Ellie Jean

She began playing soccer at age six through a small-town team and was influenced by her mom and stepdad, who were involved in college athletics.

She recognized her potential in high school after switching to a more competitive team and training independently in her backyard.

Her favorite number, 5, holds significance as her first professional jersey number, which she wore during a brief stint in Denmark just before COVID.

She earned a Master’s of Arts in Media Studies in 2021 and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication with a minor in Women’s Studies in 2018, all from Penn State University.

As a child, she practiced gymnastics before transitioning to soccer.

She ran cross country in high school.

She captained the U.S. U-17 team at the 2013 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship.

In 2016, she started all six matches for the U.S. U-20 team at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

She is Dominican-American.

Growing up, she played in a predominantly white town, which made her feel disconnected from her mixed-race background until later in life.

Her birth father, Domingo Jean, was a pitcher for the New York Yankees in 1993.

Raised by her mother, Rebecca, after her father left, Jean was inspired to play soccer by her stepfather, Kevin Bacher, an assistant coach for the UConn Huskies men's soccer team.

She reconnected with her father and half-brother as an adult in 2022 after returning to the U.S. from the Netherlands.

She’s involved with the Black Women’s Player Collective (BWPC), working to inspire young girls who look like her to pursue soccer.

She loves New York City. She calls it her favorite place on Earth.

Her favorite holiday is Halloween.

She loves Mexican food, particularly Tex-Mex nachos loaded with everything—cheese, jalapenos, beans, guacamole, and salsa.

Outside of soccer, she is passionate about history, especially topics like human evolution and what’s missing in traditional school textbooks, such as Native American and slavery history.

She is a big fan of Beyoncé and even went to her concert.