With free agent forward Brittany Ratcliffe signing a deal with the Washington Spirit, we take some time to get to know Brittany, our newest Spirit player.
South Jersey born and raised, Ratcliffe hails from Williamstown, NJ, located in Monroe Township just southeast of Philadelphia. Ratcliffe grew up and remains a huge Philadelphia sports fan.
As a child, she would attend Philadelphia Charge (of the former Women’s United Soccer Association) matches – a team that was then coached by current Spirit President of Soccer Operations/General Manager, Mark Krikorian.
Before playing professionally, Ratcliffe attended the University of Virginia (2012-15) where she earned both Third Team All-ACC and ACC Academic Honor Roll recognition in both her junior and senior seasons.
Fans of Ratcliffe have come to associate her on-field persona with a bright orange bow in her hair during games. What started as a tradition at the University of Virginia to help her parents spot her on the field has become one of the most signature looks in the league. Her bow has garnered hashtags like #FearTheBow and #TheBowIsBack.
In 2016, Ratcliffe entered the NWSL after being drafted 17th overall by the Boston Breakers in the NWSL College Draft. The following season, Ratcliffe signed with FC Kansas City. She stayed with the club through its move to Utah in 2018 and back to Kansas City in 2021. During this time, she was a teammate with current Spirit goalkeeper, Nicole Barnhart. Later in 2021, Ratcliffe headed to the North Carolina Courage, where she stayed until signing with the Spirit this offseason.
In her career through all competitions, Ratcliffe has appeared in 94 games (46 starts), logging 4,138 minutes and adding nine goals, three of which were game-winning goals. In 2023, the forward scored in three consecutive Challenge Cup group stage matches, tallying game-winning goals against Washington and Orlando. Ratcliffe later helped her team hoist the Challenge Cup Championship trophy.
