Natalia Staude Bio
Natalia Alyse Staude is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). A product of the Virginia Cavaliers college program, she entered the professional ranks after being selected in the second round of the 2024 NWSL Draft. She has also represented the United States at multiple youth international levels, winning two CONCACAF age-group titles.
Staude stands 5 feet 7 inches tall and wears jersey number 12 for the Courage. Although still early in her professional career, she has already logged minutes in the NWSL, gained experience on loan in the USL Super League, and contributed to a championship-winning squad in her first year as a pro.
Early Life and Background
Natalia Alyse Staude was born on April 30, 2001, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Alisa and Greg Staude. Her family relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, when she was an infant, and she grew up alongside a younger sister, Kiera. Athletic ability runs in the family: her mother and grandfather both played college basketball, and her sister later played college soccer at Georgia.
Staude attended the Westminster Schools, a private school in Atlanta, where she starred on the soccer team and helped the program win three GHSA titles. She missed her junior season while playing for her club team, but returned strongly as a senior in 2018-19, scoring eight goals. That season she was named The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year, a United Soccer Coaches All-American in 2017 and 2018, and an All-American by TopDrawerSoccer. She also lettered in basketball and swimming in high school.
Outside of school, Staude played her club soccer for Tophat Soccer Club, one of the top youth development environments in the Southeast. She committed to the University of Virginia as a high school sophomore, signaling an early decision to pursue her career in the college pathway.
Path to Soccer
Staude’s path to professional soccer ran through the U.S. youth national team system. She received her first call-up to a U.S. under-14 training camp in June 2014, and by 2015 she was a regular with the under-15 team. With that group she won the 2016 CONCACAF Girls’ U-15 Championship, giving her a first taste of international silverware.
Across 2017 and 2018, Staude trained with the United States under-17 team, helping the program win the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship after recording three assists in a single match. That summer she represented the United States at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. While in college, she also played friendlies for the under-20 team in 2019 and joined under-23 training matches against NWSL clubs in 2022 and 2023.
Natalia Staude Career
College Career (2019-2023)
Staude enrolled at the University of Virginia and immediately became a starter for the Cavaliers as a freshman in 2019, playing in all 22 matches and starting the final 15. She helped Virginia reach the ACC tournament final, claim a number-one seed in the NCAA tournament, and earned TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI honors. As a sophomore in 2020, she appeared in 18 games, scored her first college goal in the NCAA tournament first round, and played every minute as Virginia reached the national semifinals.
In her junior season of 2021, she started all 23 games and scored a dramatic 90th-minute game winner against NC State. Virginia went undefeated in ACC play to capture the conference regular-season title, returned to the ACC final, and earned a top NCAA tournament seed. She started all 23 matches again in 2022, scoring in the NCAA tournament first round as Virginia advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion UCLA. Returning for a fifth-year graduate season in 2023, she started all 17 games and set a career high with three goals, including a strike in her final college match against Syracuse. She finished with 103 appearances for the Cavaliers, the second-most in program history.
North Carolina Courage Era (2024-Present)
The North Carolina Courage selected Staude 24th overall in the second round of the 2024 NWSL Draft, making her the team’s highest pick of the night. She signed a three-year contract with the club, locking in her place in the NWSL through the 2026 season. Shortly after, on August 20, 2024, the Courage announced she would be loaned to the Tampa Bay Sun of the newly formed USL Super League for the remainder of the year.
Staude made her professional debut on August 24, 2024, entering as a second-half substitute against DC Power FC. On September 8, she earned her first professional start and scored her first goal while assisting Carlee Giammona in a 3-2 win over Lexington SC. She went on to make 12 appearances, 10 of them starts, primarily at right back, as Tampa Bay Sun captured the inaugural USL Super League title.
She returned to the Courage and made her NWSL debut on March 29, 2025, starting at left back and playing the full match in a 0-0 draw against the Portland Thorns. Later that April, head coach Sean Nahas shifted the defense into a back three and installed Staude as a starter at left-sided center back for several weeks, a sign of the growing trust in her tactical flexibility.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Staude’s early milestones are her selection as the Courage’s top pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft, her loan-title-winning campaign with Tampa Bay Sun, and her first NWSL start on opening day of the 2025 season. She also reached 103 career appearances at Virginia, the second-highest total in program history.
Natalia Staude Career Wins
Although still in the opening chapters of her professional career, Staude has already built a respected collection of team championships and individual honors. She has captured league and conference titles at the youth international level, with her club and college programs, and added a trophy in her first professional season on loan.
International and Club Highlights
At the international level, Staude won the 2016 CONCACAF Girls’ U-15 Championship with the United States and the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship, while also representing the United States at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. In her first professional season, she helped the Tampa Bay Sun win the inaugural USL Super League title in 2024. With Virginia, she contributed to an ACC regular-season championship in 2021 and a run to the NCAA tournament semifinals in 2020.
Natalia Staude Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Staude was raised in Atlanta, Georgia, by her parents Alisa and Greg Staude, and grew up alongside a younger sister, Kiera, who later played college soccer at Georgia. Her mother and grandfather both played college basketball, giving the family a strong multi-sport pedigree that helped shape her athletic development.
Off the field, Staude has signed a contract with the North Carolina Courage running through 2027 and maintains a public presence on social media under the handle talia_38. She remains focused on her professional career with the Courage as she continues to establish herself in the NWSL.
2025 Season Performance
Natalia Staude opened her first full NWSL season with the North Carolina Courage in March 2025, stepping straight into the starting lineup at left back. Her debut on March 29, 2025, against the Portland Thorns was a 0-0 draw in which she played the full 90 minutes, an early signal of the coaching staff’s confidence in her readiness for top-flight play.
As the season progressed, head coach Sean Nahas restructured the Courage’s defense into a back three, moving Staude to a left-sided center back role where she became a regular starter for several weeks. The tactical shift highlighted her versatility and her comfort operating in multiple positions across the back line.
Looking ahead, Staude remains under contract with the Courage through 2027 and is positioned as a young core piece of the team’s defensive project. With her USL Super League title experience, her Virginia pedigree, and her growing minutes in the NWSL, the 2025 campaign is shaping up as a foundational year in her professional career.