![]() Harding with the Carolina Ascent in 2025 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Audrey Rose Harding [1] | ||
Date of birth | July 14, 1998 | ||
Place of birth | Akron, Ohio, U.S. | ||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Carolina Ascent | ||
Number | 18 | ||
Youth career | |||
Ohio Premiere | |||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2017–2021 | UNC Wilmington Seahawks | 68 | (23) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2022 | Washington Spirit | 9 | (0) |
2023 | KIF Örebro DFF | 25 | (2) |
2024 | Carolina Ascent (USLW) | 9 | (5) |
2024– | Carolina Ascent | 20 | (5) |
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of May 31, 2025 |
Audrey Rose Harding (born July 14, 1998) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for USL Super League club Carolina Ascent. She played college soccer for the UNC Wilmington Seahawks. She has previously played for the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and KIF Örebro in Sweden.
Harding was born in Akron, Ohio, as one of five children from Greg and Dena Harding. [1] She attended Revere High School, [2] where she recorded 58 goals and 31 assists for the program. While at Revere, Harding was a three-time All-State and All-District selection. [3] [4] She also was a member of the school's track and field team in her freshman year. [1] While attending high school, Harding played with club team Ohio Premiere and made triweekly trips to Columbus to further her soccer training. [3] [5]
Harding played for the UNC Wilmington Seahawks from 2017 to 2021. In her freshman year, she played in 12 matches and won the CAA Commissioner's Academic Award. [1] She played as a reserve in her sophomore season [1] but managed to score her first collegiate goal on August 24, 2018, in a defeat to Virginia Tech. [6] Harding increased in production during her subsequent seasons as a Seahawk, [7] earning an All-CAA second team spot in 2019 and getting first team conference honors in her last two seasons. [8] As a senior, she helped the team to a CAA final, tallying a goal in their semifinal win over Northeastern. [9] In her last year at UNC Wilmington, she recorded season-high numbers in goals, assists, and starts. Harding became the 10th player in program history to score 20 or more goals; [10] she would later score three more to take the total tally up to 23. [1] She also became the first Seahawk to receive United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America recognition. [11] Harding departed from UNC Wilmington with 68 games and 23 goals recorded. [1]
On December 18, 2021, Harding was selected in the third round of the 2022 NWSL Draft by the Washington Spirit. As the 38th overall pick, Harding also became the second-ever UNC Wilmington player to be drafted into the NWSL. [12] While she was part of the Spirit's preseason roster, Harding was not signed before the start of the season. [13] Instead, she inked her first professional contract on May 1, 2022, as a short-term injury replacement for Gaby Vincent. [14] Harding made her Spirit debut later that day, in a 2–1 victory over the OL Reign. [15] She was part of the Spirit's run to the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup final and entered the championship match as a substitute for the injured Jordan Baggett. [16] On May 27, Harding earned her first professional start and recorded her first professional assist in a 2–2 draw with the Orlando Pride. [17] After her short-term contract expired, Harding was re-signed to the Spirit's active roster through the end of the 2022 season. [18] At the conclusion of the year, the Spirit did not renew Harding's contract as part of the club's end-of-year roster decisions. [19]
Harding signed a contract with Swedish club KIF Örebro DFF in the in December 2022. [20] She played in 25 matches and scored twice as Örebro finished in 10th place overall in the Damallsvenskan. After one season with Örebro, Harding departed from the club as part of a mutual agreement. [21]
On July 2, 2024, Harding signed a three-year deal with USL Super League team Carolina Ascent FC ahead of the club's inaugural season. [22] She played in the team's inaugural game, a 1–0 victory over Lexington SC. During the match, Harding registered the first ever assist in league history. [23] On March 23, 2025, Harding scored twice in a 4–0 victory over Lexington SC, getting her name on the scoresheet for the first time with the Ascent. [24] She scored another goal and racked up 3 assists within the remainder of March, winning herself a spot on the league's Team of the Month. [25]
Club | Season | League | Cup [a] | Playoffs [b] | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Washington Spirit | 2022 | NWSL | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |
KIF Örebro DFF | 2023 | Damallsvenskan | 25 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 28 | 3 | |
Carolina Ascent FC | 2024–25 | USL Super League | 12 | 2 | — | — | 12 | 2 | ||
Career total | 46 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 5 |
Carolina Ascent