Kansas City Current acquires forward Haley Hopkins in trade with North Carolina Courage

KANSAS CITY (Jan. 30, 2025) — The Kansas City Current have agreed to a trade with the North Carolina Courage that will send forward Haley Hopkins to the Current in exchange for $50,000 in intra-league transfer funds. Hopkins will join the team in Irvine, California as the club continues preseason training on the West Coast through Feb. 5.

“We are very excited to bring a player of Haley’s caliber into our organization,” said head coach and sporting director Vlatko Andonovski. “She is an established player in the NWSL with a diverse attacking skillset that will strengthen our forward group.”

“Bringing in an attacking threat like Haley is a great opportunity as we are always looking for ways that we can improve our roster and create competition,” said general manager Caitlin Carducci. “Throughout her time in college and in the NWSL, Haley has displayed an ability to score goals in a variety of ways. We are looking forward to seeing how she boosts our roster in 2025.”

Hopkins, a Newport Beach, California native, was the No. 11 pick in the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft by the North Carolina Courage. In her rookie season, she made 13 appearances and four starts, while notching one goal and one assist. Hopkins also saw action in the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup and recorded a brace in just 20 minutes of action in North Carolina’s 5-0 victory against the Orlando Pride.

Last season, Hopkins built on her productive rookie campaign and saw an uptick in action, playing 1,496 minutes across 23 games. Hopkins made 18 starts in the 2024 regular season, including both regular season contests against the Current, while totaling three goals and one assist. Her lone assist of the 2024 campaign came in North Carolina’s 2-1 victory over Kansas City on Sept. 1, 2024, as a Hopkins dish from inside the penalty area set up the Courage’s first goal of the contest.

In the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, Hopkins picked up both a goal and an assist in 195 minutes of action. She also started the semifinal match of the competition against the Current at CPKC Stadium, playing 76 minutes in Kansas City’s 2-0 victory. Hopkins finished fifth in the NWSL in aerial duels won with 51 and scored two headed goals in the 2024 regular season.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the KC Current and compete alongside some of the best players not only in the league but in the world,” said Hopkins. “This is a championship-caliber team with exceptional talent, and the opportunity to learn from and play for Vlatko is something I deeply value. I’m eager to contribute to such a dynamic and competitive team, push myself in this new environment, and continue to grow as a player. Beyond the team itself, Kansas City is leading the way in women’s soccer with its investment, ownership, and state-of-the-art facilities, and it’s an honor to be part of that. The dedication and passion of the KC fan base is truly special, and I can’t wait to play in front of them and be part of this amazing soccer community. I’m excited for this new challenge and will give everything I have to help the club and city continue building something incredible.”

Prior to arriving in North Carolina, Hopkins had a decorated college career at both Vanderbilt and Virginia. In her three seasons at Vanderbilt, Hopkins was a two-time United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-America selection (2018, 2020) and a three-time All-SEC selection. At Virginia, Hopkins scored a team-high 14 goals in 2022 and was a two-time All-ACC selection. She was an integral part of deep NCAA Tournament runs with the Cavaliers in both 2021 and 2022 and scored a goal to force overtime against No. 1 seed UCLA in the quarterfinal round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Overall, Hopkins appeared in 104 collegiate games and made 100 starts, scoring 56 goals and adding 26 assists. She netted 21 game-winners and was 5-6 from the penalty spot, including a 3-for-4 mark in her final season at Virginia.

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