Naomi Haile Girma (/ˈɡərmə/ GER-mə;[8] born June 14, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for San Diego Wave FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She was the #1 pick of the 2022 NWSL Draft.
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Naomi Haile Girma[1][2] | ||
Date of birth | (2000-06-14) June 14, 2000 (age 22)[3] | ||
Place of birth | San Jose, California, U.S. | ||
Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[4] | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | San Diego Wave | ||
Number | 4 | ||
Youth career | |||
2010–2017[5] | Central Valley Crossfire | ||
2015–2018[6][7] | Pioneer HS Mustangs | ||
2016–2018 | De Anza Force | ||
2016–2018 | California Thorns FC | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2018–2021 | Stanford Cardinal | 68 | (8) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2022– | San Diego Wave | 11 | (0) |
National team‡ | |||
2016 | United States U17 | ||
2017 | United States U19 | ||
2017–2020 | United States U20 | ||
2022– | United States | 10 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 4, 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of November 13, 2022 |
Girma has represented the United States on the under-17, under-19 and under-20 national teams, and was named U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year in 2020. In 2019, she captained the Stanford Cardinal to win the Women's College Cup.
Girma was born in San Jose, California, to parents Girma Aweke and Seble Demissie, both Ethiopian immigrants who met in the Bay Area.[9][5][10] She has one brother, Nathaniel, who is three years older. Her family spoke both Amharic and English.[5][10]
As a youth, Girma played for a local club her father formed for the Bay Area Ethiopian community in 2005 dubbed the Maleda Soccer Club, and attended Hacienda Elementary School and YMCA after-school basketball matches, following her brother's lead in sports.[5][10] She also practiced gymnastics for five years before settling on soccer in middle school.[10] After impressing coaches in 2009 during a practice to which she was invited by a friend, Girma joined local youth club Central Valley Crossfire from 2010 to its dissolution in 2017. At Crossfire, Girma played under coach Bob Joyce, during which she was encouraged to participate in Olympic Development Program events and was called into the United States U-14 national team camp. She subsequently became a guest player for De Anza Force,[5] and also played for the California Thorns Academy[4][11][10] and Pioneer High School.[9][10]
Girma played college soccer for the Stanford Cardinal, for whom she served as team captain and won the 2019 Women's College Cup.[4][5] She missed the early part of the 2021 season after tearing her ACL.[12][5] During her recovery, she applied to and was accepted into the Mayfield Fellows Program for entrepreneurship at Stanford.[5] In December 2021, Girma decided to forego her remaining collegiate eligibility and declared for the 2022 NWSL Draft.[13] She graduated from Stanford in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in symbolic systems[14] and continued pursuing a master's degree in management science and engineering at Stanford after becoming a professional soccer player.[5]
San Diego Wave FC selected Girma as the first pick of the 2022 NWSL Draft.[5][15][16] She was named to the NWSL Best XI of the Month in May[17] and June[18] of 2022, and also NWSL Rookie of the Month in June.[18]
Girma played for the United States under-17, United States under-19 and United States under-20 teams.[4] She captained the under-20 team.[5][19] In December 2020, Girma was voted the 2020 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year.[5][19][20][21]
Girma received her first call-up to the United States senior team in December 2019 but had to withdraw due to injury.[22] She was called up again in October 2020.[23][24] She debuted for the senior national team on April 12, 2022, in an international friendly against Uzbekistan.[25] She also appeared in the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, and registered an assist on a goal by Sophia Smith against Jamaica during the tournament.[26]
National Team | Year | Apps | Goals | Assists |
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United States | 2022 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
Total | 10 | 0 | 1 |
Stanford Cardinal
United States
Individual
San Diego Wave FC – current squad | |
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United States squad – 2022 CONCACAF W Championship winners (9th title) | ||
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Pac-12 Conference Women's Soccer Player of the Year | |
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Player of the Year |
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Forward of the Year | |
Midfielder of the Year | |
Defender of the Year | |
Goalkeeper of the Year |
List of first overall NWSL draft picks | |
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NWSL Defender of the Year Award | |
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NWSL Rookie of the Year Award | |
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2022 NWSL Teams of the Year | |
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Best XI | |
Second XI |