Summer Yates Bio
Summer Faith Yates (born June 17, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She represents the United States at multiple youth international levels and wears jersey number 28 for the Pride. Standing 5 feet 4 inches tall, Yates has built a reputation as a versatile midfielder with strong scoring and playmaking ability.
Early Life and Background
Born in Pasco, Washington, Summer Faith Yates grew up in the Pacific Northwest and developed her soccer foundation with the youth club Pacific Northwest SC. With that club she won a state championship, an early signal of the competitive drive that would shape her career. She attended Chiawana High School in Pasco, where she was named Mid-Columbia Conference Player of the Year and Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Washington during her senior season. She was also a two-time 4A All-State First Team selection.
Beyond soccer, Yates also played basketball and ran cross country, a multisport background that helped build her endurance and athleticism. Her family supported her athletic development, and her early success in Washington youth soccer circles set the stage for a college recruitment process that led her west to Seattle.
Path to Soccer
Yates committed to the University of Washington, where she played five seasons of college soccer for the Washington Huskies between 2018 and 2022. While majoring in education, communities and organizations, she became a fixture in the Huskies lineup, starting in all five of her collegiate seasons. Across 93 appearances and 86 starts, she finished third all-time in program history with 27 goals and fourth all-time with 23 assists.
Her college honors included three consecutive All-Pac-12 First Team selections and NSCAA All-America Second Team recognition for the 2020–21 season, making her the first Husky to earn All-American honors since Tina Frimpong in 2004. In parallel with her college career, she was a regular presence in U.S. youth national team camps, beginning at the under-14 level in 2014 and progressing through the U-18, U-19, U-20, and U-23 setups. Her standout youth moment came at the 2016 Torneo Femminile Delle Nazioni in Italy, where she scored a hat-trick against Iran at the under-16 level in what was the first meeting between the two nations in women’s soccer at any age level.
Summer Yates Career
Early Career (2018–2022)
Yates launched her senior career path with the Washington Huskies, where she was an immediate starter and a consistent contributor. Her combination of goals and assists made her one of the most productive midfielders in program history, and her senior leadership helped anchor the team across multiple Pac-12 Conference campaigns.
By the time she finished her college career, she had collected three All-Pac-12 First Team selections and an All-American nod. That résumé, combined with her extensive youth international experience, positioned her as a top prospect for the 2023 NWSL Draft.
Orlando Pride Breakthrough (2023–Present)
On January 12, 2023, Yates was selected in the fourth round (39th overall) of the 2023 NWSL Draft by Orlando Pride. She signed a two-year contract with an additional option year on March 7, 2023, and made her professional debut on March 26 of the same year, entering as a 53rd-minute substitute for Marta in Orlando’s 2023 season opener, a 4–0 defeat away to Portland Thorns FC.
In the 2024 NWSL season opener, Yates scored the equalizer in the 86th minute to secure a 2–2 draw against Racing Louisville, announcing herself as a contributor in the Orlando attack. On July 11, 2024, she extended her contract with the Pride through 2025, with an option for 2026, signaling the club’s long-term confidence in her development.
Driving Style and Strengths
Yates is a central midfielder who combines box-to-box energy with a sharp eye for goal. Her college totals of 27 goals and 23 assists show a balanced scoring and creating profile, while her debut season equalizer in the 86th minute against Racing Louisville reflects her composure in late-game moments. She is comfortable operating as a starter or as an attacking substitute, and her multisport athletic background contributes to her stamina and two-way work rate.
Notable Events and Milestones
Yates’ first professional goal came in the 2024 NWSL season opener against Racing Louisville, a moment that underlined her growing influence at the club level. Earlier, her hat-trick against Iran at the 2016 Torneo Femminile Delle Nazioni in Italy stood as a historic youth international performance, and her role in the United States’ 2020 CONCACAF U-20 Championship title run produced five appearances and multiple goal contributions, including a goal and an assist against Cuba and two goals and an assist against Honduras.
Summer Yates Career Wins
Summer Yates’ competitive record combines collegiate and youth international success with her developing professional career at Orlando Pride. Her decorated college résumé at Washington and her history of youth national team titles form the foundation of her winning résumé.
National Women’s Soccer League Highlights
Since joining Orlando Pride in 2023, Yates has steadily grown into a regular midfield contributor. She made her NWSL debut on March 26, 2023, and broke through with her first professional goal in the 2024 season opener, scoring the late equalizer against Racing Louisville. Her contract extension through 2025, with an option for 2026, reflects her standing within the Pride organization.
Other Wins and Performances
At the youth international level, Yates was part of the United States squad that won the 2020 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, the sixth title for the U.S. at that event, and contributed goals against Cuba and Honduras during the tournament. In college, she helped lead the Washington Huskies to consistent Pac-12 contention and was recognized as an All-American in 2020–21, the first Husky to earn that honor since 2004. With Pacific Northwest SC she also won a state championship during her youth career.
Summer Yates Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Summer Faith Yates was raised in Pasco, Washington, where she began her soccer journey with Pacific Northwest SC. She comes from a supportive family that backed her early athletic development, including high school basketball and cross country alongside her primary focus on soccer. Her older brother, Spencer Yates, has spoken publicly about his sister’s path through youth and college soccer, though details of her parents and siblings are not widely documented.
Personal Life
Yates is not publicly known to be married and has no publicly confirmed spouse. She attended the University of Washington, where she majored in education, communities and organizations, and she has continued to live a low-profile personal life alongside her professional commitments with the Orlando Pride.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 NWSL season, Summer Yates is positioned as an established midfield contributor for Orlando Pride following her July 2024 contract extension through 2025 with an option for 2026. Her late equalizer in the 2024 season opener against Racing Louisville demonstrated the late-game value she brings to the Orlando attack, and the Pride are expected to lean on her scoring and playmaking in the center of the park.
The 2025 campaign represents the final guaranteed year of her current deal, adding a layer of motivation as she competes for a larger role within the squad. With continued starting opportunities alongside veterans like Marta, Yates is well placed to expand her goal and assist totals in NWSL play.
On the international stage, Yates remains eligible for senior United States selection as she approaches peak years for a midfielder. Her history of contributing at U-19, U-20, and U-23 levels gives her a strong case for a senior call-up if her club form continues to trend upward through the 2025 NWSL season.