Lo’eau LaBonta Bio
Lo’eau Kaiulani LaBonta (born March 18, 1993) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), where she serves as team captain. She also represents the United States women’s national team. LaBonta played college soccer for the Stanford Cardinal and was a member of the program’s 2011 NCAA national championship squad. A long-time NWSL veteran, she has spent much of her professional career in the Midwest.
Standing 5 feet 1 inch tall and wearing jersey number 10 for Kansas City, LaBonta is widely known for her technical skill, leadership, and crowd-pleasing goal celebrations that earned her the nickname “Cely Queen.” Off the pitch, she is married to former Sporting Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza and holds a degree in engineering from Stanford.
Early Life and Background
Lo’eau Kaiulani LaBonta was born on March 18, 1993, in Rancho Cucamonga, California. She is of Native Hawaiian heritage through her mother’s family, and her middle name, Kaiulani, was given in honor of Princess Ka’iulani, the last heir to the Hawaiian throne. Growing up in Southern California, she developed an early interest in soccer and trained in a region known for producing top-tier talent in the sport.
Her introduction to the highest level of the women’s game came at a young age. In 2008, when LaBonta was 15, she served as a ball girl at a United States women’s national team match in Los Angeles. After learning that LaBonta shared Native Hawaiian roots, USWNT forward Natasha Kai sought her out and gave her an autographed cleat. The encounter helped spark LaBonta’s dream of playing for the national team herself.
Path to Soccer
LaBonta’s path to professional soccer ran through one of the most decorated programs in college athletics. She enrolled at Stanford University in 2011, joining the Stanford Cardinal women’s soccer team as a freshman. The program, coached by Paul Ratcliffe, was entering a dominant stretch, and LaBonta quickly found herself contributing to a championship-caliber squad.
Her first collegiate season ended with the ultimate prize, as Stanford won the 2011 NCAA Division I women’s soccer national championship. LaBonta spent four years on The Farm, competing in the Pac-12 Conference, and she graduated with a degree in engineering. Her combination of technical quality and tactical awareness made her an attractive prospect for the professional ranks.
Lo’eau LaBonta Career
Early Career (2015)
Lo’eau LaBonta entered the professional ranks through the 2015 NWSL College Draft, when Sky Blue FC selected her with the 37th overall pick out of Stanford. The New Jersey-based club was entering a transitional phase, and LaBonta made six appearances during her rookie season as she adjusted to the pace of professional soccer.
Her time with Sky Blue was brief. In July 2015, the club waived LaBonta and fellow player Meg Morris in order to open roster spots for players returning from the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The transaction set the stage for her next opportunity in the Midwest.
FC Kansas City Breakthrough (2016–2017)
FC Kansas City signed LaBonta in May 2016, giving her a fresh start with a club that had just won consecutive NWSL championships. She made her debut for FC Kansas City against the Orlando Pride and soon earned a regular starting position. FCKC head coach Vlatko Andonovski cited her tenacity in winning possession from opponents as the reason for her increased playing time, and she became a key part of the team’s midfield engine.
Looking to expand her experience abroad, LaBonta joined Australian club Western Sydney Wanderers on loan in October 2017. She played every match during her spell with the Red & Black, scoring one goal, and returned for the 2018–19 season, where she appeared in nine games. The loan gave her international experience in the W-League before she returned stateside.
Utah Royals Era (2018–2020)
After FC Kansas City ceased operations following the 2017 season, LaBonta was officially added to the roster of the Utah Royals FC on February 8, 2018. She appeared in 16 matches for the Royals during the 2018 NWSL season, establishing herself as a dependable presence in the Utah midfield.
LaBonta returned to Utah for the 2019 campaign and scored her first goal for the club on April 21, a 1–0 win over the Washington Spirit. Her strong form in August 2019, with one goal and two assists, earned her a selection to the NWSL Team of the Month, signaling her emergence as one of the league’s most consistent midfielders.
Kansas City Current Era (2021–Present)
When the Utah Royals FC folded and their player assets were transferred to the new Kansas City expansion side, LaBonta became a foundational member of the Kansas City Current in 2021. It was LaBonta who coined the team chant “KC Baby” as the new club worked to forge its identity, and she quickly became a face of the franchise.
The 2022 season was her breakout year. LaBonta finished with seven goals, five of them on penalties, and four assists, earning selection to the NWSL Best XI. She converted a penalty in the first round of the playoffs, opening a 2–1 win against the Houston Dash. Kansas City advanced all the way to the NWSL Championship, where they fell 2–0 to the Portland Thorns. At the start of 2024, she was named the Current’s first-choice captain, anchoring the team through one of its most successful campaigns.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lo’eau LaBonta is best known for her set-piece quality, her comfort from the penalty spot, and her ability to dictate tempo in the middle of the park. Despite her small frame, she is fearless in winning tackles and tenacious in pressing opponents, a trait that Andonovski highlighted early in her career. Her creativity and willingness to attempt ambitious passes make her a conduit between Kansas City’s defense and attack.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among LaBonta’s most memorable moments was her viral celebration on August 19, 2022, when she scored a penalty against Angel City FC and then mimicked a hamstring injury before breaking into a dance, earning her the “Cely Queen” nickname. She later scored her first career brace in a 4–1 win over the Portland Thorns on June 23, 2024, and on May 31, 2025, she made her United States national team debut in a 3–0 win over China, becoming the oldest player in USWNT history to receive a first cap at that stage of her career.
Lo’eau LaBonta Career Wins
Lo’eau LaBonta’s career has been built on consistency rather than a long list of trophies, with her standout team silverware coming at the collegiate level. She is recognized across the NWSL as a dependable starter and a leader who has helped guide multiple franchises through rebuilds.
NWSL Highlights
LaBonta’s biggest NWSL moment came in 2022, when she helped lead the Kansas City Current to the NWSL Championship game. Her seven-goal regular season, including five successful penalties, earned her a place on the NWSL Best XI. In 2024, she captained the Current to fourth place in the regular season, was named to the NWSL Second XI, and lifted the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup after assisting both goals in the 2–0 final win over NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Other Wins & Performances
LaBonta’s first major piece of silverware came in 2011, when she was part of the Stanford Cardinal team that won the NCAA Division I women’s soccer national championship. She also experienced international club play on loan at Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia’s W-League.
Lo’eau LaBonta Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Lo’eau LaBonta is of Native Hawaiian descent through her mother’s family, and her middle name, Kaiulani, honors Princess Ka’iulani, a symbol of Hawaiian heritage. Her connection to the islands is a point of personal pride and has shaped her identity as a multicultural athlete in American soccer.
Personal Life
LaBonta is married to Roger Espinoza, a retired Honduran-American midfielder best known for his time with Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer. The couple’s relationship has made them one of the more recognizable husband-and-wife pairings in American professional soccer. In 2024, LaBonta appeared in the first season of The Offseason, a reality television series that followed a group of NWSL players during their preseason training.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NWSL season marks a new chapter for Lo’eau LaBonta as she balances her role as captain of the Kansas City Current with her first full year as a member of the United States women’s national team. After receiving her first senior call-up in May 2025 and debuting against China on May 31, she added international experience to a domestic resume that already included a Best XI selection and a Summer Cup title.
Back in NWSL play, LaBonta continued to serve as a midfield anchor and set-piece specialist for the Current, with her leadership a central part of the team’s title ambitions. Her ability to convert penalties, deliver timely assists, and guide younger teammates through pressure moments remained central to Kansas City’s approach.
With the Current pushing for another deep postseason run and the USWNT rebuilding under new eyes, LaBonta’s 2025 outlook combines the pursuit of a first NWSL Championship with a fresh opportunity on the international stage, where her late-blooming national team career has already turned her into a notable story in American soccer.