_033_(cropped).jpg) Kingsbury with theWashington Spirit in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aubrey Renee Kingsbury | ||
| Birth name | Aubrey Renee Bledsoe[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1991-11-20)November 20, 1991 (age 33) | ||
| Place of birth | Cincinnati,Ohio, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Washington Spirit | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Kings Soccer Academy | |||
| St. Ursula Academy | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2013 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014 | Los Angeles Blues | (0) | |
| 2014 | IK Grand Bodø | 11 | (0) |
| 2015 | Sky Blue FC | 1 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | →Fortuna Hjørring (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Orlando Pride | 12 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | →Sydney FC (loan) | 23 | (0) |
| 2018– | Washington Spirit | 67 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | →Sydney FC (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2014 | United States U-23 | (0) | |
| 2022– | United States | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 October 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of December 5, 2023 | |||
Aubrey Renee Kingsbury (née Bledsoe; born November 20, 1991) is an American professionalsoccer player who plays as agoalkeeper for theWashington Spirit of theNational Women's Soccer League and theUnited States national team. A two-timeNWSL Goalkeeper of the Year, she was named theMost Valuable Player of the Spirit's victory in the2021 NWSL Championship.
Kingsbury was born inCincinnati to Paul and Char Bledsoe. She attended Merwin Elementary, Amelia Middle School, and thenSt. Ursula Academy where she was a member of the state championship soccer team in 2007 and 2008.
Kingsbury graduated fromWake Forest University with a degree in health and exercise science and minors in chemistry and biology. She started all her games during her four seasons with the Demon Deacons and was named co-captain during her senior year. She holds the Wake Forest career record for shutouts (33), goals against average (0.91), games played and started (94), and minutes played in goal (8,692). She is also one of three Demon Deacons to be named an All-American three times, earning third-team honors from the NSCAA in 2011 and 2012 and second-team honors in 2013.[2]
In January 2014, Kingsbury signed forUSL W-League side,Los Angeles Blues (previously known as "Pali Blues") in preparation for exploring opportunities in Europe.[3]
After her stint in LA, Kingsbury secured a move toNorway to play forToppserien club,IK Grand Bodø.[4] She made 11 appearances for Bodø.
In October 2014, Kingsbury signed withSky Blue FC as a discovery player.[5] The2015 season, Kingsbury backed up starting keeper,Brittany Cameron, limiting her to just a single appearance for Sky Blue.[6]
At the conclusion of the 2015 season, Kingsbury secured an off-season loan toDanish clubFortuna Hjørring of theElitedivisionen along with teammateNadia Nadim.[7] Competing in theUEFA Women's Champions League, Kingsbury made 4 appearances (2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss), earning two clean sheets.[8]
On November 2, 2015, Kingsbury was selected byOrlando Pride as their 10th pick in theNWSL expansion draft. She joined the Pride at the conclusion of her loan spell at Fortuna.[6] Deputising forAshlyn Harris, Kingsbury made a single appearance during the2016 season. When Harris got injured during the2017 season, Kingsbury made a string of starts for the Pride, registering 11 appearances, earning 5 wins and 2 clean sheets.[8][9]
On November 28, 2017, Kingsbury joinedSydney FC for the remainder of the2017–18 W-League.
In January 2018, Orlando traded Kingsbury and a 2019 first round draft pick toWashington Spirit in exchange forCanadian national defender,Shelina Zadorsky.[10] On June 19, 2018, Kingsbury was named Player of the Week by the NWSL Media Association for Weeks 11 and 12. Kingsbury led the Spirit to back-to-back shutouts, and saved aMegan Rapinoe penalty kick during those weeks.[11] She went on to break the NWSL league leading save record, surpassing the previous record held byAlyssa Naeher.[12] She was one of three nominees forNWSL Goalkeeper of the Year for the 2018 season.[13]
Kingsbury re-signed for the Washington Spirit's 2019 season in September 2018. In Week 4 of the2019 NWSL season Kingsbury won bothNWSL Player andSave of the Week. She led the NWSL with 86 saves and was voted theNWSL Goalkeeper of the Year for the 2019 season.[14]
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the NWSL organized a closed-doorNWSL Challenge Cup in the summer, which was followed by the NWSL Fall Series. Kingsbury started in all five of the Spirit's games during the Challenge Cup.[15] During the quarterfinals, the Spirit played to a scoreless draw againstSky Blue FC. In the ensuing penalty kick shootout, Kingsbury made a save against Domi Richardson, but ultimately the Spirit only converted three of their five penalty kicks and the team fell to Sky Blue.[16] Kingsbury played every minute of the Spirit's four games in NWSL Fall Series. Against 16 total shots, she made 12 saves and conceded 4 goals.[17] In the 87th of Washington's game against the Chicago Red Stars, Kingsbury, on the ground, kickedDani Rhodes' rebound away to prevent Chicago from the taking the lead. Washington ultimately won the game thanks toJessie Scarpa's 92nd-minute goal.[18] Additionally, Kingsbury led the Spirit to a clean sheet against Sky Blue.[19]
Kingsbury was voted Goalkeeper of the Year for a second time following the 2021 season.[20] She was votedMost Valuable Player of the2021 championship game in which the Spirit defeated theChicago Red Stars 2–1 in overtime.[21]
Kingsbury wassent off in second-half stoppage time of the opening matchday against theSeattle Reign on March 21, 2024; however, the call was later rescinded by the NWSL.[22] Except for the last moments of that game, sheplayed every minute of the season as the Spirit finished in second place.[23] On November 16, 2024, after the Spirit drewNJ/NY Gotham FC 1–1 in the NWSL semifinals, Kingsbury saved all threepenalty attempts she faced to help send the Spirit to the final.[24]
Kingsbury made one penalty save in the2025 NWSL Challenge Cup, helping Washington avenge their championship loss to the Orlando Pride in a shootout, 4–2. She was named MVP of the season-opening match.[25]
In September 2018, Kingsbury re-signed for the2018–19 W-League season where she helped Sydney reach its second straight Grand Final.[26][27] Kingsbury and Sydney FC won the 2019 Grand Final. She was subsequently named the 2018–19 W-League Goalkeeper of the Year.[28]
Kingsbury received her first senior call-up to theUnited States national team on October 31, 2019.[29]In November 2020, Kingsbury was named to the national team's training camp roster ahead of its November 27 game against the Netherlands.[30] Andonovski also named Kingsbury to the senior team roster ahead of their matches on January 18, 2021, and January 22, 2021.[31]
On January 12, 2022, Kingsbury was named in the national team camp for January ahead of the2022 SheBelieves Cup in February.[32]
Kingsbury is aChristian.[33] Her twin sister, Amber Bledsoe, is also a goalkeeper who attendedBrown University.[5] In December 2021, she married Matt Kingsbury and began playing under her married name in January 2022.[32]
| National Team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2022 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | |
Sydney FC
Washington Spirit
United States
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