Know Your Dash- Nikki Washington

Nikki Washington grew up in the state of Texas namely the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. She attended Greenhill School her sophomore and freshman years of high school. In 2003 she was name the Dallas Area Freshman of the Year. She then transferred to Spring Creek Academy and graduated a year early. She played youth soccer for the Dallas Texans. As captain of the '88 Texans the team won the 2006 USYSA National Championship.

After her early graduation from high school Washington attended the University of North Carolina. She started all 28 games her freshman year tying the NCAA record for a freshman. She scored 3 goals and 9 assists on the season and was named to the Freshman All-American Team as well as a freshman All-ACC honoree. The next season she started in 23 of the teams 24 games. She moved from midfielder to striker part of the way through the season and tallied up 7 goals and 7 assists. Washington was named the Most Valuable Player in the ACC Tournament. As a junior she missed part of the season for the U20 World Cup but played in 20 games for UNC that year starting in 14 of them. She spent the season going back and forth between the midfield and forward. She totaled 5 goals and 9 assists several of the assists came from game winning goals. Prior to her senior year she played for the Pali Blues and scored 6 goals and 2 assists. She started eight games her senior year before suffering a season ending ACL injury.

After graduating UNC she was drafted fifth in the 2010 WPS Draft going to the Los Angeles Sol. But the team had been under the administration of the WPS and was unable to find a new owner so the team disbanded. The WPS held a draft of Sol players and Washington was taken sixth overall by Sky Blue FC. She was traded to Saint Louis Athletica but the team dissolved a month later and she went to the Chicago Red Stars. Then before the 2011 season started she was traded to the Boston Breakers. Then in June she was once against traded this time heading to magicJack in Florida. She played in 14 matches for magicJack. After the WPS disbanded in 2012 Washington went back to play for Pali Blues making 11 appearances for the team. She then went to play for Canberra United in Australia's W-league. Playing in just five games she scored 3 goals.

In 2013 she returned to the United States to play in the newly formed National Women's Soccer League. Playing for the Portland Thorns she appeared in 11 games and started in 10 scoring 1 goal and 2 assists. But she suffered a knee injury in July and was placed on the disabled list. The Houston Dash traded for her during the 2014 NWSL College Draft.

Washington is an amazing midfielder with great speed that she uses to get behind defenses. She has the ability to play as a forward from her days at UNC in addition to her usual position in the midfield.