This soccer player just became the first-ever Aggie selected in the NWSL draft

Krysyan Edler
·1 min read
Fans at Providence Park watch the second half of an NWSL soccer match between the Portland Thorns and the Seattle Reign in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, July 22, 2015. The Portland Thorns selected former Utah State Aggie Kelsey Kaufusi in the 2024 NWSL draft.
Fans at Providence Park watch the second half of an NWSL soccer match between the Portland Thorns and the Seattle Reign in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, July 22, 2015. The Portland Thorns selected former Utah State Aggie Kelsey Kaufusi in the 2024 NWSL draft. | Don Ryan, Associated Press

Kelsey Kaufusi became the first-ever Utah State Aggie to be selected in the National Women’s Soccer League draft Friday.

The Portland Thorns drafted Kaufusi with the 25th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NWSL draft.

Three players with Utah ties — all from BYU — were selected ahead of Kaufusi in the draft: Brecken Mozingo, Olivia Smith-Griffitts and Olivia Wade-Katoa.

Kaufusi and Wade-Katoa will be teammates in Portland. Wade-Katoa was drafted two picks ahead of Kaufusi.

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Who is Kelsey Kaufusi?

Kaufusi grew up in Syracuse, Utah, and attended Syracuse High School, where she lettered in soccer, basketball and track and field, according to Utah State.

She started every one of Utah State’s games (76) in her four seasons in Logan. In her senior season, the defender recorded three assists and earned the 2023 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. This season, the Aggies won the program’s first-ever Mountain West title.

In the summer of 2022, Kaufusi played for Minnesota Aurora FC in the United Soccer League, a pre-professional soccer league. She played a total of 1,248 minutes and tallied two assists in 15 games, according to the Aurora. She earned the honor of being named to the USL W League Team of the Year Second Team.