Kirsten Wright

Kirsten Mackenzie Wright (née Davis; born September 8, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Racing Louisville FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

Early life

Wright was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 8, 1998 to parents from Texas. Her family lived in Australia for several years while she was in middle school, returning before her freshman year of high school.

Wright attended Westminster Christian Academy, where she scored 173 goals before graduating in 2017. In July 2017 she was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Missouri.

She also played youth club soccer with Dallas Sting and St. Louis Scott Gallagher of the Elite Clubs National League.

College career

Wright played college soccer at Texas Tech from 2017 to 2021. She scored her first collegiate goal on August 27, 2017, against San Diego.

Wright scored one goal during the 2018 Big 12 Conference women's soccer tournament, and was named to the All-Tournament team.

In 2019, Wright was named Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and a United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I First-Team All-American. She also set a program record for game-winning goals in a single season with six. In the 2020 season shortened by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, the Red Raiders named Wright one of three team captains.

In 2021, Wright was again named the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and was the only Texas Tech player on the first or second all-conference teams. United Soccer Coaches named her a third-team All-American.

Wright ended her Texas Tech career having scored the second-most goals in program history, behind Janine Beckie.

Club career

Racing Louisville FC selected Wright in the second round of the 2021 NWSL Draft with the 12th-overall pick. She returned to Texas Tech after the draft for a fifth year before joining Louisville. Louisville protected Wright in the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft despite her not yet having appeared for the team.

Wright made her Racing Louisville debut on March 18, 2022, against Kansas City Current. She scored her first goal for the club on March 25, 2022, against Houston Dash in a 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup match.

On January 10, 2024, she signed a new three-year contract with Racing Louisville.

With Louisville, she often operated as a single striker.

International career

In 2015, she attended training camps with the United States under-19 and under-20 teams.

She represented the United States under-18 team at the 2016 Women's International Cup. She was also called up to a training camp for the under-23 team in 2020, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.