during her rookie season.
Early Life and Background
Caiya Hanks was born on September 26, 2004, in Oakland, California. When she was five years old, her family relocated to Hawaii, where she spent the rest of her childhood in the Kailua-Kona area on the Big Island. Growing up on the islands, she discovered soccer by following her older sister, Jadyn, who later played college soccer at the University of Idaho. The siblings often trained together, and their father, Steve, a former college football player at Kansas State, regularly had them wake up early to practice running track, building the conditioning and speed that would later define her game.
Hanks attended Konawaena High School, where she starred on the soccer team and was named all-state while winning multiple Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) titles. She was also a standout on the Konawaena track and field team, capturing the state 200 meters championship in her senior year. Her club career was spent with Kona Crush, a program that helped her stay sharp despite playing in a region of the country with limited exposure to mainland college scouts. That remote setting shaped a self-reliant work ethic that has followed her to the professional ranks.
Path to Professional Soccer
Because of Hawaii’s geographic distance from traditional recruiting hotbeds, Hanks committed to Wake Forest in her senior year of high school, choosing the Demon Deacons for their competitive ACC schedule and attacking style of play. She arrived in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, ahead of the 2022 season and quickly earned a starting role as a freshman, appearing in all 22 matches. Her development accelerated during the summer months, when she joined Tampa Bay United of the USL W League for the 2022 season, gaining her first experience in a professional-style environment.
After her sophomore year at Wake Forest, Hanks returned to the USL W League in 2023, this time with Racing Louisville, where she faced senior-level competition and refined her tactical understanding of the forward position. She rejoined Tampa Bay United for the 2024 USL W campaign, balancing college and club play on her way to a breakout junior season. Those summer stints helped her adjust to the speed and physicality of professional soccer before she entered the NWSL ranks in 2025.
Caiya Hanks Career
Early Career (2022–2023)
Hanks began her college career in 2022 as an immediate contributor for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, starting all 22 games and recording 1 goal and 3 assists as a freshman forward. Her freshman campaign gave her valuable minutes in the Atlantic Coast Conference and helped establish her as a player to watch within the program. Between her freshman and sophomore seasons, she played for Tampa Bay United in the USL W League, adapting to a more senior level of competition.
As a sophomore in 2023, Hanks took a clear step forward, leading the Demon Deacons with 6 goals and adding 4 assists across 17 matches, 15 of which were starts. Her performances earned her second-team All-ACC recognition, confirming her status as one of the conference’s top young forwards. She also spent that summer with Racing Louisville in the USL W League, further sharpening her skills against experienced professionals.
Wake Forest Breakthrough (2024)
Hanks announced herself on the national stage during her junior year in 2024, leading Wake Forest to one of the best seasons in program history. In a single week in September, she scored twice in a 3–0 win over No. 2 Virginia and days later assisted Emily Colton in a 1–0 win against No. 1 Stanford, making Wake Forest the first team to defeat the top two ranked teams in consecutive matches. She also scored in a 4–1 victory over defending national champion Florida State, ending the Seminoles’ 32-game unbeaten streak.
Entering the NCAA tournament as a two-seed, Hanks delivered three goals and five assists in six postseason games, including a goal and an assist in a 2–2 draw against USC in the quarterfinals, which Wake Forest won on penalties. She then provided the winning assist in a 1–0 semifinal victory over Stanford before the Demon Deacons fell 1–0 to North Carolina in the program’s first national title game. She finished the season with 11 goals and 12 assists in 24 matches, earning first-team All-ACC, first-team All-American honors, and a finalist nod for the Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s most prestigious individual award.
Portland Thorns FC Era (2025–Present)
On March 12, 2025, Portland Thorns FC announced the signing of Hanks to a four-year contract with a club option for an additional year, formally ending her college career and beginning her professional journey in the NWSL. Three days later, she made her professional debut as a second-half substitute for Hina Sugita in the Thorns’ season opener against the Kansas City Current. The transition to professional soccer was swift, and she quickly earned a regular place in the attacking rotation under the Portland coaching staff.
Hanks scored her first professional goal on April 22, 2025, in a 4–1 home win over Gotham FC, also assisting Mimi Alidou in the same match to highlight her two-way playmaking. Her rookie season, however, was cut short on June 15, 2025, when she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the first half against the Washington Spirit, ruling her out for the remainder of the campaign. At the time of her injury, she had recorded 2 goals and 1 assist in 11 regular-season appearances, a strong return that suggested an even larger role in 2026.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hanks combines elite sprint speed with a calm finishing touch, allowing her to stretch defenses in transition and arrive late in the box to capitalize on chances. Her high school track background, particularly her state title in the 200 meters, gives her an advantage in one-on-one duels and recovering loose balls. She reads the game well in the final third, often choosing to set up teammates rather than shoot, which is reflected in her 12 assists during her junior season at Wake Forest.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the defining moments of her early career, Hanks’ two-goal performance against Virginia and her assist against Stanford in a single week in September 2024 stand out, as Wake Forest became the first team to defeat the top two ranked programs back-to-back. Her first professional goal for the Portland Thorns against Gotham FC on April 22, 2025, marked the official beginning of her NWSL story, while her selection to the United States under-23 training camp alongside senior national team players in March 2025 signaled her arrival on the broader American soccer landscape.
Caiya Hanks Career Wins
Although still early in her professional journey, Caiya Hanks has accumulated a series of meaningful wins across college, club, and international levels. Her most celebrated victory came in the 2024 NCAA semifinal, where she assisted the lone goal in a 1–0 defeat of Stanford to send Wake Forest to its first national championship game. Additional signature wins include the 3–0 decision over No. 2 Virginia, the 4–1 rout of defending champion Florida State, and multiple BIIF titles during her time at Konawaena High School.
College and Club Highlights
In three seasons with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Hanks helped the program reach its first national title game, scoring 18 goals and adding 19 assists across 63 appearances. She also won multiple conference-level matches against top-ranked opponents and earned first-team All-American recognition in 2024. In the USL W League, she played for Tampa Bay United in 2022 and 2024 and Racing Louisville in 2023, contributing to competitive summer campaigns that prepared her for the NWSL.
Other Wins and Performances
At the high school level, Hanks won multiple BIIF titles with Konawaena and added a state 200 meters championship on the track, showcasing her two-sport versatility. Internationally, she drew a penalty in a U-23 friendly against Germany in June 2025, helping the United States secure a result against one of the world’s top programs.
Caiya Hanks Family
Family Background and Soccer Lineage
Caiya Hanks comes from an athletic family that helped shape her competitive drive. Her older sister, Jadyn, played college soccer at the University of Idaho, providing Caiya with an early role model and training partner. Their father, Steve, played college football at Kansas State and introduced both children to structured early-morning workouts, including running drills that sharpened her endurance and acceleration.
Personal Life
Hanks keeps her personal life largely out of the public eye, focusing the spotlight on her career and development. She relocated from Hawaii to North Carolina to attend Wake Forest and later moved again to Portland after signing with the Thorns in 2025.
2025 Season Performance
Caiya Hanks entered the 2025 NWSL season as one of the most anticipated rookie forwards after a decorated college career at Wake Forest. Portland signed her on March 12, 2025, and she debuted three days later against the Kansas City Current, immediately showing comfort at the professional level. She tallied 2 goals and 1 assist across her first 11 regular-season appearances, with her first professional goal coming in a 4–1 home win over Gotham FC on April 22.
Her rookie campaign was interrupted on June 15, 2025, when an ACL injury sustained against the Washington Spirit ended her season, removing her from the playoff picture just as she was building momentum. Despite the setback, her statistical output and the trust shown by the Portland coaching staff reinforced her standing as a core piece of the club’s long-term plans. Looking ahead, the Thorns are expected to give her a full preseason to recover and compete for a starting role in 2026 as the team builds around her attacking profile.
Off the field, Hanks was called into United States under-23 training in March 2025, where she practiced alongside senior national team players, and she later featured in U-23 friendlies against Germany in June. That international exposure, paired with her first NWSL minutes, gives her a strong platform heading into a critical rehabilitation and development period.