Darian Jenkins
Personal information
Full name Darian Michelle Jenkins[1]
Date of birth (1995-01-05) January 5, 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth Murray, Utah, United States
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
2007–2012 Sparta United
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2016 UCLA Bruins 76 (29)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 SoCal FC[2]
2017–2018 North Carolina Courage 13 (0)
2019–2020 OL Reign 17 (4)
2019–2020 → Melbourne Victory (loan) 12 (5)
2020–2021 → Bordeaux (loan) 5 (0)
2021 Kansas City Current 22 (3)
2022 Orlando Pride 17 (2)
Total 86 (14)
International career
2011–2012 United States U17 5 (2)
2014 United States U18
2013–2015 United States U20
2017–2018 United States U23 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Darian Michelle Jenkins (born January 5, 1995) is an American retired professional soccer player who played as a forward.

Having played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins, Jenkins won the 2013 National Championship and was selected seventh overall in the 2017 NWSL College Draft. She played professionally for North Carolina Courage, OL Reign and Kansas City Current in the NWSL as well as Melbourne Victory of the Australian W-League and French Division 1 Féminine team Bordeaux.[3] Internationally she represented the United States at under-17, under-18, under-20 and under-23 level.

Early life

Growing up in Riverton, Utah, Jenkins started playing in a rec league at the age of 10 before joining a competitive squad as an 11-year-old and immersed herself in training, first earning the attention of the U.S. Youth National Team through the I.D. camp program as a U14 in 2009.[4] At Riverton High School, Jenkins was an All-Region and All-State honoree. She was also a high school track & field athlete, running sprints. Playing club soccer for Sparta United, she won the Utah State Cup in 2012.[5]

College career

Jenkins played college soccer at the University of California, Los Angeles while majoring in American Literature & Culture. She was a four-year starter for the UCLA Bruins, scoring 29 goals and 12 assists in 76 appearances. As a freshman in 2013, Jenkins was one of two Bruin players to start all 26 games and led UCLA in scoring with 11 goals.[5] Helping the Bruins go unbeaten in conference play to capture their first Pac-12 Championship since 2008, she was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors before also helping the team capture the 2013 National Championship title.[6] Ahead of her 2016 senior season, Jenkins was named as a co-captain.[5] In the 2016 season opener, Jenkins scored a first half hat-trick against San Diego State Aztecs, the first Bruin to score a hat-trick since Sydney Leroux in 2011.[7] Leading the Pac-12 with seven goals at the time, Jenkins suffered a broken fibula against Oregon Ducks on October 2, 2016, ending her collegiate career.[8]

While at college, Jenkins also played in the Women's Premier Soccer League with SoCal FC in 2015 and 2016.[2] In 2015, SoCal FC won the Pacific-South division and reached the championship final before losing to Chicago Red Stars Reserves 2–1.[9]

Club career

North Carolina Courage, 2017–2018

On January 12, 2017, Jenkins was drafted in the first round (7th overall) of the 2017 NWSL College Draft by North Carolina Courage. She signed with the Courage on April 10 and was immediately placed on the 45-day disabled list while she continued to recover from the broken leg suffered in college.[10] She was ultimately not added to the active roster during the 2017 season as she continued to rehab.[11]

On March 24, 2018, Jenkins made her Courage debut as a 67th-minute substitute in the season opener against Portland Thorns. She made a total of 14 appearances for the Courage in 2018, all as a substitute, but did not score.[12] She was a stoppage-time substitute in the 2018 NWSL Championship final as the Courage beat Portland Thorns 3–0.[13]

OL Reign, 2019–2020

On December 17, 2018, Jenkins was traded to Reign FC in exchange for the 9th overall pick in the 2019 NWSL College Draft.[14] She made her debut for the club as a starter in the season opener on April 14, 2019, and scored her first senior professional goal in the game as Reign drew 1–1 with Houston Dash.[15] She made a total of 18 appearances in 2019, finished third on the team in goals with four.[3]

In the NWSL offseason, Jenkins joined Australian W-League team Melbourne Victory on loan for the 2019–20 W-League season.[16] She started all 12 games and scored five goals as Melbourne Victory finished second in the regular season before losing to Sydney FC in the playoff semi-finals. She was named to the Team of the Season.[17]

With the 2020 NWSL season disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenkins made five appearances for the newly rebranded OL Reign during the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup before missing the four-game friendly Fall Series to join French Division 1 Féminine side Bordeaux on loan until February 2021.[18]

Kansas City Current, 2021

On January 4, 2021, Jenkins was traded to the Kansas City NWSL team (later rebranded Kansas City Current) along with the rights to Meg Brandt and the 38th pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft in exchange for Tziarra King and a second-round pick in 2022 NWSL Draft.[19] She made 23 appearances in all competitions and tied for the team-lead in goals with three as Kansas City finished bottom of the NWSL.[20]

Orlando Pride, 2022

On January 11, 2022, Jenkins was acquired by Orlando Pride in exchange for $75,000 in allocation money and Orlando's natural second-round pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. The move reunited Jenkins with her UCLA head coach Amanda Cromwell who had been appointed Pride head coach the previous month.[20] Jenkins announced her retirement from professional soccer on January 18, 2023.[21]

International

In May 2012, Jenkins represented the United States under-17 at the 2012 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship, making two appearances and scoring in the 7–0 semi-final win over Panama.[5] The United States won the tournament and qualified for the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Azerbaijan. Jenkins was again named to the squad and played the entirety of all three group games, scoring in a 1–1 draw with North Korea as the United States finished level on points with North Korea and France but was eliminated on goal difference tiebreaker. In 2014, Jenkins was a starter for the United States under-18 team at the 10 Nations Tournament.[5] Jenkins was frequently called up to United States under-20 training camps and squads during the cycle for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and was named to the final camp prior to the tournament but did not make the final roster.[22] In August 2018, Jenkins appeared for the United States under-23 team at the Nordic Tournament.[23]

Career statistics

College

School Season Division Apps Goals
UCLA Bruins 2013 Div. I 26 11
2014 21 6
2015 18 5
2016 11 7
Career total 76 29

Club

As of October 1, 2022.[3]
Club Season League Playoffs[a] Cup[b] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
North Carolina Courage 2017 NWSL 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
2018 13 0 1 0 — 14 0
Total 13 0 1 0 0 0 14 0
OL Reign 2019 NWSL 17 4 1 0 — 18 4
2020 — — 5 0 5 0
Total 17 4 1 0 5 0 23 4
Melbourne Victory (loan) 2019–20 W-League 12 5 1 0 — 13 5
Bordeaux (loan) 2020–21 D1 Féminine 5 0 — 0 0 5 0
Kansas City Current 2021 NWSL 22 3 — 1 0 23 3
Orlando Pride 2022 NWSL 17 2 — 6 2 23 4
Career total 86 14 3 0 12 2 101 16
  1. ^ NWSL Playoffs and W-League Finals
  2. ^ NWSL Challenge Cup

Honors

UCLA Bruins

North Carolina Courage

International

Individual

References

  1. ^ "FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Azerbaijan 2012 – List of Players: USA" (PDF). FIFA. September 25, 2012. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 22, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Four Former SoCal FC Players Drafted by NWSL Teams". SoCal FC. January 14, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Darian Jenkins soccerway profile". Soccerway.
  4. ^ "Darian Jenkins Enjoying New Chapter with Reign FC". OL Reign.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Darian Jenkins - Women's Soccer". UCLA.
  6. ^ "Pac-12 announces women's soccer all-conference honors". Pac-12.
  7. ^ "Darian Jenkins". www.uclabruins.com. UCLA Bruins. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  8. ^ "Bruin Bites: UCLA Women's Soccer Scoring Leader Darian Jenkins Out for Season". SBNation. October 6, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  9. ^ Rodriguez, Alicia (July 27, 2015). "SoCal FC fall in WPSL title game 2-1". Angels on Parade.
  10. ^ Castro, Melissa (April 10, 2017). "Darian Jenkins and Lauren Kaskie of UCLA Women's Soccer Sign With NWSL Teams". SBNation. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  11. ^ "Darian Jenkins talks recovery and playing for the North Carolina Courage". June 18, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  12. ^ "Darian Jenkins Stats". July 4, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  13. ^ "Courage cap off record-setting season with NWSL Championship win". September 22, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  14. ^ "Courage trade Darian Jenkins to Reign FC in exchange for 2019 first-round draft pick". December 17, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  15. ^ "Reign FC comeback in Houston ends in draw after stoppage time penalty save". OL Reign.
  16. ^ "Victory signs US forward Darian Jenkins". Melbourne Victory. 6 November 2019.
  17. ^ a b "Champions City dominate PFA's LUCRF Super W-League Team of the Season". PFA. March 29, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  18. ^ "OL Reign Fall Series Roster Update". OL Reign.
  19. ^ "OL Reign acquires Tziarra King and draft pick from Kansas City". January 4, 2021.
  20. ^ a b "Orlando Pride Acquires Darian Jenkins from Kansas City Current". www.orlandocitysc.com.
  21. ^ "Orlando Pride forward Darian Jenkins announces retirement". OrlandoCitySC.com. Orlando Pride. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  22. ^ "U20 WNT heads to final World Cup prep camp". TopDrawerSoccer.
  23. ^ Yang, Stephanie (August 24, 2018). "USWNT U-23 will pull pros from their clubs for Nordic Tournament". Stars and Stripes FC.

External links

2019โ€“20 W-League PFA Team of the Season
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