| Hannah Anderson | |
| Full Name: | Hannah Leigh Anderson[1] |
| Birth Date: | 3 April 2001 |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in |
| Position: | Center back |
| Currentclub: | Chicago Red Stars |
| Clubnumber: | 41 |
| Collegeyears1: | 2019–2023 |
| College1: | Texas Tech Red Raiders |
| Collegecaps1: | 96 |
| Collegegoals1: | 14 |
| Years1: | 2024– |
| Clubs1: | Chicago Red Stars |
| Caps1: | 6 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | July 20, 2024 |
Hannah Leigh Anderson (born April 3, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, where she was named a first-team All-American in 2023, before being selected by the Red Stars in the 2024 NWSL Draft.
Anderson grew up in Plano, Texas, the middle of three children born to Russell Anderson and Suzy McAnally. Her father played kicker for the SMU football team, and her mother played for SMU basketball. Anderson lettered in her two years of high school soccer at Liberty High School in Frisco before playing only club soccer with FC Dallas's academy team.
Anderson started all 96 games for the Texas Tech Red Raiders for five years, scoring 14 goals from the backline. She led the team's freshman class with four goals in the 2019 season and was selected to the Big 12 Conference all-freshman team. She scored three goals as a junior and two as a senior, being named first-team All-Big 12 in 2022.[2]
Anderson returned in the 2023 season with her fifth year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She captained the Red Raiders to win the regular-season conference title for the first time in program history and earn entry into the NCAA tournament for the first time since her freshman year.[3] She provided a career-high five goals, including three game winners, one of them at the last second against Texas.[2] [4] The team made it to the third round of the national tournament before falling to North Carolina.[5] Anderson received Big 12 defender of the year, first-team All-Big 12, first-team United Soccer Coaches All-American, and third-team TopDrawerSoccer All-American honors and was a finalist for the Honda Sports Award for soccer.
Anderson was drafted by the Chicago Red Stars 31st overall in the third round of the 2024 NWSL Draft.[6] She was signed to a one-year contract with an option for an additional year.[7] She made her professional debut on May 25 as an 81st-minute substitute for Maximiliane Rall in a defeat to Racing Louisville FC.[8] She first entered the starting lineup on June 8 in the Red Stars game held at Wrigley Field that set the NWSL's all-time attendance record, though they lost to Bay FC 2–1.[9]