Michelle Cooper (soccer)

Michelle Ivory Cooper (born December 4, 2002) is an American soccer player who plays as a forward for Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

Michelle Cooper
Personal information
Full name Michelle Ivory Cooper[1]
Date of birth (2002-12-04) December 4, 2002[2]
Place of birth Detroit, Michigan, United States
Height 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) [3]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Kansas City Current
Number 17
Youth career
2019–2021 IMG Academy
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2022 Duke Blue Devils 40 (31)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– Kansas City Current 15 (3)
International career
2022 United States U20 3 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of July 7, 2023

Collegiate career

Cooper won the MAC Hermann Trophy[4] as the best female soccer player in 2022 while playing for Duke. She led the team with 19 goals and 11 assists. After the 2022 season, she registered for the 2023 NWSL Draft with the intent to end her collegiate career and become a professional soccer player.[5]

Club career

Kansas City Current drafted Cooper with the second-overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.[6] The Current had traded Lynn Williams to acquire the pick. Cooper signed a three-year contract with the Current on February 2, 2023.[7] She scored her first professional goal on May 17, 2023, in a 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup match against Racing Louisville FC.[8] On June 18, 2023, she scored the fastest goal from kickoff in NWSL history, in the 22nd second of the Current's match against Washington Spirit.[9]

International career

While playing for the USWNT under-20 team, she won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards[10] and made the Best XI team[11] at the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship.

Career statistics
As of match played July 1, 2023.[12]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] Playoffs[lower-alpha 2] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Kansas City Current 2023 NWSL 14231—173
Career total 1423100173
  1. Includes the NWSL Challenge Cup
  2. Includes NWSL Playoffs

Honors and awards

United States U20

Individual

References
  1. "FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Costa Rica 2022 – Squad List: USA" (PDF). FIFA. August 18, 2022. p. 16. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  2. "#17 Michelle Cooper". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  3. "Michelle Cooper – Soccer". Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  4. "Hermann Trophy". Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  5. "'A gut feeling': Michelle Cooper's big decision leads to Kansas City". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  6. "NWSL Draft". Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  7. Palmer, Tod (February 2, 2023). "Current signs No. 2 overall pick F Michelle Cooper to 3-year deal". KSHB 41 Kansas City News. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  8. Sperry, Daniel (May 17, 2023). "Kansas City Current fall to Racing Louisville in NWSL Challenge Cup match on the road". The Kansas City Star. Yahoo Sports. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  9. Sperry, Daniel (June 18, 2023). "Kansas City Current squander late lead, lose to Washington Spirit in NWSL home match". The Kansas City Star.
  10. "Cooper earns Best Player, Top Scorer honors at CWU20" (Press release). Concacaf. March 13, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  11. @ConcacafW (March 15, 2022). "The Concacaf W U-20 Championship Best XI is here" (Tweet). Retrieved March 15, 2022 – via Twitter.
  12. "Stats". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  13. "USA Wins Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship With 2-0 Victory Over Mexico". US Soccer. March 12, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2023.


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