Samantha Keala Staab (born March 28, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She was drafted by the Washington Spirit in 2019 after playing collegiately for the Clemson Tigers.
![]() Staab with the Chicago Red Stars in 2024 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Samantha Keala Staab[1] | ||
Date of birth | March 28, 1997 | ||
Place of birth | San Diego, California, United States | ||
Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
Position(s) | Center back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Chicago Red Stars | ||
Number | 3 | ||
Youth career | |||
DMCV Sharks | |||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2015–2018 | Clemson Tigers | 80 | (5) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2019–2023 | Washington Spirit | 93 | (4) |
2019–2020 | → Western Sydney Wanderers (loan) | 12 | (2) |
2024– | Chicago Red Stars | 16 | (1) |
International career‡ | |||
2018 | United States U23 | 2 | (0) |
2024– | United States | 2 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of July 26, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 4, 2024 |
Staab debuted for the United States national team in 2024.
Early life
editStaab was raised in San Diego, California. She is part Hawaiian through one grandmother.[2] She played club soccer for the DMCV Sharks in her childhood.[3] She attended Scripps Ranch High School, where she played varsity soccer all four years and captained the team in her last two years.[4]
Clemson Tigers
editStaab attended Clemson University, where she played for the Tigers women's soccer team from 2015 to 2018.[4] She was selected for the ACC All-Freshman team in 2015 after starting all 20 games in her first season.[5] After making the All-ACC second team in each of the next two years, she was selected to the All-ACC first team in her senior season.[6] At the time of her graduation, her 33 career assists were tied for 4th-most in school history.[7]
Club career
editWashington Spirit
editStaab was drafted 4th overall in the first round of the 2019 NWSL College Draft by the Washington Spirit.[6] In April, she was signed to the Spirit's senior roster in advance of the 2019 NWSL season.[8] Staab made her professional debut on April 13, 2019, against Sky Blue FC, scoring a 59th-minute goal en route to a 2–0 season-opening win for the Spirit.[9] Staab went on to appear in every minute of the Spirit's season, becoming the second-ever NWSL player to play every minute of her rookie season. She was considered one of the league's top defenders, earning a spot on the NWSL Team of the Month for May and June, and was one of three nominees for NWSL Rookie of the Year.[10][11][12] In 2020, she played every minute of the Spirit's season.[13] In the NWSL Challenge Cup she converted a header off a set piece in the 77th minute against the Portland Thorns, scoring the Spirit's lone goal in the team's 1–1 tie.[14] In 2022, Staab played every minute of the Spirit's season.[15]
On April 29, 2023, Staab made her 73rd consecutive regular season start in the NWSL, breaking a record held by Amber Brooks.[16] As of October 20, 2023, Staab has played every minute of 90 consecutive matches, completing three iron woman seasons.[17] She was nominated for NWSL Defender of the Year in the 2023 season.[18]
Western Sydney Wanderers
editStaab was signed in advance of the 2019–20 W-League season by the Western Sydney Wanderers. Staab made her debut for the Wanderers on November 14, 2019.[19]
Chicago Red Stars
editShe was traded to the Chicago Red Stars on January 12, 2024, the day of the 2024 NWSL Draft, for the third pick of the draft.[20]
On July 25, 2024, Staab was placed on the season-ending injury list after tearing her Achilles tendon during a match against NJ/NY Gotham FC on July 20.[21]
International career
editYouth national teams
editStaab attended training camp with the United States under-19 team in January 2016.[22] Staab was first selected for the United States under-23 team in March 2018 for the 2018 Thorns Spring Invitational.[23] She was called up again for the 2018 Nordic Tournament, where she was the only non-professional player selected for the U.S. roster.[24] She started all three games, and scored the game-winning goal for the United States in the final match, ensuring a first-place result in the tournament.[25]
Senior national team
editStaab received her first senior national team call-up in May 2024, making her debut as a 61st-minute substitute in a friendly against South Korea on June 1.[26][27]
Career statistics
editInternational
edit- As of match played June 4, 2024
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
United States | 2024 | 2 | 0 |
Total | 2 | 0 |
Honors
editIndividual
- NWSL Team of the Month: May, June 2019[11][12]
- NWSL Best XI: 2023[28]
- Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year: 2018[29]
References
edit- ^ "College of Business: Bachelor of Science, Accounting". Commencement: Thursday, December 20, 2018 (PDF). Clemson University. December 20, 2018. p. 19. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ "Beyond the Game – Sam Staab". Orange: The Experience. Clemson Tigers Athletics. September 22, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
- ^ "Homegrown Pros: Two Sharks Drafted in NWSL". DMCV Sharks. January 12, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ a b "Sam Staab". Clemson Tigers Athletics. February 4, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- ^ "Clemson Women's Soccer Program Celebrates Successful Season". Clemson Tigers Athletics. March 28, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- ^ a b "Clemson Women's Soccer star Sam Staab drafted in first round of NWSL draft". Independent Mail. January 11, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- ^ "Staab Earns All-America Honors, Two Other Tigers Named All-Region". Clemson Tigers Athletics. November 29, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- ^ "Washington Spirit announces updated 25-player roster ahead of 2019 NWSL season". Washington Spirit. April 8, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- ^ Giambalvo, Emily (April 13, 2019). "Washington Spirit opens new NWSL season with 2–0 win over Sky Blue FC". Washington Post. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- ^ Anderson, Jason (October 17, 2019). "Washington Spirit have multiple nominees for NWSL end-of-season awards". Black and Red United. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ a b Anderson, Jason (May 31, 2019). "Four Washington Spirit players make NWSL Team of the Month for May 2019". Black and Red United. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ a b Purdy, Jacqueline (July 8, 2019). "June Team of the Month". NWSL. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ "2020 Challenge Cup Sam Staab statistics". Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ Anderson, Jason (July 6, 2020). "Washington Spirit, Portland Thorns trade set piece goals in 1–1 NWSL Challenge Cup draw". Black and Red United. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
- ^ "Stam Staab 2022 Season statistics". Retrieved October 1, 2022.
- ^ @NWSL (April 29, 2023). "Sam Staab now has the most consecutive starts in league history, breaking the record held by her teammate Amber Brooks 🏁" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Washington Spirit's Sam Staab ties NWSL Iron Woman record". October 20, 2023.
- ^ Hruby, Emma (November 8, 2023). "Naomi Girma Wins NWSL Defender of the Year in Back-to-Back Seasons". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ "Signing news: Wanderers secure Harrison and Staab". w-league.com.au. Football Federation Australia. October 23, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
- ^ Brockway, Ella (January 12, 2024). "Spirit gets busy, deals Ashley Sanchez, Sam Staab and loads up in draft". Washington Post.
- ^ Salazar, Emmanuel (July 25, 2024). "Chicago Red Stars Medical Update on Defender, Sam Staab". Chicago Red Stars. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ "Staab Invited to U19 USWNT Camp". Clemson Tigers Athletics. January 6, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- ^ "Clemson's Sam Staab Back in Action with U.S. U-23 WNT". ABC Columbia. March 9, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- ^ "U-23 WNT Headed to Norway for 2018 Nordic Tournament". U.S. Soccer. August 23, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- ^ "USA takes first place in 2018 Women's U-23 Nordic Tournament". Soccerwire. September 4, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- ^ Musarurwa, Kudzi (May 21, 2024). "Emma Hayes names her first USWNT roster". All for XI. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ^ Cattry, Pardeep (June 1, 2024). "USWNT vs. South Korea score: USA win Emma Hayes' debut as Mal Swanson, Tierna Davidson record braces". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ^ "NWSL Announces Winners of 2023 Mastercard Best XI Awards". November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "ACC Women's Soccer: 2018 Season Awards Announced". theacc.com. The Atlantic Coast Conference. November 1, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2018.
External links
edit- Washington Spirit player profile
- Sam Staab at Soccerway