Kayla Duran

Brown Bears Duran transferred to Brown University in 2020, partially due to the school's open curriculum education program. Her return to the field was later pushed back another year, as the COVID-19 pandemic caused the Ivy League to cancel the 2020 athletic season. During their time off the field, Duran and the Bears worked hard to prepare for the 2021 campaign. Their efforts proved to be successful, as Brown won their second Ivy League title in a row upon returning to the pitch. Duran, who was originally brought in as a midfielder, Her positional move paid off, as she was named the Ivy League defensive player of the year and was named first-team All-Ivy and All-Region.

In her second year at Brown, Duran was named one of three team captains. She led the team to their third consecutive Ivy League title and played in every match of the year. She was also named to the All-American third team and maintained her spot on the All-Ivy and All-Region first teams. She went on to play one year with the USC Trojans as a graduate student. She started all 17 of the Trojans' Pac-12 games and synergized with USC's defensive unit to post 9 shutouts. She also participated in both of the team's NCAA tournament games as they were eliminated in the second round by BYU. On November 3, 2023, Duran scored her only goal with USC and also tallied an assist as rivals UCLA beat the Trojans, 4–2. At the end of the season, Duran was named to the All Pac-12 first team. In spring 2025, Duran received an invitation from former United States women’s national team goalkeeper Hope Solo to play for Solo FC in The Soccer Tournament, a seven-a-side competition. Following this experience, she reconnected with coaches and pursued professional opportunities, ultimately securing representation from an agent. Duran subsequently received an invitation to train with Gotham FC in the summer of 2025.

Duran signed her first professional deal, a national team replacement contract, with Gotham FC on July 14, 2025. On August 8, she extended her contract with Gotham through February 2026. Duran made her professional debut the very next day, coming in as a substitute for Jess Carter in a scoreless draw with the Washington Spirit. As the season went on, Duran found success in Gotham's CONCACAF W Champions Cup games; she recorded her first career start in August 2025 against Monterrey, her first professional goal on September 2 versus Alianza, and her first assist later the same month against the Vancouver Rise Academy. In Gotham's NWSL quarterfinal victory over the shield-winning Kansas City Current, Duran contributed a header that led to Katie Stengel's game-winning goal. Gotham would go on to win the NWSL championship, beating the Washington Spirit on a goal from Rose Lavelle.

Duran's first appearance of 2026 came in Gotham's FIFA Women's Champions Cup third place match against AS FAR on January 1; she started and played the entirety of the 4–0 win. In February 2026, she extended her contract with Gotham through the 2027 season.

International career As a high school sophomore, Duran received a call-up to the United States national under-17 team. Both of Duran's parents were former collegiate athletes; her father played ice hockey for the SUNY Plattsburgh Cardinals while her mother played soccer, softball, and basketball for the Utica Pioneers. NWSL Challenge Cup: 2026