Michelle Alozie

Defender • Age 29 • #5

Michelle Chinwendu Alozie is a Nigerian and American footballer who plays as a defender. She has represented the Nigeria senior national team.

175 Appearances

31 Goals

1 Awards

Fun Facts about Michelle

Quirky facts. Inspired by her game.

She wears mismatched soccer cleats as a tribute to Mario Balotelli. She admires his style and thinks it's a unique and fun way to express herself.

She tore her ACL in her senior year at Yale but continued playing soccer after transferring to the University of Tennessee.

She went undrafted in the 2019 NWSL College Draft but later earned a contract with Houston Dash after joining as a preseason trialist.

She signed her first professional contract with BIIK Kazygurt in Kazakhstan but had to return to the U.S. after COVID-19 ended the season.

She was named one of the world’s best African players in 2023, making the CAF Women’s Africa Best XI.

She grew up in Apple Valley, California, but represents Nigeria internationally due to her parents’ heritage.

Her childhood friend, Ally Prisock, was already playing for Houston Dash when she joined the team.

She played every minute of Nigeria’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign.

She scored her first international goal for Nigeria after just one training session with the team.

She was involved in a viral moment at the 2023 World Cup when England’s Lauren James stamped on her, leading to a red card.

She is passionate about fashion.

She appeared in The Offseason, a reality show about NWSL players preparing for the new season.

She has played as both a forward and a defender for the Dash.

She played in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, marking Nigeria’s first Olympic appearance since 2008.

She fell in love with soccer around age 10, initially playing because her older siblings did.

She got her opportunity with the Houston Dash by emailing coaches and asking for a trial. She slept on her sister’s couch in Houston while trying out for the team.

She described playing in the 2023 Women's World Cup as a "shock factor" moment because just two years earlier, she couldn’t get on a pro team.

Her full Nigerian name is Michelle Chinwendu Alozie. "Chinwendu" means "God owns life." She believes her name reflects her journey, as she sees God creating opportunities for her daily.

Growing up, she struggled with her Nigerian-American identity, feeling embarrassed by things like her parents’ accents or the smell of Egusi soup—which she now embraces.

She had always dreamed of playing for Nigeria and not for the US, and in 2015, she even took a picture in a Super Eagles jersey, setting a goal to join the team within four years.

Her family takes credit for her soccer skills. They remind her of the shooting drills they did in their San Diego backyard, joking that’s why she made the Nigerian team.

She has a degree from Yale in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. Originally, she wanted to be a veterinarian, but her parents steered her toward medicine, saying, “Humans are animals too!”