Ellie Walker

Ellie Walker (born June 12, 1999) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for New Zealand club Wellington Phoenix of the A-League Women. She previously played for Torreense and S.C. Braga of the Portuguese Campeonato Nacional Feminino before joining the Wellington Phoenix in June 2025. Walker played college soccer for the University of Portland.

Early life Walker was born on June 12, 1999, in Portland, Oregon, United States. She was born to Robyn and John, with John having played college basketball for Lewis–Clark State College. Walker attended Columbia River High School in Vancouver, Washington.

College career University of Portland On August 18, 2017, Walker made her debut for the University of Portland in a 2–1 win against Portland State. Walker scored her first goal for the Pilots in a 1–0 on October 21, 2017, against Gonzaga. Across five seasons from 2017 to 2021, Walker made 82 appearances and scored 2 goals. She graduated and majored in political science. During the 2022–23 season, Walker made 22 appearances in the league and scored 1 goal. Walker's first professional goal came in a 2–2 draw against Marítimo on March 19, 2023. She also made 1 appearance in the Taça de Portugal and 2 in the Taça da Liga. Walker made her debut for the club on November 8, 2025, in the season opener, with the Phoenix playing out a 1–1 draw against Canberra United. On February 1, 2026, Walker scored her first goal for the Phoenix in a 5–1 away win against the Newcastle Jets, wherein teammates Emma Pijnenburg also scored her first club goal and Pia Vlok scored the club's first hat-trick. Walker played in all 20 regular season A-League Women matches, in a campaign in which Wellington finished runners-up and qualified for their first ever A-League Women Finals.

On March 27, 2026, the Wellington Phoenix re-signed Walker for the 2026–27 season. Head coach Bev Priestman praised Walker for her contributions stating, "Her defensive qualities and aggression to help us win the ball back have been fantastic. She has also made our right-hand side attack tick with her technical ability on the ball, and she is a threat in the box for us as well. And Ellie's leadership and communication are a major asset to the team."