Kate Wiesner Bio
Kate McGuire Wiesner (born February 11, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a left back or winger for the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was selected by the Spirit in the first round of the 2024 NWSL Draft. She represented the United States at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and made her senior international debut in November 2025.
Early Life and Background
Kate McGuire Wiesner grew up in Monrovia, California, the daughter of Scott and Mary Wiesner. She joined Slammers FC at age 13 and went on to win three ECNL national championships with the club, building the technical foundation that carried her through the youth national team pipeline. She graduated from Monrovia High School before moving on to one of the strongest college soccer programs in the country.
Wiesner was ranked by TopDrawerSoccer as the number one prospect of the 2019 class and was part of Penn State’s top-ranked recruiting class. Her rise was briefly interrupted in 2018 by an anterior cruciate ligament injury, an early challenge that shaped her resilience as a young player. Standing 5 feet 7 inches tall and comfortable on either flank, she developed into a versatile two-way option capable of contributing in defense and in the attack.
Path to Soccer
Wiesner’s pathway to professional soccer ran through the U.S. Soccer youth system. She was called into training with the United States under-15 team in 2015 and became captain of that age group. She later joined the under-17 team, initially playing up two age groups, and was part of the squads at the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship, the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, and the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship. She missed the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup due to injury.
She also represented the United States at the under-19 and under-23 levels, gaining tournament experience across multiple age groups. Her club play with Slammers FC, combined with her national team exposure, helped position her as one of the most highly recruited players in the country heading into college.
Kate Wiesner Career
Early Career (2019–2023)
Wiesner enrolled at Penn State and quickly became a starter, scoring a goal in her college debut against Stanford. Her freshman season was cut short in the eighth game by a second anterior cruciate ligament injury, the same type of setback she had faced in 2018. Her recovery took two years, a stretch that required patience and steady rehabilitation before she returned to the field in 2021.
Back in 2021, Wiesner made 19 appearances and scored 1 goal in her junior season. In 2022, she returned to the starting lineup full time, leading the Big Ten Conference with 11 assists and scoring 2 goals in 23 games. She scored the game winner against Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament semifinals as the Nittany Lions won the tournament. Named co-captain for her fifth and final season in 2023, she scored 2 goals and added 5 assists in 21 games, earning third-team All-Big Ten honors as part of the conference’s best scoring defense.
Washington Spirit Breakthrough (2024–Present)
Wiesner was drafted by the Washington Spirit with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NWSL Draft, the team’s third pick of the night. She was signed to a three-year contract running through 2027 and made her professional debut as a starter in the season-opening loss to the Seattle Reign on March 17. On June 8, she scored her first professional goal, striking the ball into the corner through traffic for the lone goal of the game against the Utah Royals.
As a rookie, Wiesner made 15 regular-season appearances, starting 5, as the Spirit finished second in the standings. In the playoff quarterfinals, she played 42 minutes including extra time after replacing Heather Stainbrook in a 2–1 win over Bay FC. She was unused for the rest of the postseason as Washington reached the 2024 NWSL Championship, where the Spirit lost to the Orlando Pride.
After missing several months with a hip injury, Wiesner made her first appearance of the 2025 season in a 0–0 draw with the San Diego Wave on June 22. She scored her only goal of the season on August 23, lifting a cross that found its way into the net, in a 3–2 win over Bay FC before an NWSL record crowd at Oracle Park. She played in 13 league games, starting 10, as the Spirit again placed second in the table. In the playoffs, she played almost 90 minutes including extra time after replacing an injured Gabrielle Carle in the quarterfinals against Racing Louisville, and Washington advanced on penalties after a 1–1 draw. With Carle still injured, Wiesner played the entire 2–0 semifinal win against the Portland Thorns.
Driving Style and Strengths
Wiesner brings a versatile profile to the Spirit, able to operate as a left back or push higher as a winger. Her strengths include accurate service into the box, comfort receiving in tight spaces, and the work rate to recover defensively after joining the attack. She has shown she can produce in big moments, with a 2024 NWSL debut goal against Utah Royals and a 2025 finish at Oracle Park highlighting her finishing instincts.
Notable Events and Milestones
Wiesner’s signature moments include her first professional goal against the Utah Royals on June 8, 2024, and her 2025 strike against Bay FC in front of an NWSL record crowd at Oracle Park. She also reached the 2024 NWSL Championship in her rookie year and made her senior United States debut on November 28, 2025, in a 3–0 victory over Italy.
Kate Wiesner Career Wins
Wiesner’s verified honors include three ECNL national championships with Slammers FC during her youth career. At the college level, she won the Big Ten tournament with the Penn State Nittany Lions in 2022 and contributed to one of the conference’s best scoring defenses in 2023. With the Washington Spirit, she has reached the 2024 NWSL Championship and appeared in multiple playoff rounds in 2025.
Washington Spirit Highlights
Wiesner has notched two professional regular-season goals across her first two NWSL campaigns, opening her account against the Utah Royals in 2024 and scoring against Bay FC in 2025. She has been a regular contributor in the postseason, logging meaningful minutes in playoff quarterfinal and semifinal matches. Her progress has coincided with back-to-back second-place regular-season finishes for the Spirit.
Other Wins and Performances
On the international stage, Wiesner was part of the United States squads that competed at the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship, the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, and the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship. She was called up as a training player for head coach Emma Hayes’s first senior national team camp in June 2024 before earning her first cap on November 28, 2025.
Kate Wiesner Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Kate McGuire Wiesner is the daughter of Scott Wiesner and Mary Wiesner. She grew up in Monrovia, California, where she developed her game with Slammers FC and graduated from Monrovia High School.
Personal Life
Wiesner focuses publicly on her professional career with the Washington Spirit and her international duties with the United States. She signed a three-year contract with the Spirit in 2024 that runs through 2027.
2025 Season Performance
Wiesner opened the 2025 NWSL season on the sidelines, recovering from a hip injury before returning as a starter in a 0–0 draw with the San Diego Wave on June 22. Her standout moment came on August 23, when she scored in a 3–2 win over Bay FC at Oracle Park in front of an NWSL record crowd. She finished the regular season with 1 goal in 13 league appearances, starting 10 matches as Washington again placed second in the table.
In the 2025 playoffs, Wiesner stepped into a larger role after Gabrielle Carle was injured, playing almost 90 minutes including extra time in the quarterfinal win over Racing Louisville and the full 2–0 semifinal victory over the Portland Thorns. Her expanded minutes underscored her growing importance to the Spirit’s postseason run. She also returned to the senior United States setup in November 2025, earning her first cap against Italy on November 28.
