Kaylie Collins Bio
Kaylie Ann Collins (born May 17, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Born in Clayton, California, she played four years as a varsity goalkeeper and captain at Carondelet High School and was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com high school All-American first team in 2016. Collins played collegiate soccer at the University of Southern California from 2016 to 2021, earning several accolades including Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year. She began her professional career in 2018 and has played for teams including SoCal FC, Orlando Pride, and Western Sydney Wanderers on loan.
Early Life and Background
Kaylie Ann Collins was born on May 17, 1998, in Clayton, California, in the United States. She grew up in Northern California, where she developed an early interest in soccer and goalkeeping. Collins attended Carondelet High School, where she spent four years on the varsity roster as the starting goalkeeper and captain of her team. Her leadership and consistency in high school helped her earn a place on the TopDrawerSoccer.com high school All-American first team in 2016.
Outside of school soccer, Collins played club soccer for Diablo FC from 2008 to 2011 before moving to Mustang SC, where she played from 2012 to 2016. During her time with Mustang SC, she helped her side reach the National Championship semifinals and the Surf Cup final in 2014. She was also a member of the Region IV Olympic Development Program, an experience that sharpened her technical skills against some of the top youth players in the country. These formative years gave Collins a strong foundation in competitive goalkeeping before she committed to a top college program.
Path to Soccer
Collins committed to the University of Southern California, joining the USC Trojans women’s soccer program in 2016. She redshirted her true freshman year, learning behind established starter Sammy Jo Prudhomme. In her redshirt freshman season in 2017, Collins made 19 appearances for the Trojans and was recognized on the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. Head coach Keidane McAlpine also named her the team’s culture committee leader, citing her positive energy and welcoming personality as valuable additions to the locker room.
Her breakout year came in 2018, when Collins started all 22 matches for USC, allowing just 11 goals and posting an 86.1% save rate. That season she won Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year and earned All-Pac-12 first team, All-Region first team, United Soccer Coaches All-America second team, and TopDrawerSoccer.com Best XI second team honors. Her ten solo shutouts tied for the fourth-best single-season total in program history. During the 2018 and 2019 offseasons, she also gained senior experience with WPSL sides SoCal FC in 2018 and FC Golden State in 2019, building her resume ahead of the NWSL Draft.
Kaylie Collins Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
While still a college player at USC, Collins began her senior career in the Women’s Premier Soccer League, a key development league for aspiring professional players. In 2018, she joined SoCal FC for the offseason, getting her first taste of senior-level competition. She followed that up in 2019 with a stint at FC Golden State, where she continued to refine her game and adjust to the demands of adult soccer. These experiences, combined with her standout college form, helped position her as a credible professional prospect entering the 2021 NWSL Draft.
Her 2019 college season was cut short by an early injury that caused her to miss 11 games, though she returned to help USC reach the NCAA College Cup quarterfinals for only the third time in program history. After the 2019 season, Collins had the option to turn professional, but she chose to remain at USC and complete her degree, eventually also pursuing a master’s degree in applied psychology. The NCAA’s COVID-19 pandemic waiver allowed her to play her senior season in the spring of 2021 despite being drafted earlier that year.
Orlando Pride Era (2021–2024)
On January 13, 2021, Collins was selected in the fourth round (34th overall) of the 2021 NWSL Draft by Orlando Pride, the second goalkeeper taken that year behind Sydney Schneider. She signed a short-term national team replacement contract with Orlando on June 4, 2021, to cover for Erin McLeod, who was on international duty with Canada, though she did not make an appearance as a rookie. Ahead of the 2022 season, she signed a two-year contract with the club and made her professional debut on April 23, 2022, against Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena, making four saves and conceding only a penalty kick in a 1–1 draw. She spent most of the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup behind Anna Moorhouse, but the late-season start offered an encouraging first taste of NWSL minutes.
In September 2023, Collins was loaned to Australian A-League Women side Western Sydney Wanderers for the 2023–24 season. Over the course of the loan, she made 11 appearances, kept three shutouts, and conceded 17 goals as Western Sydney finished seventh and missed the postseason on goal difference. Following the conclusion of her loan spell in April 2024, Collins was waived by Orlando Pride, closing out a three-year stretch with the Florida club.
Seattle Reign FC and Washington Spirit (2024–Present)
On April 20, 2024, Collins signed with Seattle Reign FC as a short-term replacement player following an injury to goalkeeper Claudia Dickey. She served as the third-choice keeper behind Laurel Ivory and Maia Pérez and was not named to a matchday squad during her time in Seattle. Despite the limited minutes, the move kept her attached to an NWSL roster during the 2024 season.
On July 18, 2024, Collins was signed as a National Team Replacement player by the Washington Spirit ahead of the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. The opportunity gave her a fresh start with a championship-contending organization, and she continues to compete for the goalkeeping group at the Spirit. Her trajectory from fourth-round draft pick to active NWSL goalkeeper reflects steady development at every level of the American women’s game.
Driving Style and Strengths
As a goalkeeper, Collins relies on strong shot-stopping, positional discipline, and a calm presence in the back line. Her 86.1% save rate during her 2018 sophomore season at USC underscored her efficiency between the posts, while her leadership roles in college pointed to strong communication skills with defenders. The variety of leagues she has experienced, from the WPSL to the A-League Women, has added tactical flexibility to her game.
Notable Events and Milestones
One signature moment came in her professional debut on April 23, 2022, when Collins recorded four saves and conceded only a penalty kick in a 1–1 draw with Gotham FC. Her 2018 college campaign also stands out, as her ten solo shutouts tied for the fourth-most in a single season in USC history. Being named Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year that same year marked her as one of the top young goalkeepers in college soccer.
Kaylie Collins Career Wins
While individual statistics for clean sheets and wins across her professional career are not fully itemized in the available record, Collins has posted several notable performances at every stop. Her three shutouts during her Western Sydney Wanderers loan and her steady shot-stopping in the NWSL Challenge Cup reflect a track record of contributing in important moments.
NWSL and League Highlights
Collins has notched her first professional start and clean-sheet-level performance in the NWSL Challenge Cup, in addition to international minutes in the A-League Women. Her career is still in its early professional phase, and her most recent win column will continue to grow as she competes for the Washington Spirit.
Other Wins and Performances
At the youth level, Collins helped her Mustang SC sides reach the National Championship semifinals and the Surf Cup final in 2014. She also played in the NCAA College Cup quarterfinals with USC in 2019, one of only a handful of quarterfinal appearances in program history. She represented the United States at the under-14 and under-15 levels, adding international experience to her résumé.
Kaylie Collins Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Collins’s parents and immediate family members is limited, and detailed records of any family connection to professional sports have not been verified in available sources.
Personal Life
Collins pursued a communications major during her undergraduate years at the University of Southern California and later completed a master’s degree in applied psychology. She splits time between training with the Washington Spirit and personal pursuits off the pitch, and her social media presence offers glimpses into her daily life as a professional goalkeeper.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025, Collins remains with the Washington Spirit as she looks to build on her late-2024 signing and compete for a larger role in the goalkeeping group. Her 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup appearance marked her first competitive minutes with the club, and a full preseason with the Spirit is expected to sharpen her chemistry with the team’s defensive line. Coaches and analysts will be watching to see whether she can translate her college shot-stopping pedigree into consistent NWSL form.
If she can carve out regular playing time, Collins has the chance to add to a Spirit team that regularly contends for playoff positioning. The 2025 NWSL campaign will also give her an opportunity to climb the depth chart and potentially take on a starting role as the season progresses. With a mix of NWSL and international experience already in hand, the upcoming year represents a key chance to establish herself as a long-term NWSL goalkeeper.
Outlook for the season is shaped by the Spirit’s competitive ambitions and Collins’s continued development in a new environment. A strong training camp and early-season opportunities could turn 2025 into the breakthrough professional year her college career suggested was possible. As the schedule unfolds, her progress will be one of the storylines to watch within the Washington Spirit goalkeeping unit.