Kansas City Current Adds Forward Penelope Hocking in Trade with Bay FC

KANSAS CITY (March 11, 2026) – The Kansas City Current has acquired forward Penelope Hocking, the seventh overall selection in the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft, from Bay FC, the clubs announced on Wednesday.

The Current sent $350,000 in intra-league transfer funds in exchange for Hocking, who was Bay FC’s leading goal scorer last year. She will be available for selection for the NWSL season opener on March 14.

“We are very excited to welcome Penelope to Kansas City,” said general manager Ryan Dell. “Penelope’s aptitude for scoring goals from anywhere on the field, combined with her ability to create chances for those around her, will only strengthen our attack. Above all, she is a great person and teammate who will positively impact our club on and off the pitch.”

Hocking began her professional career in 2023 when the Chicago Red Stars, now known as the Chicago Stars, selected her with the No. 7 overall pick in the NWSL Draft. She played in 29 regular season matches with 26 starts across the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, totaling seven goals and a pair of assists in 2,170 minutes. Hocking also scored two goals in three games during the 2023 NWSL Challenge Cup.

The forward then joined Bay FC before the close of the summer transfer window in August 2024. She appeared in Bay’s final eight regular season matches in 2024 and recorded the game-winning assist in her club debut before tallying an assist on Bay’s first-ever playoff goal. The 2025 season saw Hocking record a team-leading six goals and one assist in 18 regular season contests with 10 starts. She was one of 18 players in the league to score six or more regular season goals a year ago.

“I’m extremely excited to be joining the Kansas City Current,” said Hocking. “This is a club with high expectations and high standards, and I’m excited to bring my energy, compete every day and help the team win trophies.”

A native of Anaheim, Calif., Hocking played for the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team at the 2018 FIFA U-20 World Cup alongside now-KC Current teammate Izzy Rodriguez. She subbed in during two group stage matches against Paraguay and Spain. Hocking was also tabbed to the U.S. U-23 roster for a training camp in January 2022.

Hocking starred at the University of Southern California from 2018-21 where she was a two-time All-American, MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist, 2021 Pac-12 Forward of the Year and 2018 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. In 2021, she became USC’s all-time leading scorer by breaking a record that stood for over two decades, and her 54 goals as a Trojan are the 12th most in Pac-12 Conference history. She then took her graduate year at Penn State University in 2022 where she registered seven goals and 11 assists to earn All-Big Ten Second Team honors. In total, Hocking amassed 61 goals and 33 assists in 95 collegiate career appearances.