Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Jenna Gray Nighswonger[1] | ||
Date of birth | [2] | November 28, 2000||
Place of birth | Huntington Beach, California, United States | ||
Position(s) | Left back[3][4] | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | NJ/NY Gotham FC | ||
Number | 2 | ||
Youth career | |||
2015–2018 | Slammers FC | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2019–2022 | Florida State Seminoles | 86 | (19) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2019 | LA Galaxy OC | ||
2023– | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 20 | (3) |
International career‡ | |||
2016 | United States U16 | ||
2017–2018 | United States U19 | 4 | (1) |
2019–2020 | United States U20 | 9 | (1) |
2019–2022 | United States U23 | 2 | (1) |
2023– | United States | 9 | (2) |
Medal record | |||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 25, 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 4, 2024 |
Jenna Gray Nighswonger (born November 28, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a left back for NJ/NY Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States women's national team. She played college soccer for the Florida State Seminoles, winning the NCAA championship in 2021. Drafted in 2023, she was named the NWSL Rookie of the Year and lifted the NWSL Championship trophy with Gotham in her first season.
Nighswonger played youth soccer for Slammers FC, winning a U14 ECNL National Championship.[5] She also participated in the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program.[6]
Nighswonger graduated from Huntington Beach High School in December 2018.[7] She played soccer for the school until her junior year, when she instead opted to play for a United States Soccer Development Academy club.[8]
In May 2017, Nighswonger committed to play college soccer at Florida State.[9] In 2019, she played for United Women's Soccer club LA Galaxy OC[10][11] and played in the league's national championship, which LA Galaxy OC won in a 1–0 victory over Calgary Foothills WFC.[12]
She played at Florida State from 2019 to 2022.[13] Nighswonger made her Florida State debut on August 22, 2019, against TCU.[14] She scored her first collegiate goal on September 1, 2019, against USC.[15] She recorded her first brace on September 12, 2019, against Colorado.[16]
The Seminoles reached the finals of the 2020 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament, drawing in regulation against Santa Clara University 1–1 on Nighswonger's 63rd-minute goal before losing in a penalty shoot-out,[17][18] and won the 2021 tournament.[19] Nighswonger was especially noted for scoring Olympico goals directly from her left-footed corner kicks,[20] including an equalizing Olympico goal in the 2022 ACC championship match,[21] a Michigan own goal forced by an Olympico goal attempt in the 2021 NCAA Division I tournament quarterfinals,[22] and two Olympico goals scored in separate September 2022 matches against Louisville[23] and Boston College, the latter of which was featured on SportsCenter.[24]
The Atlantic Coast Conference named Nighswonger the most valuable player of the 2022 ACC women's soccer tournament.[25] Nighswonger was also voted as one of three finalists for the 2022 Hermann Trophy recognizing the nation's best collegiate players.[26]
In November 2022, Nighswonger said she was eschewing the fifth year of NCAA eligibility granted by the association due to the COVID-19 pandemic and considering playing for a European club after finishing her career at Florida State.[27][28]
Nighswonger was among the final registrants for the 2023 NWSL Draft and was considered by draft analysts as a top prospect as a midfielder.[29][30][31] On January 13, 2023, NWSL club NJ/NY Gotham FC selected Nighswonger with the 4th overall pick in the draft.[32][33]
Nighswonger signed a three-year contract with Gotham FC on March 17, 2023.[34] She made her NWSL regular-season debut with Gotham FC, substituting for an injured Ali Krieger during the club's 2023 NWSL season opener at Angel City.[35] Though she primarily played as an attacker during her college career, head coach Juan Carlos Amorós played her at outside-back during her first professional season.[36][37] She played in 20 league games, starting in 17. She scored three goals and played over 1,500 minutes during the regular season.[38] The NWSL named Nighswonger its Rookie of the Month in May and July, making her the only player to earn the award twice.[39][40] She was named Rookie of the Year on November 8, 2023.[41] Nighswonger played in every game of the NWSL postseason, helping Gotham FC lift the NWSL Championship trophy on November 11, 2023.[42]
Nighswonger represented the United States under-20 team at the 2020 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship.[43] She also appeared for the under-16, under-17,[5] under-18,[44] and under-23 teams.[45] She was called into her first full women's national team camp November 20, 2023 and made her first appearance on December 2, 2023, in a 3–0 win against China PR.[46][47] Though she was called up as a midfielder, Nighswonger played in her first national team games as an outside-back. Nighswonger earned her first start on December 5, 2023, against China PR.[48] She scored her first goal on February 20, 2024, when she converted a penalty against the Dominican Republic during the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup.
Nighswonger has an older sister with whom she played recreational soccer as a child, and is a fan of Manchester United.[49]
In 2022, Nighswonger donated $1,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, using money from her name, image, and likeness deal with Garnet & Gold.[50]
Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Playoffs[b] | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2023 | NWSL | 20 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 29 | 5 |
2024 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Career total | 20 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 5 |
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
United States | 2023 | 2 | 0 |
2024 | 7 | 2 | |
Total | 9 | 2 |
Key (expand for notes on "international goals" and sorting) | |
---|---|
Location | Geographic location of the venue where the competition occurred Sorted by country name first, then by city name |
Lineup | Start – played entire match on minute (off player) – substituted on at the minute indicated, and player was substituted off at the same time off minute (on player) – substituted off at the minute indicated, and player was substituted on at the same time |
Goal in match | Goal of total goals by the player in the match Sorted by total goals followed by goal number |
# | NumberOfGoals.goalNumber scored by the player in the match (alternate notation to Goal in match) |
Min | The minute in the match the goal was scored. For list that include caps, blank indicates played in the match but did not score a goal. |
Assist/pass | The ball was passed by the player, which assisted in scoring the goal. This column depends on the availability and source of this information. |
penalty or pk | Goal scored on penalty-kick which was awarded due to foul by opponent. (Goals scored in penalty-shoot-out, at the end of a tied match after extra-time, are not included.) |
Score | The match score after the goal was scored. Sorted by goal difference, then by goal scored by the player's team |
Result | The final score. Sorted by goal difference in the match, then by goal difference in penalty-shoot-out if it is taken, followed by goal scored by the player's team in the match, then by goal scored in the penalty-shoot-out. For matches with identical final scores, match ending in extra-time without penalty-shoot-out is a tougher match, therefore precede matches that ended in regulation |
aet | The score at the end of extra-time; the match was tied at the end of 90' regulation |
pso | Penalty-shoot-out score shown in parentheses; the match was tied at the end of extra-time |
Light-purple background color – exhibition or closed door international friendly match | |
Light-yellow background color – match at an invitational tournament | |
Light-orange background color – Olympic women's football qualification match | |
Light-blue background color – FIFA women's world cup qualification match | |
Pink background color – Continental Games or regional tournament | |
Orange background color – Olympic women's football tournament | |
Blue background color – FIFA women's world cup final tournament | |
NOTE on background colors: Continental Games or regional tournament are sometimes also qualifier for World Cup or Olympics; information depends on the source such as the player's federation.
NOTE: some keys may not apply for a particular football player |
Goals |
Cap | Date | Location | Opponent | Lineup | Min | Assist/pass | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | 2024-02-20[m 1] | Carson, California | Dominican Republic | Start | 86' | penalty | 4–0 |
5–0 |
CONCACAF W Gold Cup |
2 | 5 | 2024-03-03[m 2] | Los Angeles, California | Colombia | Start | 22' | Alex Morgan | 2–0 |
3–0 |
United States
NJ/NY Gotham FC
Florida State Seminoles
United States U20
Individual