Bea Franklin

Elizabeth Cashman Franklin (born October 4, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Chicago Stars FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Arkansas Razorbacks before being drafted by the Red Stars in the 2024 NWSL Draft. A former two-sport athlete, she also played for the Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team in her final year of college.

Early life A native of Seattle, Washington, Franklin grew up playing club soccer for Crossfire ECNL. She also dabbled in several other sports, including tennis and basketball. She attended Seattle Preparatory School, where she led the girls' soccer team to three Seattle Metro Championship titles and the Washington State Champion title in 2015. In her time with Seattle Prep, Franklin scored 59 goals and made 26 assists. She was named the 2018–19 Washington State Gatorade Player of the Year, the Seattle Times Player of the Year, and twice to the all-state first team.

College career

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Franklin started off her college sports career playing soccer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In her freshman year at Notre Dame, Franklin starred in 15 games, starting 4. She scored her first college goal on October 31, 2019, scoring against Wake Forest in the 77th minute of the match. The following year, Franklin played in 4 games and accrued 96 minutes of total game time. She ended up scoring her first career brace on November 18, 2022, in a 5–2 NCAA Tournament win over Ohio State. Franklin played in one more season with the Razorbacks, taking advantage of the extra year of NCAA eligibility offered to athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She made good use of the season, starting every match, scoring a team-high 9 goals, and leading the team in assists and points.

Following the conclusion of the soccer season, Franklin switched sports and joined the Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball team. She played in 3 games for her team, making her collegiate basketball debut on December 7, 2023, against Louisiana Tech. After signing a contract in the NWSL, Franklin did not return to the Razorbacks basketball program. On March 13, the Stars signed Franklin to her first professional deal, a one-year contract with an additional club option. She made her professional debut on March 29, entering the match as a substitute for Julia Bianchi in a draw versus the Orlando Pride. On September 1, she scored her first professional goal as Chicago was defeated by Angel City FC, 2–1. Although having faced a one-game suspension in June due to misconduct committed in a match versus the Kansas City Current, Franklin managed to make a total of 16 appearances in her rookie season. She also started Chicago's lone playoff match, a 4–1 defeat at the hands of eventual champions Orlando.

Midway through her second professional season, Franklin re-signed with Chicago through the 2027 NWSL campaign. On September 7, 2025, she participated in the Stars' first-ever game at eventual 2026 home venue Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium; during the match, she scored a headed goal to help Chicago beat the Orlando Pride, 5–2.

Personal life Franklin majored in finance at the University of Arkansas and worked as a wealth management analyst during the 2025 NWSL season. As of spring 2026, she was preparing to take the CFA exam.

Franklin's father, Jesse Franklin IV, competed in rowing at the University of Washington and was inducted into the university's hall of fame in 1999.

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