Alana Cook facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alana Cook

Cook with the Seattle Reign in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Alana Simone Cook
Date of birth	(1997-04-11) April 11, 1997 (age 28)
Place of birth	Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s)	Center back
Team information
Current team	Kansas City Current
Number	15
Youth career
	The Pennington School
	Match Fit Academy Colchesters
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2015–2018	Stanford Cardinal	93	(5)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2019–2021	Paris Saint-Germain	21	(0)
2020	→ OL Reign (loan)	0	(0)
2021–2024	Seattle Reign	65	(0)
2024–	Kansas City Current	0	(0)
International career‡
2013	United States U17
2014–2016	United States U20
2017–2019	United States U23	3	(0)
2019–	United States	30	(1)
Medal record Women's football Representing  United States CONCACAF W Championship Winner 2022 Mexico
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 28, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of April 8, 2025

Alana Simone Cook, born on April 11, 1997, is an American professional soccer player. She plays as a defender, specifically a center back, for the Kansas City Current team in the National Women's Soccer League. She also plays for the U.S. National Team.

Alana played college soccer at Stanford University before joining the French club Paris Saint-Germain. Later, she joined Seattle Reign FC in 2021. She first played for the United States national team in 2019. She was also part of the team for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Early Life and Youth Soccer

Alana Cook was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. She grew up there and in Far Hills, New Jersey, with her parents, Florence and Bryan Cook, and her sister, Brianna.

High School Success

Alana went to The Pennington School, a boarding school in Pennington, New Jersey. She helped her high school soccer team win regional and state championships. In 2013, she was named New Jersey Prep Player of the Year. She also earned the NSCAA High School Scholar Player of the Year award in 2015.

Club and Youth National Teams

Alana played club soccer for Match Fit Academy Colchesters. Her team won the U.S. Youth Soccer National League title in 2013. She was named NSCAA Youth All-American twice. As a teenager, Alana started playing for the United States youth national teams.

College Career at Stanford

From 2015 to 2018, Alana attended Stanford University. She studied symbolic systems and was a key player for the Stanford Cardinal women's soccer team for all four years. She was the team captain in her last two seasons. In 2018, she was named the Pac-12 Conference Defender of the Year. She was also a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, which is a top award for college soccer players.

Professional Club Career

Starting in Europe: Paris Saint-Germain (2019–2021)

In January 2019, Alana decided not to join the 2019 NWSL College Draft in the U.S. Instead, she chose to play in Europe. She signed a three-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain, a top team in France's Division 1 Féminine.

Short Loan to OL Reign (2020)

On June 16, 2020, Alana joined OL Reign in the U.S. for a short time. This was a loan move for the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup tournament.

Playing for OL / Seattle Reign (2021–2024)

On June 7, 2021, OL Reign officially signed Alana Cook from PSG. She signed a three-year contract with an option for an extra year.

Key Player for the Reign

During the 2021 season, Alana was a starting defender in all 20 regular season games. The Reign finished second in the league that year. They made it to the NWSL Playoffs but were defeated by the Washington Spirit. Alana's strong performance earned her a spot on the league's NWSL Best XI team.

In 2022, Alana helped OL Reign finish first in the regular season, winning the NWSL Shield. She was nominated for the NWSL Defender of the Year award in both 2021 and 2022.

Joining Kansas City Current (2024–Present)

Cook playing for the Current in 2024

On July 22, 2024, Seattle Reign announced that Alana Cook had been traded. She moved to the Kansas City Current in exchange for funds that teams use for player transfers.

International Career

Alana Cook has played for several United States national teams. She has represented the U.S. at the under-17, under-20, under-23, and senior levels.

Youth National Teams

She was the captain of the under-17 team. She then moved up to the under-20 team in 2014 and the under-23 team in 2017. In 2019, she also captained the under-23 squad.

Senior National Team Debut

Alana's father is British, so she could also play for the England national team. In September 2019, she was called up to train with England. However, she received her first call-up to the United States national team on October 31, 2019. In June 2023, she was chosen to be part of the U.S. team for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.

Personal Life

Alana Cook follows a plant-based diet.

Honors and Awards

Alana Cook has won many awards and championships throughout her career:

Stanford Cardinal

• NCAA Women's College Cup: 2017

Paris Saint-Germain

• Division 1 Féminine: 2020–21 (French League Champions)

OL Reign

• NWSL Shield: 2022 (Regular Season Champions)
• The Women's Cup: 2022

Kansas City Current

• NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup: 2024

United States U23

• Nordic Tournament: 2019

United States National Team

• CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2022
• SheBelieves Cup: 2022, 2023

Individual Awards

• Pac-12 Conference Defender of the Year: 2018
• MAC Hermann Trophy Semifinalist: 2018
• NWSL Best XI: 2021, 2022 (Named one of the best players in the league)

See also

In Spanish: Alana Cook para niños