Kayla Sharples

Defender

HOMETOWN: Naperville, IL, United States

HEIGHT: 5'11"

Kayla Sharples joined the Kansas City Current in August 2024 via a trade with Bay FC. Prior to her move, Sharples was one of Bay FC's inaugural signings. She made 15 appearances with 12 starts in 2024 for Bay and notched two goals, leading the team in interceptions (14) while ranking sixth in the NWSL for blocks (16). Her professional career began when she was the No. 26 overall selection by the Chicago Red Stars in the 2019 NWSL Draft. Over five seasons with Chicago, she made 48 appearances with 39 starts across all competitions, scoring her first professional goal in October 2023 against Kansas City.

While on loan, her career also includes international stints with Kuopion Palloseura (KuPS) in Finland in 2020. She made six appearances and scored one goal, contributing to KuPS’s third-place finish that year, the highest ever for the club. Sharples also played for Adelaide United in Australia's A-League during the 2021–22 season. She started 11 of 14 regular season matches, recorded one goal and helped Adelaide reach its first-ever finals appearance.

Sharples had a decorated collegiate career at Northwestern University from 2015-18. She started all 88 matches, recording nine goals and five assists in 7,951 minutes logged. Seven of her nine career goals were game-winners, and she anchored a defense that delivered 47 shutouts. She led the Wildcats to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances as well as the 2016 Big Ten Championship. Sharples was twice named a Third Team All-American.

She was twice named to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America Third Team, having also been named First Team All-Region and First Team All-Big Ten on three occasions.