Ryan Williams Bio
Ryan Emilie Williams is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right back for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the TCU Horned Frogs and was selected by the Courage with the final pick of the 2018 NWSL College Draft. She has built a reputation as a reliable defender and has won multiple team honors, including NWSL Championships, NWSL Shields, and NWSL Challenge Cups. In 2024, she was recognized as a standout performer across the league with selection to the NWSL Best XI Second Team.
Early Life and Background
Ryan Emilie Williams was born on February 23, 1996, in Centennial, Colorado, in the United States. She grew up in a large family as one of six children born to Charles and Lisa Williams. From an early age, she was drawn to soccer and began playing the sport at four years old. Her childhood in Colorado helped shape her athletic foundation, and she developed her skills within a competitive youth environment.
She attended Cherry Creek High School, where she contributed to the program’s success by winning the 5A state championship as a sophomore in 2012. As a four-year letterwinner, she emerged as one of the top players in the region and was ranked 16th regionally by TopDrawerSoccer. She also played club soccer for the Elite Clubs National League team Colorado Rush, gaining valuable experience against high-level competition. Her time in high school and club soccer prepared her for the next stage of her career at the collegiate level.
Path to Professional Soccer
After high school, Williams joined the TCU Horned Frogs, where she played college soccer from 2014 to 2017. During her four years with the program, she made 80 appearances and 79 starts, demonstrating her durability and consistency. Early in her college career, she was converted from midfielder to defender, a positional change that ultimately defined her professional trajectory. As a freshman in 2014, she was named to the Big 12 Conference All-Newcomer Team after making 19 appearances and 18 starts.
Across her sophomore and junior seasons, she continued to grow as a player, helping TCU qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history during her junior year. In her senior season in 2017, she recorded a career-high six assists in 22 games and scored the only goal of her college career in the Big 12 championship game. She finished her college career with All-Big 12 first-team honors, and in 2018 she became the first player from TCU to be drafted into the NWSL when the North Carolina Courage selected her with the 40th and final pick of the NWSL College Draft.
Ryan Williams Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
Williams signed with the North Carolina Courage on a national team replacement contract on May 31, 2018, and made her professional debut on June 3, 2018, in a 1–1 draw against the Houston Dash. After being waived two weeks later, she was re-signed as a national team replacement and went on to appear in two games at the 2018 Women’s International Champions Cup, making her first Courage start in a 1–0 win over Lyon in the final. Although she was unused for the remainder of the regular season, the Courage won both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship, defeating the Portland Thorns 3–0 in the title match.
In 2019, Williams agreed to a new contract and made her first NWSL regular-season start on June 1, helping the Courage to a 3–0 win over the Orlando Pride. She played her first full match later that month in a 2–1 victory over the Washington Spirit. A midseason injury limited her to just four appearances, but the Courage once again captured both the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship, this time defeating the Chicago Red Stars 4–0 in the final. The club exercised her contract option at the end of the season.
North Carolina Courage Breakthrough (2020–2022)
When the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Williams helped her teammates stay prepared by producing training videos with her roommate Cari Roccaro. When play resumed, she started one Challenge Cup match and recorded her first professional assist during the Fall Series. The following year, she appeared in 17 regular-season games and four Challenge Cup matches, and she made her playoff debut in a 1–0 quarterfinal loss to the Washington Spirit. These seasons allowed her to gain valuable experience within a championship-caliber squad.
In 2022, Williams appeared in three Challenge Cup matches before the regular season, though she was an unused substitute in the final, which the Courage won 2–1 against the Washington Spirit. During the regular season, she recorded three assists across 18 appearances and 10 starts. The team finished seventh and missed the playoffs, but Williams was establishing herself as a regular contributor. By the end of 2022, she had become a more consistent presence in the starting lineup.
North Carolina Courage Era (2023–Present)
Williams started all eight games of the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup and played the full match in a 2–0 victory over Racing Louisville in the final. She also started all 22 regular-season games, recording two assists as the Courage finished third in the standings. In the playoffs, she played every minute of a first-round 2–0 loss to eventual champions NJ/NY Gotham FC. Her growing influence on the field reflected her development into a key contributor for the team.
In 2024, Williams posted one of the strongest seasons of her career, starting 25 games and logging 2,237 minutes despite a red card and one-match suspension. She ranked among the league’s top defenders in tackles, challenges, and interceptions, and she led the league in attempted passes. The Courage finished fifth and fell 1–0 to the Kansas City Current in the playoff quarterfinals. She signed a contract extension keeping her with the club through 2027 and was named to the NWSL Best XI Second Team. In 2025, she scored her first professional goal on April 26 and recorded her 100th regular-season appearance on June 21, cementing her status as a long-term leader of the squad.
Driving Style and Strengths
Williams is recognized for her defensive consistency, intelligent positioning, and ability to read the game from the right back role. She has developed strong chemistry with her coaching staff and teammates, and her passing range and tackling efficiency have made her a steady presence across multiple seasons.
Notable Events and Milestones
Some of the most defining moments of Williams’s career include her selection as the final pick of the 2018 NWSL College Draft, becoming the first TCU player drafted into the league, and her first professional goal in 2025, which came in her eighth professional season. She also reached 100 regular-season appearances in 2025 and was named a team captain for the 2026 season.
Ryan Williams Career Wins
Ryan Emilie Williams has been part of one of the most successful stretches in North Carolina Courage history, contributing to multiple team championships since being drafted in 2018. Although she began her career as a reserve, her development into a regular starter has coincided with several major team titles.
North Carolina Courage Highlights
Williams has won two NWSL Championships with the Courage in 2018 and 2019, two NWSL Shields in 2022 and 2023, and two NWSL Challenge Cups in 2022 and 2023. Her first NWSL start came on June 1, 2019, in a 3–0 win over the Orlando Pride, and her first professional goal came on April 26, 2025, in a 3–2 comeback win over the Kansas City Current.
Ryan Williams Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Ryan Emilie Williams was born to Charles and Lisa Williams and grew up as one of six children. Her family environment in Centennial, Colorado, helped foster her early love for soccer. Williams has been active on social media, where she shares updates about her career and personal interests, but she tends to keep her private life out of the public eye.
2025 Season Performance
Williams entered 2025 following her best professional season to date, with a contract extension keeping her in North Carolina through 2027 and a Best XI Second Team selection behind her. She quickly made her mark by scoring her first professional goal on April 26, 2025, in a 3–2 comeback win over the previously unbeaten Kansas City Current, while also assisting on the stoppage-time winner. She marked her 100th regular-season appearance on June 21, 2025, with a 2–1 victory over the Houston Dash, underscoring her durability and importance to the team.
Throughout the 2025 season, head coach Sean Nahas deployed a back three defensive system that allowed Williams to push forward and contribute more in attack. She came close to an iron woman season, missing only four minutes across the entire year. Her leadership and consistency have positioned her as a central figure for the Courage heading into the future.