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Arizona product Kate Faasse is in the big leagues now, joining the ranks of professional women's soccer.
The Pinnacle High School graduate and Phoenix native is a forward for the NWSL’s Houston Dash.
Before becoming a pro, Faasse carved out an incredible career at all-time women’s soccer powerhouse North Carolina, where she won a national championship her junior season while also leading Division I women’s soccer in scoring with 20 goals in 27 games.
Before that she was dominant on the local Valley pitches, where in her senior year at Pinnacle in 2022 she led the Pioneers in scoring and assists with 31 goals and 12 assists.
Now, she's playing in the highest level of women's professional soccer in the United States. A development group is hoping to attract a new NWSL expansion franchise to Arizona as part of the former Fiesta Mall property in west Mesa.
Faasse credits Arizona and its conditions for training to helping with her success.
“Some say the Arizona conditions are brutal, but it definitely gives you that grit and grind in you,” Faasse said. “I definitely think it’s prepared me for different types of weather conditions.”
The Arizona Republic spoke to Faasse about her career and soccer in general. Here are more highlights.
Faasse, a 22-year-old rookie in the NWSL, already has seen the growth of the sport, especially among girls.
According to a 2025 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) survey, Arizona ranks 22nd in both the number of schools participating and the number of participants for girls high school soccer.
“Times have definitely changed from when I was playing club versus now,” Faasse said. “There’s so many different clubs now, as well as the development academy which I was fortunate enough to be a part of but I can only imagine now it’s only gotten better.”
Faasse, while impressed with Arizona's growth of the sports, sees a lot of room for improvement.
“The Valley has most of the team’s and girls and women playing soccer,” Faasse said. “But you go out to California and there the community is very open to teaching and growing players, so I think if our community in Arizona embraced that more, I could definitely see girls and women’s soccer taking off like it did in California.”
As it stands, the NWSL currently has 16 teams and will be expanding to 17 next year when Atlanta joins the league. The average franchise is now worth $184 million, up 179% since 2023.
Viewership and sponsorship deals are also on the rise, digital viewership throughout this season has surged as well.
The league has captured momentum that has commissioner Jessica Berman talking about continued expansion.
One of those could be land in Mesa, as the city has angled itself aggressively to land a would-be expansion team.
The Republic reported in March that nearly 20,000 people signed a fan initiative to attract a NWSL team to Mesa’s former Fiesta Mall site, its developer said.
Now known as the Palo District, the 80-acre site along Alma School Road and Southern Avenue is poised for a major transformation that its owner, Vicki Mayo, hopes will be a hub for women’s sports.
Mayo is aiming to attract Arizona’s first National Women’s Soccer League by building a 25,000-seat enclosed soccer stadium that is planned to break ground in the summer.
According to Faasse this would be nothing but a good thing.
“I think it would be a great opportunity for the young women growing up in the Valley to see that they have an opportunity,” Faasse said. “I think it would broaden opportunities that girls and women soccer players would have here. I think it would also bring light to Arizona soccer. I think It’d be a great idea.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Houston Dash forward talks training, roots and soccer expansion
Continue reading...
The Pinnacle High School graduate and Phoenix native is a forward for the NWSL’s Houston Dash.
Before becoming a pro, Faasse carved out an incredible career at all-time women’s soccer powerhouse North Carolina, where she won a national championship her junior season while also leading Division I women’s soccer in scoring with 20 goals in 27 games.
Before that she was dominant on the local Valley pitches, where in her senior year at Pinnacle in 2022 she led the Pioneers in scoring and assists with 31 goals and 12 assists.
Now, she's playing in the highest level of women's professional soccer in the United States. A development group is hoping to attract a new NWSL expansion franchise to Arizona as part of the former Fiesta Mall property in west Mesa.
Faasse credits Arizona and its conditions for training to helping with her success.
“Some say the Arizona conditions are brutal, but it definitely gives you that grit and grind in you,” Faasse said. “I definitely think it’s prepared me for different types of weather conditions.”
The Arizona Republic spoke to Faasse about her career and soccer in general. Here are more highlights.
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Soccer’s growth in the Phoenix area
Faasse, a 22-year-old rookie in the NWSL, already has seen the growth of the sport, especially among girls.
According to a 2025 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) survey, Arizona ranks 22nd in both the number of schools participating and the number of participants for girls high school soccer.
“Times have definitely changed from when I was playing club versus now,” Faasse said. “There’s so many different clubs now, as well as the development academy which I was fortunate enough to be a part of but I can only imagine now it’s only gotten better.”
Faasse, while impressed with Arizona's growth of the sports, sees a lot of room for improvement.
“The Valley has most of the team’s and girls and women playing soccer,” Faasse said. “But you go out to California and there the community is very open to teaching and growing players, so I think if our community in Arizona embraced that more, I could definitely see girls and women’s soccer taking off like it did in California.”
On possible NWSL expansion to the Valley
As it stands, the NWSL currently has 16 teams and will be expanding to 17 next year when Atlanta joins the league. The average franchise is now worth $184 million, up 179% since 2023.
Viewership and sponsorship deals are also on the rise, digital viewership throughout this season has surged as well.
The league has captured momentum that has commissioner Jessica Berman talking about continued expansion.
One of those could be land in Mesa, as the city has angled itself aggressively to land a would-be expansion team.
The Republic reported in March that nearly 20,000 people signed a fan initiative to attract a NWSL team to Mesa’s former Fiesta Mall site, its developer said.
Now known as the Palo District, the 80-acre site along Alma School Road and Southern Avenue is poised for a major transformation that its owner, Vicki Mayo, hopes will be a hub for women’s sports.
Mayo is aiming to attract Arizona’s first National Women’s Soccer League by building a 25,000-seat enclosed soccer stadium that is planned to break ground in the summer.
According to Faasse this would be nothing but a good thing.
“I think it would be a great opportunity for the young women growing up in the Valley to see that they have an opportunity,” Faasse said. “I think it would broaden opportunities that girls and women soccer players would have here. I think it would also bring light to Arizona soccer. I think It’d be a great idea.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Houston Dash forward talks training, roots and soccer expansion
Continue reading...
