Grace Debra Phillpotts (born October 1, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Sporting JAX in the USL Super League. She played collegiate soccer at DePaul University and the University of Kentucky.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Grace Debra Phillpotts[1] | ||
| Date of birth | October 1, 2002 | ||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sporting JAX | ||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2020 | Michigan Hawks | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2022 | DePaul Blue Demons | 39 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Kentucky Wildcats | 40 | (1) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2022 | Detroit City | 3 | (0) |
| 2025 | Brooklyn FC | 7 | (1) |
| 2025– | Sporting JAX | 27 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of May 24, 2026 | |||
Early life and youth career
editPhillpotts attended Powers Catholic High School, where she was a standout soccer player, earning multiple accolades. She played club soccer for the Michigan Hawks, a prestigious team competing in the ECNL, the top youth soccer competition in the United States.[2][3]
In 2017, Phillpotts was invited to the ECNL/id2 National Training Camp, a showcase for the country’s top female youth players. She also helped lead the Michigan Hawks to a third-place finish at the ECNL National Playoffs that year.[4]
College career
editDePaul Blue Demons
editPhillpotts began her collegiate career playing for the DePaul Blue Demons in Chicago. As a freshman in 2020, she started seven matches and earned a place on the Big East All-Freshman Team. Philpotts started all 18 matches in her sophomore year and made 12 starts as a junior.[5]
During her tenure with the Blue Demons, Phillpotts recorded four assists. In September 2021, she was named Big East Defensive Player of the Week.[5]
Kentucky Wildcats
editPhillpotts transferred to the Kentucky Wildcats in 2023. She started all 19 matches she played that season, providing four assists and helping Kentucky achieve a 9–4–6 record.[6]
She earned Second Team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors and selection to the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Third Team All-Southeast Region. In her senior year, Phillpotts started all 21 matches, logging a career-high 1,799 minutes, and scoring her first collegiate goal. She matched her career-best with four assists, totaling six points for the season. Her senior season accolades included First Team All-SEC and USC Southeast Region First Team honors.[7]
Club career
editDetroit City FC
editIn May 2020, Philpotts was named to first-ever women's side for Detroit City, competing in United Women's Soccer.[8] Philipotts returned to Detroit City in 2021, earning Second-Team All-Conference honors, and then again in 2022 when she appeared in three matches.[9][10]
Brooklyn FC
editIn January 2025, shortly after completing her collegiate eligibility, Phillpotts signed her first professional contract with Brooklyn FC, one of the founding teams of the USL Super League.[11][12]
Phillpotts joined Brooklyn FC midway through the 2024–25 season. In total, she appeared in seven matches for Brooklyn FC, starting five and recording one goal with one assist in her professional debut.[13]
Sporting JAX
editOn July 1, 2025, Sporting JAX, an expansion club in the USL Super League, announced they had signed Phillpotts to their inaugural roster.[14]
Career statistics
editCollege
edit| Season | Games | Scoring | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | G | A | PTS | SH | SOG | |||
| DePaul Blue Demons | |||||||||
| 2020 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2021 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 7 | ||
| 2022 | 16 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | ||
| Kentucky Wildcats | |||||||||
| 2023 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 6 | ||
| 2024 | 21 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 4 | ||
| Career | |||||||||
| Career total | 80 | 76 | 1 | 17 | 19 | 60 | 23 | ||
Professional
edit- As of May 24, 2026[15]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Playoffs[a] | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Brooklyn FC | 2024–25 |  USLS |
7 | 1 | — | — | 7 | 1 | ||
| Sporting JAX | 2025–26 | 27 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 34 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 35 | 1 | |||
- ↑ Includes USL Super League playoffs
Honors and awards
edit- USC Southeast Region First Team: 2024[7]
- First Team All-SEC: 2024
- Second Team All-SEC: 2023
- USC Third Team All-Southeast Region: 2023
- Big East Defensive Player of the Week: September 2021
- Big East All-Freshman Team: 2020
References
edit- ↑ "Winter 2024 Commencement Program" (PDF). University of Kentucky. p. 25. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ↑ "Grace Phillpotts Brooklyn FC". FotMob.com. FotMob. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ↑ "ECNL announces roster for 2017 ECNL/id2 National Training Camp". SoccerWire.com. HummerSport, LLC. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
- ↑ "University of Kentucky signs four women's soccer transfers for Spring 2023 season". SoccerWire.com. Soccer Wire. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- 1 2 "22 Grace Phillpotts". DePaulBlueDemons.com. DePaul University. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ↑ "University of Kentucky signs four women's soccer transfers for Spring 2023 season". SoccerWire.com. Soccer Wire. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- 1 2 "Grace Phillpotts". UKAthletics.com. University of Kentucky. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ↑ "DETROIT CITY ADDS FIVE TO INAUGURAL UWS SQUAD". DetCityFC.com. Detroit City. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ↑ "Welcome back for her third campaign in Rouge and Gold, @gracephillpotts !". Twitter.com. Detroit City. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ↑ "Grace Phillpotts #22·M". USLWLeague.com. USL W League. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ↑ "Grace Phillpotts Signs Professional Contract with Brooklyn FC". KYSports.co. KY Sports. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ↑ Cox, Sydney. "Kentucky women's soccer star Grace Phillpotts recognizes professional dream with USL's Brooklyn FC". KYKernel.com. KY Kernel. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ↑ "Grace Phillpotts Brooklyn FC". FotMob.com. FotMob. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ↑ "Sporting JAX adds seven dynamic new signings to inaugural roster, including international stars". SportingJAX.com. Sporting JAX. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ↑ Grace Phillpotts at Soccerway