Makala Woods

Makala Woods
Woods playing for the Wellington Phoenix in 2026.
Personal information
Date of birth (2002-09-04) September 4, 2002
Place of birth Monroe, Ohio, United States
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position Forward
Team information
Current team
 Wellington Phoenix
Number 31
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–23 Illinois 40 (6)
2024 Kentucky 21 (11)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2025 Tindastóll 21 (9)
2026– Wellington Phoenix 15 (8)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of May 23, 2026.

Makala Woods (born September 4, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for New Zealand club Wellington Phoenix of the A-League Women. She previously played for Tindastóll of the Icelandic 1. deild kvenna before joining the Wellington Phoenix in January 2026. Woods played college soccer for the University of Illinois and University of Kentucky.

Early life

Woods was born on September 4, 2002, in Monroe, Ohio, United States.[1] She attended Monroe High School.[2]

College career

University of Illinois

Woods played four seasons of college soccer as part of the University of Illinois' Illinois Fighting Illini team from 2020 to 2023. She made her college debut on February 18, 2021, away to Purdue. In 2022, she made 18 appearances and scored 3 goals. In her final year for the Illini in 2023, she made 17 appearances, scored 3 goals, and made 3 assists.[2]

University of Kentucky

As a graduate student in 2024, Woods transferred to the University of Kentucky and played for the Kentucky Wildcats. She started all 21 matches, led the team in scoring with 11 goals, and made 1 assist.[2] Woods won the Southeastern Conference Newcomer of the Year.[3]

Club career

Tindastóll

In 2025, Woods signed her first professional contract for Tindastóll of the 1. deild kvenna in Iceland. Woods made 21 appearances and scored 9 goals for Tindastóll.[4]

Wellington Phoenix

Woods playing for the Wellington Phoenix alongside Manaia Elliott and Lucia Leon in May 2026.

Following a season-ending injury to Dutch midfielder Tessel Middag, New Zealand A-League Women club Wellington Phoenix signed Woods for the remainder of the 2025–26 season.[5] Woods scored her first goal for the Phoenix on debut on January 10, 2026, in a 2–1 home loss against Melbourne City.[6] On January 25, Woods scored one goal and made one assist in a 3–1 home win against Adelaide United.[7]

On February 1, Woods made three assists in one match in a 5–1 away win against the Newcastle Jets, assisting Pia Vlok twice and Emma Pijnenburg once.[8]

On March 12, the Wellington Phoenix re-signed Woods as well as Englishwoman Brooke Nunn for a further 1-year contract until the end of the 2026–27 season. This was the first time in the Phoenix's history that import players had re-signed for the club. Head coach Bev Priestman praised Woods' performance for the Phoenix, saying she can finish, help other players, is quick, powerful, and capable of defending.[9]

During the regular season, Woods made 12 appearances and scored 5 goals. For the first time in their history, the Phoenix made the A-League Women playoffs.[10] In the two-legged semifinal, Wellington lost their first match 2–1 away to Brisbane Roar. In the return leg, Woods scored both goals in a 2–0 victory for the Phoenix, helping the club win the tie 3–2 on aggregate and thereby qualifying them for their first ever grand final.[11]

In the postseason, Woods was selected for the A-Leagues All Stars Women team that will play against Women's Super League (WSL) club Chelsea in the 2026 game at Allianz Stadium in Moore Park, Sydney as part of the 2026 Sydney Super Cup.[12]

Honors

Individual

University of Kentucky Wildcats

References

  1. ↑ "Makala Woods - Player profile". Soccer Donna. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "Makala Woods". University of Kentucky Athletics. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 "SEC Soccer Record Book – SEC Honors". p. 36. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  4. ↑ "Makala Woods". Wellington Phoenix. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  5. ↑ "Wellington Phoenix sign American forward Makala Woods for women's A-League squad". Stuff. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  6. ↑ Rollo, Phillip (11 January 2026). "New Phoenix striker impresses with goal, three days after arriving in Wellington". Stuff. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  7. ↑ Rollo, Phillip (25 January 2026). "Wellington Phoenix end Adelaide United's unbeaten run and shoot to second". Stuff. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  8. ↑ Rollo, Phillip (1 February 2026). "Pia Vlok scores Wellington Phoenix's first A-League Women hat trick in 5-1 win over Newcastle Jets". Stuff. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "Wellington Phoenix women lock in foreign attacking duo for another season". Radio New Zealand. 12 March 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
  10. ↑ Rollo, Phillip (5 April 2026). "Why Wellington Phoenix won't play for a month after securing historic semifinal spot". Stuff. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  11. ↑ Rollo, Phillip (10 May 2026). "Wellington Phoenix striker Makala Woods shakes off late miss to seal extra-time victory". Stuff . Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  12. ↑ "Four Nix named to A-League All Stars". Wellington Phoenix. 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
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