Haley Hopkins Bio
Haley Elizabeth Hopkins (born December 21, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She has been the president of the NWSL Players Association since 2025. Hopkins wore number 13 for the Current and became a leader on and off the field after entering the league through the 2023 NWSL Draft. Her career has spanned standout college seasons, a productive rookie campaign, and a growing role in league governance.
A tall, athletic forward, Hopkins played six years of college soccer, splitting her time between two Power Five programs before turning professional. She built a reputation as a reliable goal scorer and creative passer, traits that translated quickly into NWSL play. Beyond her club duties, Hopkins has emerged as one of the most influential voices among active NWSL players, helping reshape labor standards across the league.
Early Life and Background
Hopkins grew up in Newport Beach, California, one of four children born to David and Beth Hopkins. Her father played college football and baseball at the University of Virginia and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 1982 MLB draft, giving the family deep ties to college athletics. That sporting environment helped shape Hopkins from a young age, and she began playing soccer at age four.
She attended Mater Dei High School, where she starred for the soccer program and developed the technical foundation that would carry her to the next level. Outside of high school competition, Hopkins played ECNL club soccer for Slammers FC, one of the top youth clubs in Southern California. By the time she finished her prep career, she had drawn attention from major college programs across the country.
Path to Professional Soccer
Hopkins committed to Vanderbilt University, where she joined a Southeastern Conference program known for producing skilled attackers. Her college path was longer than most because of injuries, but she used the extra seasons to sharpen her game and accumulate production. By the time she left college, she ranked among the most decorated scorers in Vanderbilt history.
Her development continued at the University of Virginia, where she transferred to pursue a graduate education in the School of Medicine while competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The combination of elite-level training and a strong academic environment prepared her for the rigors of professional soccer. Her performances at Virginia convinced NWSL scouts that she was ready for the next step.
Haley Hopkins Career
Early Career at Vanderbilt (2017–2021)
Hopkins played only one game for the Vanderbilt Commodores in her first season in 2017 because knee pain required multiple surgeries. As a redshirt freshman in 2018, she led the Commodores with 14 goals and 7 assists in 21 games and was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year. She again led the team with 13 goals in 21 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2019.
She dealt with injuries during the next season but still produced a team-best 7 goals in 15 games and helped the Commodores win the 2020 SEC tournament, scoring two goals in the competition. With the second-most goals in Vanderbilt history at 34, she was named All-SEC three times and third-team All-American two times. That production established her as one of the top forwards in program history.
Virginia Cavaliers Breakthrough (2021–2022)
Hopkins transferred to the Virginia Cavaliers in 2021, enrolling as a graduate student in the University of Virginia School of Medicine. She scored twice on her debut and finished the season with 8 goals and 9 assists in 23 games. Her ability to combine goal scoring with playmaking gave the Cavaliers a new attacking dimension.
In the 2022 season, she scored a 15-minute hat trick against Fairleigh Dickinson and ended her final college season with 14 goals and 5 assists in 23 games. In the 2022 NCAA tournament, she scored in overtime against Penn State to help the Cavaliers advance to the quarterfinals. She was named All-ACC both years at Virginia, capping a six-year college career with national recognition.
North Carolina Courage Era (2023–2024)
The North Carolina Courage held multiple first-round picks and selected Hopkins 11th overall in the 2023 NWSL Draft. She was signed to a three-year contract and made her professional debut on April 1, 2023, coming on for Olivia Wingate in a 3–1 loss at the San Diego Wave. On July 29, she scored her first two professional goals, the last two in a 5–0 win against the Orlando Pride in NWSL Challenge Cup group play. She finished her rookie season with 3 goals in 20 games across all competitions and started in the Challenge Cup final, which the Courage won 2–0 against Racing Louisville.
In 2024, Hopkins scored in two of the first three home games at WakeMed Soccer Park, helping the Courage to a 5–1 win against the Houston Dash and a 2–0 win against the Portland Thorns. She established a spot in the starting lineup and added a goal and an assist in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, including a 3–0 win against Monterrey that clinched a semifinal berth. She ended 2024 with 4 goals in 28 games, all competitions.
Kansas City Current Era (2025–Present)
The Kansas City Current announced on January 30, 2025, that they had acquired Hopkins from the Courage for $50,000 in intra-league transfer funds. She was signed to a two-year contract extension, signaling the Current’s long-term commitment to her development. Hopkins joined one of the most ambitious organizations in the league, with a championship-caliber roster and growing national profile.
Her move to Kansas City paired her on-field role with a new off-field responsibility. In March 2025, she was voted by her peers as the fourth president of the NWSL Players Association, succeeding Tori Huster. The dual role made her one of the most visible active players in American women’s soccer.
Playing Style and Strengths
Hopkins plays as a target forward at 5 feet 10 inches, using her size to hold up play and bring teammates into the attack. She combines physical strength with a calm finishing touch in front of goal, and her college assist totals show that she reads the game as a creator as well as a scorer. Coaches have valued her willingness to press from the front, contributing to defensive work that often goes unnoticed in box-score statistics.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among her signature moments, Hopkins scored a 15-minute hat trick against Fairleigh Dickinson during her final college season and delivered an overtime goal against Penn State in the 2022 NCAA tournament. In the NWSL, she lifted the 2023 Challenge Cup with the North Carolina Courage and later scored her first regular-season goal against NJ/NY Gotham FC. Her selection as NWSLPA president in 2025 marked a milestone that extended her influence beyond the pitch.
Haley Hopkins Career Wins
Across her college and professional career, Hopkins has collected team trophies and individual awards that reflect her consistent impact. She helped the Vanderbilt Commodores win the 2020 SEC tournament and captured the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup with the North Carolina Courage. Individually, she earned SEC Freshman of the Year, three All-SEC selections, two third-team All-American honors, and two All-ACC selections.
College Highlights
Hopkins finished her Vanderbilt career with 34 goals, the second-most in program history, and added 8 goals and 9 assists in her first season at Virginia. Her 14-goal senior season at Virginia in 2022 matched her best collegiate output and ended with a memorable overtime strike against Penn State. She scored a hat trick in just 15 minutes against Fairleigh Dickinson, a performance that quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of her college career.
Professional Highlights
Hopkins began her professional career with the North Carolina Courage, scoring her first two professional goals in a 5–0 Challenge Cup win over the Orlando Pride and her first regular-season goal against NJ/NY Gotham FC. She helped the Courage win the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup in just her first professional season. After being traded to the Kansas City Current in January 2025, she signed a contract extension that runs through 2027.
Haley Hopkins Family
Family Background and Athletic Lineage
Hopkins comes from a deeply athletic family rooted in Newport Beach, California. Her father, David Hopkins, played college football and baseball at the University of Virginia before being drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 1982 MLB draft. Her mother, Beth Hopkins, raised four children in a household that valued both education and sport.
Personal Life
Hopkins has balanced professional soccer with advanced academic study, enrolling as a graduate student in the University of Virginia School of Medicine during her transfer season. Off the field, she became an active leader in player representation, joining five active players at the final 2024 negotiations that extended the NWSL collective bargaining agreement through 2030. In March 2025, her peers elected her as the fourth president of the NWSL Players Association.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked a new chapter for Hopkins as she joined the Kansas City Current after a January trade from the North Carolina Courage. She arrived at one of the NWSL’s most ambitious clubs and quickly signed a two-year contract extension that ties her to the organization through 2027. Her presence added veteran leadership and proven goal-scoring depth to a roster built to contend for championships.
Hopkins also stepped into a larger league-wide role in 2025 when she was elected president of the NWSL Players Association. The position gave her a direct voice in collective bargaining, player welfare, and league policy decisions through the end of the decade. Balancing those duties with on-field production became a defining storyline of her season.
With the Current pushing for another deep playoff run and a new labor agreement in place, Hopkins entered the stretch of her career with rare momentum. Her combination of experience, size, and finishing ability made her a focal point of the Current’s attack. The 2025 campaign offered her the chance to add a regular-season NWSL trophy to a résumé that already included a Challenge Cup title and major college honors.