By OkayGoal 
From college to the NWSL, Avery Patterson has shown outstanding promise to reach great heights. Despite being a stellar defender, she is still able to put balls in the back of the net. Patterson is a bright spark for both the USWNT and Houston Dash. Let’s take a look at Patterson’s career so far and the trajectory it is taking.
Tar Heel Days
Patterson missed out on a portion of her freshman year at UNC due to injury and a shortened spring season due to COVID-19 postponement. Her sophomore year allowed her to showcase her versatility. She scored five goals and recorded three assists in 17 appearances. Her ability to not only steer opposing attackers away from goal, but also have an offensive vision is exceptional.
The last two years of her collegiate career consisted of 22 goals and 10 assists in 48 appearances. She helped the Tar Heels reach the finals for both the ACC and NCAA national championships during her junior year. Even though the team fell short, Patterson’s sophisticated approach to the game kept her laser-focused for her final year with UNC, where she was named team captain.
Dashing to Houston
After being drafted in the second round of the 2024 draft, Patterson has asserted herself as one of the gamechangers for the Houston Dash organization. As a rookie, Patterson played the most minutes of all field players, recorded two assists, and netted 1 goal in 28 appearances. She was awarded Houston’s 2024 Newcomer of the Year.
So far, Patterson’s second year has been electric. With three goals to her name, there is no doubt Patterson continues to thrive as the versatile threat that she is.
Patterson is changing the landscape for Dash. She and Yazmeen Ryan are two national players who rock the Houston threads. Dash has not had a national player on their squad since Kristie Mewis. As fans have seen Patterson’s growth in her second year in the league, so has Emma Hayes.
From Youth to Senior Squad
From training with the U-14 team to winning the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, Patterson has developed phenomenally in the national scene. Her impact during the 2022 CONCACAF tournament, with six goals in five games, is undeniable, despite not securing a 2022 U-20 FIFA WWC roster spot.
Despite not being a part of the 2022 U-20 WWC roster, she continued to sharpen her skills. Patterson played in friendlies against NWSL teams the year prior to being drafted into the NWSL. From that point on, she’s been shortlisted, as proven by Emma Hayes listing her in the Futures Camp earlier this year.
It didn’t take long for Patterson to produce with the senior squad. She scored her first international goal against the Republic of Ireland in her fifth appearance with the USWNT. Versatility on the backline is nothing new to the USWNT organization. From the talents of Crystal Dunn, Julie Ertz, and Becky Sauerbrunn, the USWNT’s defense is in good hands with the talents of Naomi Girma, Lilly Reale, and Patterson herself.
Image via @houstondash
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