Simone Charley has found her feet in Portland. But it wasn’t always that way for the former Vanderbilt soccer and track star. Charley went undrafted in the 2018 NWSL College Draft. She spent that season working odd jobs while serving as a non-roster invitee or practice player.
Charley was signed as a supplemental player for Portland Thorns FC in May 2019. It didn’t take her long to get onto the team. She debuted against Sky Blue FC on May 25, 2019. In her second-ever start, Charley scorched the Chicago Red Stars by providing two assists to Margaret Purce in the Thorns’ 3-0 win.