Naomi Haile Girma, 23, is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for San Diego Wave FC in the National Women’s Soccer League and the United States national team. She was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2022 NWSL Draft.
Naomi was born in California, to parents Girma Aweke and Seble Demissie, both Ethiopian immigrants. Her family spoke both Amharic and English.
As a youth, Naomi played for a local club her father formed for the Bay Area Ethiopian community in 2005, dubbed the Maleda Soccer Club. In college, she helped lead Stanford University to a national championship.
In her first year as a professional in the National Women’s Soccer League, she won the double honor of being both the Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year.
Today, she is a star defender on the soccer field and the first player of Ethiopian descent to play for the US Women’s National Team making her World Cup debut for the US in July 2023.
SOURCES: Ethiopia Observer, Wikipedia
Naomi Haile Girma is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for San Diego Wave FC in the National Women’s Soccer League and the United States national team. She was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2022 NWSL Draft.
Naomi Girma is a star defender on the soccer field. In college, she helped lead Stanford University to a national championship. In her first year as a professional in the National Women’s Soccer League, she won both the Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year honors. And last week, she made her World Cup debut for the US. The World’s Bianca Hillier reports that Girma’s success began with a small soccer league for Ethiopian kids in the Bay Area.