.jpg) Graham withDuke in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Margaret Isabel Graham[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (2002-07-10)July 10, 2002 (age 22) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Houston Dash | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2024 | Duke Blue Devils | 101 | (22) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025– | Houston Dash | 3 | (2) |
| International career | |||
| 2018 | United States U-16 | ||
| 2020 | United States U-18 | 3 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 01:46, March 31, 2025 (UTC) | |||
Margaret Isabel Graham (born July 10, 2002) is an American professionalsoccer player who plays as amidfielder for theHouston Dash of theNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She playedcollege soccer for theDuke Blue Devils, earningfirst-team All-American andACC Midfielder of the Year honors in 2024.
Raised inAtlanta, Graham played multiple sports atthe Westminster Schools, including soccer, basketball, track, and cross country, and won state championships in soccer and cross country as a freshman. She playedDA club soccer for NTH Tophat, serving as captain for four years.[2] She committed to playcollege soccer for theDuke Blue Devils as a sophomore.[3] She was ranked byTopDrawerSoccer as the 40th-best recruit of the 2020 class.[2]
Graham made 21 appearances (10 starts) for theDuke Blue Devils as a freshman in 2020, a shortened season due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. She started all three games for Duke in theNCAA tournament, assistingSophie Jones'sgolden goal againstArizona State in the second round and making herpenalty kick in a quarterfinalshootout loss toFlorida State. She appeared in 20 games (4 starts) in her sophomore season. She provided the winning assist to her sister in a 1–0 win againstMemphis in the second round of theNCAA tournament as Duke returned the quarterfinals, falling toSanta Clara.[2][4]
Graham played a bigger role in her junior season in 2022, making 22 appearances (20 starts) and scoring 4 goals with 6 assists, with all of her assists in conference play. In the semifinals of theACC tournament, she was sent off with a straightred card after showing two middle fingers to herNorth Carolina opponent; Duke lost on penalties after a 0–0 draw. After sitting out the opening round of theNCAA tournament, she started three games as Duke returned to the national quarterfinals, where they lost toAlabama in overtime.[2][5] In her senior year, she started 16 games and scored one goal with one assist in a down season for Duke, failing to qualify for theNCAA tournament.[2][6]
Graham returned to play a fifth season in 2024, using her extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the pandemic. She started 22 games, led the team with 14 goals (more than doubling her career total), and had 5 assists. She scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against North Carolina during non-conference play, which marked Duke's first-ever home win against the Tar Heels, and she scored Duke's third goal in a 3–2 win against North Carolina during the ACC regular season.[2][7] She scored ahat trick and added an assist in a 4–1 away win againstStanford. Duke went undefeated in conference play to claim the ACC regular-season title. In theNCAA tournament, Graham scored two goals in each of the first two games as Duke reached the semifinals, where they lost 3–0 to North Carolina. After the 2024 season, she was named first-team All-ACC, theACC Midfielder of the Year, andfirst-team All-American. She was one of three Duke players to make more than 100 career appearances alongside her sister Delaney Graham andMackenzie Pluck.[2][8]
TheHouston Dash announced on January 21, 2025, that they had signed Graham to her first professional contract on a three-year deal. She was the team's first college signing after the abolition of thecollege draft.[9] She made her professional debut on March 14, coming on forSophie Schmidt and scoring 15 minutes later in the season opener, a 2–1 defeat to theWashington Spirit.[10] The following week, she scored one minute after being substituted into the game, providing the game winner in a 2–1 comeback win against theChicago Stars on March 23. She was the first NWSL player to score off the bench in her first two regular-season appearances.[11]
Graham appeared infriendlies for the United States youth national team at theunder-16 andunder-18 level, scoring againstChina U18 in 2020.[2]
Graham is the younger of two daughters born to Chris and Marie Graham.[2] She is ofCuban descent.[12] Her father rowed crew atCornell. Her sister, Delaney, played soccer alongside her at Duke.[13]
Duke Blue Devils
Individual
