Emma Gaines-Ramos

Emma Shaye Gaines-Ramos (born March 18, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the San Diego State Aztecs.

Early life Gaines-Ramos grew up in Chula Vista, California, and attended Otay Ranch High School, where she competed on the soccer and track teams. She helped the soccer team to the CIF Southern Section Division III title game as a freshman in 2017 before leading the team to its first Division III title victory as a senior in 2020. She played club soccer for Rebels SC, where she won the USYS national under-18 championship in 2018, providing the winning assist in stoppage time of the 1–0 final victory.

College career Gaines-Ramos played five seasons for the San Diego State Aztecs, scoring 19 goals and providing 25 assists in 91 appearances. Her shortened freshman season took place in the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In her senior year in 2023, she helped lead the Aztecs to the Mountain West Conference regular-season title. She received All-Mountain West recognition four times, including first-team all-conference selections in 2020 and 2022. After starting the season on the season-ending injury list with a knee injury, she was taken off the injury list on July 23 and immediately loaned to USL Super League club Tampa Bay Sun for the 2025–26 season. She made her professional debut as a second-half substitute for Victoria Haugen in the Sun's season-opening 2–1 loss to Brooklyn FC on August 23.

On January 21, 2026, after making 11 appearances on loan in Tampa Bay, Gaines-Ramos was recalled for preseason with her parent club.

Honors and awards

San Diego State Aztecs Mountain West Conference: 2023

Individual First-team All-Mountain West: 2020, 2022 Second-team All-Mountain West: 2023, 2024