Darian Jenkins facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Darian Michelle Jenkins | ||
| Date of birth | January 5, 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Murray, Utah, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2012 | Sparta United | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2016 | UCLA Bruins | 76 | (29) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2016 | SoCal FC | ||
| 2017–2018 | North Carolina Courage | 13 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | OL Reign | 17 | (4) |
| 2019–2020 | → Melbourne Victory (loan) | 12 | (5) |
| 2020–2021 | → Bordeaux (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2021 | Kansas City Current | 22 | (3) |
| 2022 | Orlando Pride | 17 | (2) |
| Total | 86 | (14) | |
| International career | |||
| 2011–2012 | United States U17 | 5 | (2) |
| 2014 | United States U18 | ||
| 2013–2015 | United States U20 | ||
| 2017–2018 | United States U23 | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Darian Michelle Jenkins (born January 5, 1995) is an American retired professional soccer player. She played as a forward, which means she was usually trying to score goals.
Darian played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins. She helped her team win the National Championship in 2013. Later, she was chosen as the seventh player overall in the 2017 NWSL College Draft. She played professionally for several teams, including North Carolina Courage, OL Reign, and Kansas City Current in the NWSL. She also played for Melbourne Victory in Australia and Bordeaux in France. Darian also represented the United States on various youth national teams.
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Darian Jenkins' Early Life and College Soccer Journey
Growing up in Riverton, Utah, Darian Jenkins started playing soccer in a fun league when she was 10. By age 11, she joined a competitive team and trained a lot. She first got noticed by the U.S. Youth National Team when she was 14. At Riverton High School, Darian was a great athlete in both soccer and track. She won the Utah State Cup in 2012 with her club team, Sparta United.
Playing for the UCLA Bruins
Darian played college soccer at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She was a starting player for the UCLA Bruins for four years. During her time there, she scored 29 goals and made 12 assists in 76 games.
In her first year, 2013, Darian started every game and scored 11 goals. She helped the Bruins win their first Pac-12 Championship since 2008. She was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and helped her team win the 2013 National Championship title. In 2016, she scored three goals in one game, which is called a hat-trick. Unfortunately, her college career ended early due to an injury.
While in college, Darian also played for SoCal FC in the Women's Premier Soccer League in 2015 and 2016.
Darian Jenkins' Professional Soccer Career
Starting with North Carolina Courage (2017–2018)
On January 12, 2017, Darian was picked by North Carolina Courage in the first round of the 2017 NWSL College Draft. She signed with the team but had to recover from her leg injury first. She didn't play in 2017 while she was healing.
On March 24, 2018, Darian played her first game for the Courage. She came in as a substitute during the game against Portland Thorns. She played in 14 games that year, all as a substitute. The Courage won the NWSL Championship in 2018, and Darian was part of the winning team.
Moving to OL Reign (2019–2020)
On December 17, 2018, Darian joined Reign FC. She played her first game for them on April 14, 2019, and scored her first professional goal in that game. In 2019, she played in 18 games and scored four goals, which was the third-highest on her team.
During the NWSL offseason, Darian went to Australia to play for Melbourne Victory on loan. She played in all 12 games and scored five goals. Her team finished second in the regular season. She was even named to the Team of the Season.
In 2020, Darian played five games for OL Reign during the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. She then went on loan to Bordeaux in France until February 2021.
Playing for Kansas City Current (2021)
On January 4, 2021, Darian was traded to the Kansas City NWSL team (which later became Kansas City Current). She played in 23 games and scored three goals, tying for the most goals on her team that season.
Joining Orlando Pride and Retirement (2022)
On January 11, 2022, Darian joined Orlando Pride. This move brought her back with her former UCLA coach, Amanda Cromwell. Darian announced her retirement from professional soccer on January 18, 2023.
Darian Jenkins' International Play
Darian Jenkins also played for the United States on different youth national teams.
In May 2012, she played for the United States under-17 team in a championship. She scored a goal in the semi-final game against Panama. The U.S. team won the tournament and qualified for the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. Darian played in all three group games at the World Cup and scored a goal against North Korea.
In 2014, Darian was a starting player for the United States under-18 team. She was also often called to training camps for the United States under-20 team. In August 2018, Darian played for the United States under-23 team.
Career Statistics
College
| School | Season | Division | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA Bruins | 2013 | Div. I | 26 | 11 |
| 2014 | 21 | 6 | ||
| 2015 | 18 | 5 | ||
| 2016 | 11 | 7 | ||
| Career total | 76 | 29 | ||
Club
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| North Carolina Courage | 2017 | NWSL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Total | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| OL Reign | 2019 | NWSL | 17 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 4 | |
| 2020 | — | — | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 17 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 23 | 4 | ||
| Melbourne Victory (loan) | 2019–20 | W-League | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 13 | 5 | |
| Bordeaux (loan) | 2020–21 | D1 Féminine | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Kansas City Current | 2021 | NWSL | 22 | 3 | — | 1 | 0 | 23 | 3 | |
| Orlando Pride | 2022 | NWSL | 17 | 2 | — | 6 | 2 | 23 | 4 | |
| Career total | 86 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 101 | 16 | ||
Honors and Awards
Darian Jenkins received several awards and honors during her soccer career:
UCLA Bruins
- Pac-12 Conference regular season: 2013, 2014
- NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship: 2013
North Carolina Courage
- NWSL Championship: 2018
- NWSL Shield: 2017, 2018
International
- CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship: 2012
Individual
- Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year: 2013
- PFA W-League Team of the Season: 2019–20
