Nya Harrison

Nya Layson Harrison (born November 9, 2002) is a professional soccer player who plays as a defender for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Born in the United States, she has been called up to represent the Philippines internationally. She played college soccer for the Stanford Cardinal.

Nya Harrison

Harrison with San Diego Wave in 2025
Personal information
Full name	Nya Layson Harrison[1]
Date of birth	(2002-11-09) November 9, 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth	San Diego, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	San Diego Wave
Number	23
Youth career
2017–2021	San Diego Surf
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2021–2024	Stanford Cardinal	58	(3)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2025–	San Diego Wave	0	(0)
International career
2018	United States U16
2020	United States U18	1+	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early life

Born and raised in San Diego, Harrison attended Del Norte High School and became captain of the soccer team.^[2] While in high school, she played club soccer for San Diego Surf.^[2] She committed to play college soccer for the Stanford Cardinal as a sophomore.^[3] She was ranked by TopDrawerSoccer as the 21st-best prospect of the 2021 class.^[4]

College career

Harrison made 15 appearances as a substitute during her first two seasons with the Stanford Cardinal. In her junior season in 2023, she played in 20 games, 11 of them as a starter. She appeared in three games off the bench during the NCAA tournament as Stanford's undefeated season came to an end in the final against Florida State.^[2][5] Harrison established herself in the lineup in her senior season in 2024, starting all 23 games and contributing to 12 shutouts during the program's first year in the Atlantic Coast Conference. She helped Stanford reach the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, losing to Wake Forest.^[2][6]

Club career

San Diego Wave FC announced on March 12, 2025, that the club had signed Harrison to a short-term contract through June.^[7] On June 20, the club re-signed her until the end of the year.^[8]

International career

Harrison trained with the United States youth national team at the under-16 and under-18 levels.^[2]

In February 2025, Harrison was called into training camp with the Philippines national team.^[9]

Personal life

Harrison is one of three daughters born to Sherill and Derrick Harrison.^[2] Her mother immigrated to the United States from the Philippines, and her father is African American.^[10] She is a cousin of former NFL player Jashon Sykes.^[2]

In December 2023, alongside Sedona Prince and DeWayne Carter, Harrison filed suit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) seeking to challenge NCAA restrictions on student athlete compensation.^[11]

Honors and awards

Stanford Cardinal

• Pac-12 Conference: 2022