Defender Hannah Anderson spent her first two professional seasons with the Chicago Stars. It's where she made her professional debut, where she learned what it meant to be a professional athlete, and where she broke in as a rising young defender in the NWSL. But when the opportunity to join Orlando came along, it felt like the right time for a change.
"I was just looking for a new opportunity, a new challenge and new ways to grow," Anderson told Orlando-Pride.com. "I feel like, as a professional athlete, you're always trying to find new ways to grow. And I think that here was a great opportunity to challenge myself, but also it felt meant to be. This is where I need to be at this time."
For Anderson, the Pride's last few years under Head Coach Seb Hines have cemented the Pride as one of the NWSL's premier defensive sides. Coming in as a center back, the chance to learn from and contribute to that defensive group was a major draw.
"Knowing that I can learn from these girls and hopefully help that and give back and be a part of that defensive squad, I obviously wanted to be a part of that," she said.
Anderson was drafted 31st overall in the 2024 NWSL Draft by the Stars out of Texas Tech, where she thrived as one of the most consistent players for the Red Raiders in her tenure. Winning Big 12 Defender of the Year in 2023, while helping the team go undefeated in conference play, helped her rise up the ranks and catch the eyes of Chicago's scouts, leading her to get drafted the next year.
In Chicago, the centerback made her first-ever start at the iconic Wrigley Field in front of 30,000 fans, eventually going on to play 27 games for the Stars over the next year. Now, the Plano, Texas, native is moving down to Florida and starting with a brand-new team in Orlando.
"Honestly, it's been great so far," she said. "I've been able to get along with the girls really well. They make the environment super welcoming. The soccer world is so small, so some of my teammates knew some of these girls, so that always helps. But honestly, I'm just trying to be myself, and I feel like they've been welcoming with open arms, which has been fantastic."
Anderson is no stranger to this Pride team as an opponent. She's faced off against the front line of Barbra Banda and Marta in 2024 and 2025. Now, she gets to do so in practice every day.Â
"It's kind of surreal when you're teammates with them, just because I've played against them for a few years now," Anderson said. "It's great to be challenged every day at practice that way. I know I'm definitely growing whenever I'm playing against them. Playing against them is such a difficult task, and I'm so grateful that I'm finally wearing the same color as them, so I don't have to defend them. But honestly, every day at training, that's what I was excited about—to go against Marta, Barbra and Jacquie (Ovalle). The list goes on and on, and it's only making me better."
Going from the Stars to a Pride side that won the NWSL double two years ago and reached the semifinals in 2025 comes with high expectations. The team has set a high bar over the last two seasons, and for Anderson, it's exactly the type of situation she wants to be in.
"I don't really look at it as pressure, I think it's an opportunity," she said. "The challenge is what's going to help me grow. When you're never challenged, you can't grow. It's kind of like how you see that challenge. Yeah, it could be pressure, but I also think it's exciting to be a part of a group that's been there, because the experience will help you get there again."
Part of what makes consistency challenging as a young center back is the leadership responsibilities the position demands. At 24 and in just her third professional season, Anderson is still learning a lot of aspects from the professional game. In Orlando, she now has the opportunity to be taken under the wing of players like Rafaelle, who's captained Brazil in the FIFA Women's World Cup, and Kylie Nadaner, who went from a fullback to an all-league centerback in two years' time.Â
"It is challenging, especially in my position, because you're the one who's kind of telling people what to do," she said. "But I think the people that you surround yourself with know that it's coming from a place of helping. Being humble enough to say, 'I was wrong in that instance.'
"In pro sports, you fail a lot, and so just being able to learn and having an open mind. I really just want to be the most authentic I can be. You do have a range of players. Obviously, I'm in my third year, but you learn from the best players in the world, which is super cool."
Off the field, the move to Orlando comes with its own unique challenge. Anderson's fiancĂ©, Chicago Cubs pitcher Jack Neely, is still in the Windy City. Having just recently gotten engaged, the decision to make the relationship long-distance was something that came with a lot of thought.Â
"Jack was the one who was like, 'You have to do what's best for your career,'" Anderson said. "He just was so supportive, telling me to go where you feel like you're going to be a fit. He was able to come here for the first week and help me get the apartment set up, and he'll come when he can and I'll go see him when I can.
"His support has been the biggest part of reassuring me that it's okay to leave Chicago. It kind of gives me more confidence in myself to say, 'okay, yeah, I need to take a leap of faith and come here and show what I can do.'"
