Maggie Graham

Last updated

Maggie Graham
Dash training (Apr 2025) 26 (cropped).jpg
Graham with Houston Dash in 2025
Personal information
Full name Margaret Isabel Graham [1]
Date of birth (2002-07-10) July 10, 2002 (age 23)
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Houston Dash
Number 23
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020–2024 Duke Blue Devils 101 (22)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2025– Houston Dash 20 (3)
International career
2018 United States U-16
2020 United States U-18 3 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of September 14, 2025

Margaret Isabel Graham (born July 10, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Duke Blue Devils, earning first-team All-American honors in 2024.

Contents

Early life

Raised in Atlanta, Graham played multiple sports at the Westminster Schools, including soccer, basketball, track, and cross country, and won state championships in soccer and cross country as a freshman. She played DA club soccer for NTH Tophat, serving as captain for four years. [2] She committed to play college soccer for Duke as a sophomore. [3] She was ranked by TopDrawerSoccer as the 40th-best recruit of the 2020 class. [2]

College career

Graham made 21 appearances (10 starts) for the Duke Blue Devils as a freshman in 2020, a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She started all three games for Duke in the NCAA tournament, assisting Sophie Jones's golden goal against Arizona State in the second round and making her penalty kick in a quarterfinal shootout loss to Florida State. She appeared in 20 games (4 starts) in her sophomore season. She provided the winning assist to her sister, Delaney, in against Memphis in the second round of the NCAA tournament as Duke returned the quarterfinals, falling to Santa Clara. [2] [4]

Graham playing for Duke in 2024 Duke vs Louisville 2024 - 04 (cropped).jpg
Graham playing for Duke in 2024

Graham played a bigger role in her junior season in 2022, making 22 appearances (20 starts) and scoring 4 goals with 6 assists, with all of her assists in conference play. In the semifinals of the ACC tournament, she was sent off with a straight red card after showing two middle fingers to her North Carolina opponent; Duke lost on penalties after a 0–0 draw. After sitting out the opening round of the NCAA tournament, she started three games as Duke returned to the national quarterfinals, where they lost to Alabama in overtime. [2] [5] In her senior year, she started 16 games and scored one goal with one assist in a down season for Duke, who failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament. [2] [6]

Graham returned to play a fifth season in 2024, using her extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the pandemic. She started 22 games, led the team with 14 goals (more than doubling her career total), and had 5 assists. She scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against North Carolina during non-conference play, Duke's first-ever home win against the Tar Heels, and scored Duke's third in a 3–2 win against the same opponents during the ACC regular season. [2] [7] She scored a hat trick and had an assist in a 4–1 away win against Stanford. Duke went undefeated in conference play to claim the ACC regular-season title. In the NCAA tournament, Graham scored twice in each of the first two rounds. Duke went on to the semifinals, where they lost 3–0 to North Carolina. After the 2024 season, she was named first-team All-ACC, the ACC Midfielder of the Year, and first-team All-American. She was one of three Duke players to make more than 100 career appearances alongside her sister Delaney and Mackenzie Pluck. [2] [8]

Club career

The Houston Dash announced on January 21, 2025, that they had signed Graham to her first professional contract on a three-year deal. [9] She was the team's first college signing after the abolition of the college draft. [9] She made her professional debut as a substitute for Sophie Schmidt in the season opener against the Washington Spirit on March 14. [10] Fifteen minutes later, she directed the ball with her stomach to score her first professional goal in the 2–1 loss. [10] The following week, she scored a minute after entering the game as the Dash came from behind to win 2–1 against the Chicago Stars. [11] She was the first NWSL player to score off the bench in her first two regular-season appearances. [11] She was named the NWSL Rookie of the Month after her performances in March. [12] On May 11, she scored the lone goal in a 1–0 win against the Seattle Reign. [13] On September 14, she sustained a season-ending shoulder injury toward the end of the game against the Utah Royals. [14] She had appeared in all 20 games up to that point, starting 16, and scored 3 goals. [15] She finished the season tied for second on the team in goals and tied for first with three assists. [16] She was named the club's Young Player of the Year at the end of the season. [16]

International career

Graham appeared in friendlies for the United States youth national team at the under-16 and under-18 level, scoring against China U18 in 2020. [2] In June 2025, she was called into training with the United States under-23 team at a camp held concurrently with the senior national team. [17]

Personal life

Graham is the younger of two daughters born to Chris and Marie Graham. [2] She is of Cuban descent. [18] Her father rowed crew at Cornell. Her sister, Delaney, played soccer alongside her at Duke. [19]

Career statistics

As of September 14, 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCup [a] Playoffs [b] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Houston Dash 2025 NWSL 203203
Career total2030000203

Honors and awards

Duke Blue Devils

Individual

References

  1. "Duke University Commencement" (PDF). 2024. p. 43. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Maggie Graham". Duke Blue Devils . Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  3. "Recruiting Roundup: November 6-12". TopDrawerSoccer . November 6, 2017. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  4. Sheehy, Mackenzie (August 17, 2023). "Even after their sisters left, Duke women's soccer is still a family affair for Maggie Graham and Emily Royson". Duke Chronicle . Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  5. Hruby, Emma (November 5, 2022). "Duke player's middle fingers add to odd women's soccer trend". Just Women's Sports . Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  6. Swanson, Shelby (November 1, 2024). "A rise to the top: Inside Duke women's soccer's remarkable run to No. 1 in the NCAA" . The News & Observer . Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  7. Schwabe, Colton (September 13, 2024). "Blue Devil of the Week: Maggie Graham scores game-winner to lead Duke women's soccer against No. 2 North Carolina". Duke Chronicle . Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  8. "Women's Division I Postseason Top 100". TopDrawerSoccer . December 18, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Houston Dash Sign Duke University Midfielder Maggie Graham". Houston Dash. January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  10. 1 2 Anderson, Jason (March 18, 2025). "NWSL Weekend Take-Off: KC Current expose familiar Portland Thorns flaws". USA Today . Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  11. 1 2 Lloyd-Hughes, Theo (March 25, 2025). "Marta scores as Pride defeats Gotham 2-0". Associated Press . Retrieved March 24, 2025.
  12. 1 2 NWSL (April 3, 2025). "Houston Dash Midfielder Maggie Graham Named March Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally". National Women's Soccer League . Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  13. "Graham scores in Dash's 1-0 victory over the Reign in the NWSL". Associated Press. May 11, 2025. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  14. "Houston Dash Announce Roster Updates". Houston Dash. September 18, 2025. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  15. "2025 Houston Dash Stats". FBref.com . Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  16. 1 2 3 "Houston Dash Announce 2025 Team Awards". Houston Dash. November 13, 2025. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  17. "24 Players Named for U.S. Under-23 Women's National Team Training Camp to Run Concurrently with USWNT's Denver Leg of Upcoming FIFA Window". United States Soccer Federation. June 20, 2025. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  18. Pruchniewski, Morgan (October 11, 2023). "Hispanic Heritage Month – The Grahams Reconnect with Their Heritage". Duke Blue Devils . Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  19. "Delaney Graham". Duke Blue Devils . Retrieved March 15, 2025.