Profile
Kelley
O'Hara
- Position Defender
- Number 5
- Date of Birth Aug 04 1988
- Hometown Fayetteville, GA
- Height 5' 5"
- Club NJ/NY Gotham FC
Kelley O’Hara began her career as a standout forward at Stanford. As a freshman, her nine goals led the team and as a senior, she nearly tripled that number. The Hermann Trophy winner scored 26 goals and notched 13 assists in her final season, one of the highest outputs in Division I history. Seven years ago, the goal-scorer was converted into a defender—a defender with full license to go forward. Now headed into her third World Cup, O’Hara is a veteran outside back who can jumpstart the U.S. attack.
Risk-taker
O’Hara was a homebody as a kid—the one at sleepovers who’d call her dad to come fetch her long before morning—which is why her dad finds it hilarious that she, of all his kids, is the one who has traveled all around the world. Nowadays, the avid surfer has fully shed whatever trepidation she used to experience as kid. She’s a risk-taker who’s down for anything, whether that’s playing outside back or forward or flying to Australia to catch some waves with a friend.
The Journey
O’Hara’s first professional team, the WPS’s FC Gold Pride based out of Santa Clara, CA, won the league championship and then folded. Picked up by the Boston Breakers, O’Hara scored ten goals in two seasons playing as an outside mid. In January 2012, the Georgia native announced that she’d be going home to play for the Atlanta Beat—but then the entire league folded. When the NWSL began, O’Hara spent four seasons with New Jersey’s Sky Blue before landing with Utah Royals FC. While initially nervous about the move, and sad to leave the team of girls she loved, she has enjoyed playing for Utah. “My favorite part is how well the club is run—I feel like a professional athlete,” says O’Hara. “I guess I never realize that I craved that—it’s awesome. I’m so, so thankful—it takes your game to another level.”
Risk-taker
O’Hara was a homebody as a kid—the one at sleepovers who’d call her dad to come fetch her long before morning—which is why her dad finds it hilarious that she, of all his kids, is the one who has traveled all around the world. Nowadays, the avid surfer has fully shed whatever trepidation she used to experience as kid. She’s a risk-taker who’s down for anything, whether that’s playing outside back or forward or flying to Australia to catch some waves with a friend.
The Journey
O’Hara’s first professional team, the WPS’s FC Gold Pride based out of Santa Clara, CA, won the league championship and then folded. Picked up by the Boston Breakers, O’Hara scored ten goals in two seasons playing as an outside mid. In January 2012, the Georgia native announced that she’d be going home to play for the Atlanta Beat—but then the entire league folded. When the NWSL began, O’Hara spent four seasons with New Jersey’s Sky Blue before landing with Utah Royals FC. While initially nervous about the move, and sad to leave the team of girls she loved, she has enjoyed playing for Utah. “My favorite part is how well the club is run—I feel like a professional athlete,” says O’Hara. “I guess I never realize that I craved that—it’s awesome. I’m so, so thankful—it takes your game to another level.”
Stories
U. S. WNT
