![]() Butler with the Carolina Ascent in 2025 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Jenna Carolene Butler [1] | ||
Date of birth | January 18, 2000 | ||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
Position(s) | Center back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Carolina Ascent | ||
Number | 20 | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2018–2022 | NC State Wolfpack | 86 | (7) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2024 | Carolina Ascent (USL W) | 10 | (2) |
2024 | Washington Spirit | 1 | (0) |
2025– | Carolina Ascent | 15 | (2) |
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of September 3, 2025 |
Jenna Carolene Butler (born January 18, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for USL Super League club Carolina Ascent. She has previously played for the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the NC State Wolfpack.
Butler grew up in Gainesville, Virginia. [2] She played club soccer for Prince William Courage, Northern Virginia SC, Fredericksburg FC, and FC Virginia. [2] She committed to the NC State Wolfpack during her junior year. [3]
Butler played five seasons for the NC State Wolfpack, starting in 86 games and scoring 7 goals as a center back. [2] In her freshman season in 2018, she played in two NCAA tournament wins, scoring the lone goal of the opening round against Northwestern and taking out seven seed Santa Clara on penalties, but she missed the round of 16 loss to UCLA due to injury. [2] After suffering a season-ending injury as a sophomore in 2019, she had a short junior season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. [2] She started every game over the following two full seasons, making use of the extra year of NCAA eligibility granted due to the pandemic, [2] and helped the Wolfpack to fifth and sixth consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, not counting the pandemic year. [4] She graduated from NC State with a degree in industrial and systems engineering in 2022. [5]
After graduating, Butler declared for the 2023 NWSL Draft but was not selected. [6] The following year, she played for the Carolina Ascent's USL W League side, starting all 10 games and scoring 2 goals, and was named in the league's second-team Team of the Year. [7]
Butler signed her first professional contract with the Washington Spirit as a national team replacement player on July 18, 2024. [8] She made her professional debut three days later, starting and playing 90 minutes in a 2–1 win over Guadalajara in the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. [9] She went on to play the entirety of the Spirit's other two games in the Summer Cup and appeared as a substitute in their friendly against Arsenal. On August 23, the Spirit re-signed Butler for the remainder of the 2024 season. [10] She made her only NWSL regular-season appearance for the Spirit on October 6, replacing injured Andi Sullivan during stoppage time against the Orlando Pride. [11]
Butler returned to the Carolina Ascent the following year, signing with the new professional team on January 16, 2025, midway through during the USL Super League's first season. [12] She scored her first professional goal on March 8, with a header off Jill Aguilera's set piece, as the Ascent won 2–1 away over the Spokane Zephyr. [13] She remained on the field for every minute of the Ascent's games during the spring, helping secure the Players' Shield with the best record in the league. She was included in the USL Super League Team of the Month twice (February and May). [14] In the playoffs, Carolina hosted fourth seed Fort Lauderdale United but lost 2–1 in extra time. [15]
Carolina Ascent