Anna Heilferty

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Anna Heilferty
Personal information
Date of birth (1999-04-17) April 17, 1999 (age 25) [1]
Place of birth Falls Church, Virginia, U.S.
Height 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) [1]
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
–2017 Justice High School
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2017–2020 Boston University Terriers 62 (13)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2021–2024 Washington Spirit 45 (0)
International career
2022 United States U23 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of March 7, 2025

Anna Heilferty (born April 17, 1999) is an American professional women's soccer player who most recently played as a defender for the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Boston University Terriers before being selected by the Spirit in the second round of the 2021 NWSL Draft

Contents

Early life

Heilferty is a native of Falls Church, Virginia, and attended Justice High School, then named JEB Stuart High School. The Washington Post named her its high school women's soccer player of the year in 2017. [2] [3]

College career

Heilferty attended Boston University, where she played for the Boston University Terriers women's soccer team. She made 62 appearances, and scored 13 goals and 10 assists. [2] The Patriot League named her its rookie of the year in 2017, and in 2018 named her the Patriot League Tournament's most valuable player and to the All-Patriot League first team. [1] [4] Initially playing as an attacker and leading the team in goals and assists as a sophomore, she moved to left back in her junior year. [5]

Club career

Washington Spirit, 2021–2024

Heilferty, a fan of the Washington Spirit as a child, trained with the team during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Spirit selected her with the 19th-overall pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft. [2] She was the first Boston University player to be drafted into the NWSL. [6] Heilferty made her professional debut on April 10, 2021, in the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup. [7] The team played her in multiple positions, including on both wings, at left back, and as a midfielder. [5] She played 47 minutes as a substitute for Tara McKeown in the 2021 NWSL Championship match against the Chicago Red Stars, which the Spirit won 2–1. [8] On January 17, 2023, the Spirit extended Heilferty's contract through 2024 with an option for an additional year. The team also officially converted her to a defender. [5] [9] On February 25, 2023, the Spirit announced that Heilferty would miss the 2023 season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered during preseason. [10] [11]

Heilferty made her return to the pitch on March 23, 2024, in the Spirit's 2024 home opener match against Bay FC. [12] In her second match back from injury, Heilferty suffered a season-ending ACL tear on April 26. [13] It would be Heilferty's second ACL injury in just over a year. [14] At the end of the season, Heilferty's option was declined and she was rendered a free agent as per the NWSL's CBA. [15]

International career

The United States women's national under-23 soccer team selected Heilferty for the 2022 Three-Nations Tournament in Sweden. [16] [17]

Personal life

On May 12, 2022, Heilferty joined the Department of Energy and Environment as the first ambassador for the Government of the District of Columbia's Sustainable DC environmental initiative. [18]

Career statistics

College

ClubSeasonAppsGoals
Boston University 2017 215
2018 226
2019 192
Career totals6213

Club

As of April 26, 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCup [a] Playoffs [b] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Washington Spirit 2021 NWSL 1904030260
2022 21080—290
2023 0000—00
2024 20—0020
Career total42012030570

Honors

Washington Spirit

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Anna Heilferty". Boston University Terriers . Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 O'Brien, Ellen (February 1, 2021). "Falls Church Native Anna Heilferty Joins the Washington Spirit". Washingtonian . Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Soccer". The Washington Post . June 11, 2017. pp. H6, H9. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Betts, Lily (November 1, 2018). "Patriot League recognizes five women's soccer players, head coach". The Daily Free Press . Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "BU alumna Anna Heilferty, NWSL champion, talks rookie year". Boston University News Service (Press release). April 11, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  6. ↑ Sigal, Jonathan (January 14, 2021). "Boston University's Anna Heilferty picked by Washington Spirit in 2021 NWSL Draft" . New England Soccer Journal. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  7. ↑ "North Carolina defeats Washington, 3-2, in back-and-forth match" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League.
  8. ↑ "Washington Spirit vs. Chicago Red Stars Match Report". FBref . November 20, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  9. ↑ Carlisle, André (January 17, 2023). "Official: Anna Heilferty extends Washington Spirit contract". Black and Red United. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  10. ↑ Elliott, Annie (February 25, 2023). "Washington Spirit's Anna Heilferty will miss 2023 season due to injury". The District Press. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  11. ↑ Anderson, Jason (March 22, 2023). "The NWSL newcomers you need to know for 2023". Pro Soccer Wire. USA Today . Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  12. ↑ Spirit, Washington (March 24, 2024). "Recap: Spirit win home opener against Bay FC in front of record crowd". Washington Spirit. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  13. ↑ Spirit, Washington (April 30, 2024). "Washington Spirit Defender Anna Heilferty to Miss Remainder of 2024 Season with Injury". Washington Spirit. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Washington Spirit's Anna Heilferty tears ACL". The District Press. April 30, 2024. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
  15. ↑ Spirit, Washington (December 10, 2024). "Washington Spirit Announces Offseason Roster Moves, Updated Roster". Washington Spirit. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  16. ↑ Hruby, Emma (June 15, 2022). "Eight NWSL players named to U-23 US Women's Youth National Team". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  17. ↑ "U.S. U-23 Women's Youth National Team earns 4-1 win over India at Three-Nations Tournament". SoccerWire. June 27, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  18. ↑ "DOEE Announces Washington Spirit Player Anna Heilferty as District's First-Ever Sustainable DC Ambassador" (Press release). Government of the District of Columbia. May 12, 2022. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
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