_31.jpg) Nielsen with theHouston Dash in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paige Kathleen Nielsen[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1993-10-14)October 14, 1993 (age 32) | ||
| Place of birth | Lincoln, Nebraska,United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Houston Dash | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2015 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 83 | (13) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016 | Seattle Reign FC | 2 | (0) |
| 2016 | Apollon | ||
| 2016–2017 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 12 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | Suwon UDC[2] | 42 | (13) |
| 2018 | Canberra United | 5 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Washington Spirit | 38 | (1) |
| 2022–2024 | Angel City | 46 | (2) |
| 2024– | Houston Dash | 43 | (3) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 00:56, November 5, 2025 (UTC) | |||
Paige Kathleen Nielsen (born October 14, 1993) is an American professionalsoccerdefender who currently plays forHouston Dash of theNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
She previously played for theWashington Spirit,Seattle Reign FC, andAngel City FC in the NWSL,Canberra United andWestern Sydney Wanderers in the AustralianW-League,Suwon UDC in Korea'sWK League, andApollon in Cyprus'sFirst Division.
Born inLincoln, Nebraska to Kathy Nielsen, Paige attendedLincoln Southeast High School where she was a four-year varsity soccer player. She was twice named a Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year nominee in 2011 and 2012.[1] She set new school records after ending her high school career with 79 goals and 35 assists.[3] She was twice-named to All-State, All-Conference and All-City soccer teams.[1]
Nielsen played club soccer for Toro Bravo soccer inOmaha, Nebraska and helped lead the team to three state championships, the Midwest Regional League championship in 2011, and National League Red Division championship in 2012.[1] She played for the Nebraska Olympic Development (ODP) team from 2007 to 2010.[1]
Nielsen attended theUniversity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill from 2012 to 2015 where she played for theTar Heels.[4] During her freshman season, Nielsen played in 20 games for the Tar Heels, starting five. That same year, the team won theNCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship for the 21st time.[5] The following year, Nielsen ranked fourth on the team in goals scored. She finished her sophomore season with six goals and four assists.[1] During her junior season in 2014, she played in 20 games, starting nine. Four of the five goals she scored were game-winning goals, which ranked first on the team in game-winning goals.[1] Nielsen captained the Tar Heels during her senior season and finished her collegiate career with 13 goals and 7 assists playing as both a defender and forward.[6]
In January 2016, Nielsen was selected as the 25th overall pick of the2016 NWSL College Draft by theSeattle Reign, becoming the first Nebraskan native to be drafted by an NWSL team.[7][8][9] She signed with the club in May of the same year.[10] She made her debut for the club in a match against theChicago Red Stars on May 22.[11] The following week, she played the full ninety minutes in the forward position in a friendly against recentFA WSL championArsenal L.F.C.[12] Nielsen was waived by the Reign in July 2016.[13]
After short stint withApollon inCyprus, Nielsen signed with theWestern Sydney Wanderers for the2016-17 W-League season where she started all twelve games for the Wanderers.[14]
After the conclusion of the W-League season, Nielsen signed withSuwon UDC in theWK League inSouth Korea.[15]
In November 2018, Nielsen signed withCanberra United in theW-League.[16] She departed the club in December after making five appearances for the team.[17]
In February 2019, Nielsen returned to theNWSL signing with theWashington Spirit.[18]
On December 16, 2021 Nielsen was selected byAngel City FC in the2022 NWSL Expansion Draft and went on to make twenty appearances and sixteen starts in her first season with the club.[19] The club finished their first season in eighth place with a8–9–5 record.[20] Nielsen signed a two-year contract extension in December 2022.[21]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Nielsen's equalizer goal against San Diego Wave, June 2023retrieved March 23, 2024 |
During the2023 season, Nielsen was a starting defender in all 21 games she played.[22] She scored theequalizer goal in the club's 2-1 win against Southern California rivalsSan Diego Wave FC on June 17.[23] Angel City finished in fifth place during the regular season and advanced to theplayoffs for the first time[24] where they were eliminated bySeattle Reign FC in the quarter final match.[25]
On April 20, 2024, Angel City FC announced that Nielsen had been traded to theHouston Dash in exchange for $50,000 in allocation and $50,000 in transfer funds.[26] She scored a 98th-minute goal to beat her former team, Angel City, 1–0 on May 12.[27]
Nielsen has said that she plays for her mother, Kathy, who lost her life toHodgkin lymphoma when Nielsen was a senior in college.[28][29] She married Jennifer Riservato on January 22, 2022.[30]
Nielsen had emergency surgery for a blood clotting condition in 2022.[31]
Nielsen was featured the documentary seriesAngel City in 2023.[32] In 2024, she appeared in the first season ofThe Offseason, a reality television series following a group of NWSL players training before the new season.[33]
