USYNT and VDA ECNL star forward Audrey McKeen signs with NWSL club at age 17

Racing Louisville FC has signed United States Youth National Team forward Audrey McKeen to her first professional contract. The deal is through the 2028 season.

A highly touted 17-year-old prospect from Virginia, the 5-foot-7 McKeen comes from the Virginia Development Academy (VDA), a youth club that competes in the Elite Club National League (ECNL).

She becomes the youngest player to sign with Racing Louisville in the club’s history and the first player under the age of 18.

“I’m so incredibly thrilled to be taking this next step in my career and joining Racing Louisville,” McKeen said. “I’m beyond grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to get to work and give everything I have for this team.”

Over the last year, McKeen has gained regular experience with the United States Youth National Team setup, including last month when she participated in a combined U.S. Under-19 and Under-18 Women’s National Team camp in Florida.

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In October, McKeen traveled to Portugal where she led the combined U.S. U-19 and U-18 group to a 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland, scoring the 78th-minute winner. Three days later, she scored twice in a 3-3 draw with Portugal. It was her first camp at the U-19 level.

In March, McKeen also joined the United States U-17 Women’s National Team for a pair of World Cup qualifiers. Her first USYNT call-up came in January 2025, also with the U-17 team.

“We see Audrey as one of the top young talents in the country and we’re thrilled she’s chosen to take the next step in her career with Racing Louisville,” Racing general manager Caitlyn Flores Milby said. “We’ve put extensive work into scouting and recruiting her and we’re confident she will develop into a difference maker for us.”

Racing’s recruitment of McKeen has spanned the better part of a year.

She joined Louisville as a non-roster invitee in February 2025 for a preseason trip to Florida and saw action for Racing in exhibitions against the Washington Spirit and the Kansas City Current.

In July, Racing head coach Bev Yanez traveled to California to scout McKeen in the ECNL National Playoffs.

In August, McKeen verbally committed to the Florida State Seminoles — an elite college program that just won its fifth NCAA championship in December — but has now elected to become a professional.

McKeen also spent part of last season training with the Washington Spirit.

“We were grateful to have Audrey briefly in our environment in 2025. We feel she has an incredible potential and fit our locker room culture seamlessly,” Racing head coach Bev Yanez said. “We are excited she trusts us to be the team where she can continue to develop and we believe in all she can contribute to our group.”

A top-rated prospect, TopDrawerSoccer.com ranked McKeen as the No. 5 recruit in the Class of 2026, after she reclassified from 2027.

With VDA, her club team, McKeen was twice named a Youth All-American by the United Soccer Coaches. She was also a 2024-25 ECNL U-17 All-American and named to the ECNL All-Mid Atlantic First Team in the U-17 division.

She helped the VDA U-17 ECNL girls team reach the semifinals of the ECNL National Championships this past summer, and the club earned a top-15 national ranking.

“We are extremely excited for the opportunity that lies ahead for Audrey; she has earned this with hard work and sacrifice,” said Matt Lacey, VDA’s technical director. “Her obsession to always strive to improve and push on to the next level will have a lasting impact on our program and future generations of female players to come.”

“Audrey’s commitment to excellence and desire to improve has helped her get to this milestone in her journey,” said Bobby Puppione, VDA’s girls ECNL director. “We are proud of her for earning this opportunity to move on to the professional game with Racing Louisville, and we know she will inspire future generations at VDA and all across the area.”

At the scholastic level, McKeen competed for Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington County, Va. As a sophomore in the fall 2024 season, McKeen scored a school-record 37 goals and added nine assists. Her team finished as the runner-up in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) and won the Northern Virginia Independent Schools title.

McKeen won the WCAC Player of the Year award The Washington Post named her First Team All-Met in 2024. She was Second Team All-Met as a freshman in 2023.

As the result of her high school and club success, McKeen earned the 2024-2025 Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year award for girls soccer.

A multi-sport athlete, McKeen also ran track at Bishop O’Connell. In April, she competed with the school’s 4×100 relay team at the Penn Relays, a prestigious track and field competition that is the oldest and largest in the U.S., held annually at the University of Pennsylvania.