Michelle Alozie is not just a football player. The Nigerian superstar plays for the Houston Dash in the NWSL and represented her country at the World Cup. She elected to play for Nigeria and made her senior appearance with the nation in 2021. What many don’t know about her is he is far more than just a footballer.
Growing up in the United States, she was born to Nigerian parents in California. She attended Yale University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Molecular Biology. During her time in Yale, she played for the Bulldogs, making 49 appearances while scoring 19 goals.
Michelle Alozie decided to turn professional and elect in the NWSL draft in 2019. Sadly, she was not selected after spending a year at the University of Tennessee after she tore her ACL while at Yale. It seemed like for her that her quest for a professional career was over, but she also had an aspiring future in Biology that she never let go of.
However, she got the opportunity to sign with BIIK Kazgurt, a professional team in Kazakhstan. Again, all signs pointed to her quitting after the season was cancelled due to COVID-19. Michelle Alozie returned to her home state of California while refusing to quit her journey to becoming professional.
Her luck began to change as she joined the Houston Dash in 2021 as a walk-on. She worked herself up to make it into the roster as an international replacement, then to a professional contract. From there, she got her first callup to the Nigerian national team in a 1-0 friendly match against Jamaica in June of 2021.
She played her first full season with Houston in 2022, scoring two goals in 11 appearances in the league. At the end of the year, she penciled in a two-year extension with Houston. Alozie’s career was on the rise, especially after being named to the 23-roster that was heading to the World Cup.
Even with her football career taking off, she did not let her degree go to waste. When not on the field, she works part-time as a cancer research technician at the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. She has not only inspired young girls to play the sport, but is also helping find a cure for cancer in children.
Despite Nigeria leaving in the Round of 16 of the World Cup, Michelle Alozie has made a name for herself at the world’s biggest stage as she will continue to be super women for both young athletes and patients.
