Alexa Spaanstra

Alexa Spaanstra
Spaanstra with the Portland Thorns in 2025
Personal information
Full name Alexa Christine Spaanstra[1]
Date of birth (2000-02-01) February 1, 2000[1]
Place of birth Brighton, Michigan, U.S.
Height 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Positions
Team information
Current team
 Utah Royals
Number 30
Youth career
Michigan Hawks
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2022 Virginia Cavaliers 107 (37)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023–2024 Kansas City Current 26 (3)
2024–2026 Portland Thorns 25 (0)
2026 → Utah Royals (loan) 12 (0)
2026– Utah Royals 0 (0)
International career
2016 United States U-17 3 (0)
2017 United States U-19 3 (2)
2018–2020 United States U-20 17 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of March 21, 2026

Alexa Christine Spaanstra (born February 1, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right winger or right back for the Utah Royals of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Virginia Cavaliers, where she was a five-time All-ACC selection. She was drafted by the Kansas City Current in the first round of the 2023 NWSL Draft and has also played for the Portland Thorns. Internationally, she played for the United States youth national team, winning CONCACAF tournaments at the under-17 and under-20 levels.

Early life

Spaanstra was born and raised in Brighton, Michigan,[2] the older of two children born to Andrea and Scott Spaanstra.[3] Her father played college basketball for the Northern Michigan Wildcats, and her mother ran track at Aquinas College.[3] Spaanstra joined the Michigan Hawks at the under-11 level, helping the team win ECNL national titles in 2014 and 2017 and finish runners-up in the years between.[3][4] She was also a competitive sprinter, winning a national 200-meter dash at age 10 and lettering in track at Brighton High School.[3][4] She was ranked by TopDrawerSoccer as the No. 7 recruit of the class of 2018.[3]

College career

Spaanstra was a five-year starter at forward and midfield for the Virginia Cavaliers from 2018 to 2022.[3][5] She helped Virginia win the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) regular season title in 2021 and reach the finals of the ACC tournament in 2019 and 2021, earning all-tournament honors in each of her first four seasons.[3][5][6] As a freshman in 2018, she recorded nine goals and six assists, both joint team bests, and was named All-ACC third team and ACC All-Freshman.[3][7]

Spaanstra had three goals and a team-best twelve assists as a sophomore in 2019, including four assists in one game and two against Florida State in the ACC semifinals, and was second-team All-ACC.[3] After missing about a month due to injury, she made the All-ACC first team with ten goals as a junior in 2020–21, including four goals in the first two rounds of the 2020 NCAA tournament as the Cavaliers reached the semifinals.[3][8] She recorded seven goals and nine assists as a senior in 2021, helping Virginia take the ACC regular season title, and was named second-team All-ACC.[3][9][10] She finished her fifth season of eligibility with eight goals and was third-team All-ACC in 2022.[3][11]

Club career

Kansas City Current

The Kansas City Current selected Spaanstra tenth overall in the first round of the 2023 NWSL Draft.[12] She was signed to a two-year rookie contract.[13] On March 23, she made her professional debut in the season opener, starting in a 1–0 loss to the North Carolina Courage.[14] On October 7, she scored her first professional goal as the Current won 6–3 over the Chicago Red Stars.[15][16] She scored again the following week as the season ended with a 2–2 draw to NJ/NY Gotham FC and was recognized for her performances as the NWSL Rookie of the Month for September/October 2023.[15][17] She finished her rookie season with 21 appearances and 2 goals in all competitions.[14]

Spaanstra began the following season (2024) playing in a 5–4 win over the Portland Thorns as the Current inaugurated CPKC Stadium on March 16, 2024.[18] Two weeks later, she scored her first goal of the season in a 4–2 win over Angel City FC.[19] She played in the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, which Kansas City won. Through the summer break, she made 15 appearances and scored 1 goal in all competitions.[20]

Portland Thorns

On August 19, 2024, Spaanstra was traded to Portland Thorns FC for $25,000 in intraleague transfer funds and $15,000 in allocation money.[21] She debuted for the club the following week in a 2–0 loss to Gotham FC.[19] On October 15, the day after signing a new contract with the Thorns through 2026,[22] she scored her first goal for the club in a 6–0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps Girls Elite, clinching a place in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup semifinals.[23] She finished the season with 12 appearances and 1 goal in all competitions, losing 2–1 to Gotham FC in the playoff quarterfinals.[20]

The following season, Spaanstra made 20 appearances and scored 0 goals in all competitions.[20] On October 19, 2025, Spaanstra assisted the opening goal by Olivia Moultrie in a playoff-clinching 2–0 win over Angel City FC.[24] She started both playoff matches as the Thorns won 1–0 over the San Diego Wave in the quarterfinals, then lost 2–0 to the Washington Spirit in the semifinals.[20]

Utah Royals

On March 22, 2026, Spaanstra was loaned out to the Utah Royals through June.[25] She made her debut later that day in a 2–1 loss to the San Diego Wave.[26] On July 24, the Royals announced that the club had made the move permanent for $25,000 in intraleague transfer funds with potential add-ons worth $7,500.[27]

International career

Spaanstra trained with the United States youth national team beginning at the under-14 level in May 2013.[28] She was called up to the national under-17 team in August 2014 to play friendlies in South Korea and trained with both the under-17 and under-20 teams in August 2015, aged 15.[29][30][31] She helped the United States win the 2016 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship and competed at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.[4][32] She led the national under-19 team to win a tournament in China in September 2017 and was recognized as the tournament's most valuable player.[33] While in college, she competed at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and won the 2020 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship.[34][35] She first played with the national under-23 team at an NWSL preseason tournament in February 2022.[36]

Career statistics

As of December 31, 2025


Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] Playoffs[b] Continental[c] Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals Apps Goals Apps GoalsAppsGoals
Kansas City Current 2023 NWSL 15260— — —212
2024 111——— 4[d] 0151
Total26360000040363
Portland Thorns FC 2024 NWSL 80—10310[d]0121
2025 160—2000—180
Total24000303100301
Utah Royals FC 2026 NWSL ————————————
Career total50360303140664

Honors and awards

International

Club

College

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 "Alexa Spaanstra". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Alexa Spaanstra - Portland Thorns". www.thorns.com. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Alexa Spaanstra". Virginia Cavaliers. April 28, 2020. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Eskilson, J.R. (September 26, 2016). "Meet the 2016 U.S. U17 World Cup squad". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Prochaska, Val (August 15, 2023). "Previewing the 2023 Virginia Women's Soccer Season". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  6. ↑ "North Carolina Wins ACC Women's Soccer Championship in Double Overtime". Atlantic Coast Conference. November 10, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
    "Florida State Wins Second Consecutive ACC Women's Soccer Championship". Atlantic Coast Conference. November 7, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  7. ↑ "ACC Women's Soccer: 2018 Season Awards Announced". Atlantic Coast Conference. November 1, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  8. ↑ Conlin, Bennett. "Alexa Spaanstra scores twice in return to action as Virginia blanks Louisville". The Daily Progress. Retrieved April 21, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ↑ "Virginia women's soccer wins ACC regular-season title with tie at Florida State". National Collegiate Athletic Association. November 2, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  10. ↑ Madia, Greg (November 19, 2021). "Spaanstra gives Virginia women's soccer team a spark in NCAA Tournament". The Daily Progress. Retrieved April 21, 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  11. ↑ "2022 All-ACC Women's Soccer Awards Announced". Atlantic Coast Conference. November 2, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  12. ↑ Newton, Matt (January 13, 2023). "Spaanstra & Hopkins Drafted Back-to-Back in First Round of NWSL Draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Kansas City Current sign first round draft pick Alexa Spaanstra to contract through 2024 season". Kansas City Current. February 22, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  14. 1 2 "Alexa Spaanstra 2023 Match Logs". FBref.com. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  15. 1 2 "Kansas City Current Forward Alexa Spaanstra Named September/October Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally". National Women's Soccer League. October 19, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  16. ↑ Sperry, Daniel (October 7, 2023). "KC Current blast Chicago behind 6 (yes, 6) goals in final game at Children's Mercy Park". The Kansas City Star.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  17. ↑ Sperry, Daniel (October 15, 2023). "Wild final day of 2023 NWSL regular season included dramatic KC Current comeback". The Kansas City Star.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  18. ↑ "Kansas City Current makes history with inaugural victory at CPKC Stadium". Kansas City Current. July 24, 2026. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  19. 1 2 "Alexa Spaanstra 2024 Match Logs". FBref.com. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Alexa Spaanstra at Flashscore
  21. ↑ "Portland Thorns FC Acquire Forward Alexa Spaanstra - Portland Thorns". Portland Thorns FC. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Portland Thorns FC Extend Forward Alexa Spaanstra". Portland Thorns FC. October 15, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Thorns Dominate 6-0 vs Vancouver in W Concacaf Champions Cup, Clinching knockout stage Berth". Portland Thorns FC. October 15, 2024. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Thorns Clinch 11th Playoff Berth in Club History with 2-0 Victory Over Angel City". Portland Thorns FC. October 19, 2025. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Forward Alexa Spaanstra Loaned to Utah Royals FC". Portland Thorns FC. March 22, 2026. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Utah Royals Fall 2-1 In Home-Opener Against San Diego Wave". Utah Royals. March 22, 2026. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Utah Royals FC Acquire Forward Alexa Spaanstra in Trade With Portland Thorns for the Remainder of the 2026 NWSL Season". Utah Royals. July 24, 2026. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  28. ↑ "U14 GNT Heads to Portland, Ore". United States Soccer Federation. May 6, 2013. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
  29. ↑ "Snow names U17 WNT roster for Korea trip". United States Soccer Federation. August 14, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
  30. ↑ "24 players called into U17 WNT camp". United States Soccer Federation. August 4, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
    "U.S. U20 WNT roster unveiled for camp in LA". United States Soccer Federation. August 21, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
  31. ↑ Parchman, Will (September 4, 2015). "From the ECNL to the U20 World Cup?". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  32. ↑ "U.S., Spaanstra work to achieve CU17W objectives". CONCACAF. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
    "USA Defeats Mexico 2–1 to Claim 2016 Concacaf U-17 Women's Championship Title". United States Soccer Federation. March 13, 2016. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016.
  33. ↑ "USA U19 wins CFA International Tournament". United States Soccer Federation. September 15, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
  34. ↑ Bunting, Bill (July 17, 2018). "Four Hoos To Represent U.S. In 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in August". University of Virginia. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  35. ↑ Clark, Travis (March 8, 2020). "U20 WNT wins Concacaf Championship". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  36. ↑ "U.S. U23 WNT roster for Thorns tournament". United States Soccer Federation. February 23, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
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