Kristen McNabb

Kristen Claire McNabb (born April 17, 1994) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for San Diego Wave of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). McNabb has represented the United States on the under-18 and under-23 national teams. She played collegiate soccer at the University of Virginia.

Early life and education
McNabb was raised in Montville, New Jersey, where she attended Montville Township High School. She played club soccer for PDA Charge and captained the team to the national championship games twice. She was ranked 34 nationally by TopDrawerSoccer.

Virginia Cavaliers, 2012–2016
McNabb attended the University of Virginia where she played for the Cavaliers from 2013 to 2016 after redshirting the 2012 season due to injury. During the 2013 season, she made 19 appearances for the Cavaliers including two starts. She endured a knee injury in a match against Virginia Tech on October 31 which prevented her from playing the remainder of the season. The following season, she started in all 26 games and scored her first goal during a match against Tennessee. During the 2015 season, McNabb started in all 23 games and was named to the Second-Team NSCAA All-Southeast Region. In the 2016 season, McNabb captained the Cavaliers. That September she was named the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Co-Offensive Player Of The Week while playing as a defender and scoring twice against Virginia Tech. The same year, McNabb helped the Cavaliers to a record. The team reached the Round of 16 of the NCAA Division 1 Soccer Championship for the 12th straight season.

OL Reign, 2017–2021
In January 2017, McNabb was selected by Reign FC as the 37th overall selection in the 2017 NWSL College Draft. She made her debut starting for the club during the season opener on April 15 against Sky Blue FC. She scored her first professional goal on April 22 against the Houston Dash.

Melbourne Victory, 2017 (loan)
In October 2017, McNabb joined Australian club Melbourne Victory on loan for the off-season.

San Diego Wave FC, 2022–
In December 2021, San Diego Wave selected McNabb in the 2022 NWSL Expansion Draft. McNabb made her debut for the Wave on the club's inaugural match, a 1–1 draw against Angel City FC on March 19, 2022. She appeared in 5 of the 6 of the Wave's 2022 Challenge Cup games, playing 90 minutes in each fixture. During the Challenge Cup and parts of the 2022 season, McNabb played as a defensive midfielder, but she eventually ended back up in her more natural position of left-back. McNabb made her first regular season appearance for the Wave on May 1, 2022, in a 1–0 victory over the Houston Dash. She scored her first goal for the club on July 10, 2022, in a defeat to Angel City FC. McNabb also scored on August 27, 2022, in a win against Portland Thorns FC. Her strike from outside the box would be one of two goals scored in the Wave's first-ever victory over the Thorns. Midway through the 2024 season, McNabb's contract was extended through 2024, with head coach Casey Stoney referring to McNabb as an "integral part of the team." McNabb finished the 2022 season with a career-best 2 goals and 24 games played.

In 2023, McNabb played in 14 games and scored 1 goal for her team. She missed much of the second half of the season due to an injury, unavailable for games spanning from July to October. McNabb's first game back would be the Wave's semifinal defeat to the OL Reign, on November 5, 2023. She entered the game as a substitute for Madison Pogarch in the 78th minute of the 1–0 loss. McNabb's lone goal of the season occurred on June 17, 2023, in a match against rivals Angel City FC. McNabb opened the scoring in the 57th minute with a left-footed strike through the legs of defender Ali Riley and into the back of the net. Angel City eventually came back to win the match, 2–1.

On May 4, 2024, McNabb participated in a 2–1 loss to Seattle Reign FC, her former team. In stoppage time, McNabb was issued a red card after an altercation with a Reign player. McNabb's red card suspension rendered her unavailable for the Wave's next fixture, a match against the Utah Royals on May 8.

International career
McNabb has represented the United States on the under-18 and under-23 national teams.

Personal life
Professional hockey player Colin Blackwell is McNabb's cousin.

Honors
San Diego Wave


 * NWSL Shield: 2023
 * NWSL Challenge Cup: 2024