Paige Nielsen | QueenBallers Player profile

Paige

Nielsen

Oct 14, 1993

#14 - Defender

Paige Kathleen Nielsen is an American professional soccer defender who currently plays for Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League.

Did You Know?

She is a passionate LGBTQ+ advocate who strives to promote inclusivity, educate others, and create a more accepting environment, especially after experiencing cultural differences in Houston.

She was the first Nebraska native to be drafted by an NWSL team when she was selected by Seattle Reign in 2016.

She plays in honor of her mother, Kathy, who passed away from Hodgkin lymphoma during her senior year of college.

She wears cleats with her late mother’s initials and a wristband in her honor.

She underwent emergency surgery for a blood clotting condition in 2022.

She puts a lot of focus on strength training and even offers personal trainer services.

She was featured in the documentary series Angel City (2023) and the reality show The Offseason (2024), which followed NWSL players training before the season.

She has played professional soccer on four different continents: North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

She has a degree in Business Investment Banking from UNC and also studied Sports Marketing at Columbia University.

She led her high school basketball team.

She married Jennifer Riservato in 2022.

She helped design Team USA Olympic soccer merchandise for Budweiser in 2020.

She grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and proudly supports the Cornhuskers.

Paige's book, titled Struggle the Grace, shares her journey through grief and self-discovery, with a focus on finding identity and navigating life in different countries.

She came out to her family during her senior year of college when her girlfriend decorated her room with sticky notes in the shape of a heart, expressing love and memories.

She decided at age five that she would play soccer at the University of North Carolina and made that dream a reality by walking on to the team in high school.

Paige’s all-time favorite sport, besides soccer, is basketball. She was a point guard in high school and almost went to college for both soccer and basketball.

In the offseason, Paige enjoys traveling, attending friends' weddings, and taking trips to Europe.

Paige and her teammates humorously manipulated the YouTube algorithm by repeatedly saying "Taylor Swift Secrets" to get more views from Swifties.

She has a dog named Cam.

Best Actions

Angel City FC | Paige Nielsen Goal

Paige Nielsen scores the game winner against her former team ?

Goal line save courtesy of Paige Nielsen!

Club Achievements

NWSL Championship: 2021

1×

Awards

Washington Spirit's 2021 Player of the Year Award

1×

Stats

Year	Club	AP	GL
2024 - present	Houston Dash	23	1
2021 - 2024	Angel City FC	50	1
2019 - 2021	Washington Spirit	48	1
2018 - 2019	Canberra United FC	5	0
2016 - 2017	Western Sydney Wanderers FC (loan)	12	1
2016 -	Apollon Limassol	5	3
2016 -	Seattle Reign FC	2	0
2012 - 2015	North Carolina Tar Heels	83	13
International Stats
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