HOUSTON (Jan. 7, 2026) - The Houston Dash announced their first signing of the 2026 season, adding standout forward Kat Rader from Duke University. The highly decorated forward, known for her goal-scoring prowess, signed with the Dash through the 2028 season.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kat to Houston following a remarkable career at Duke University,” President of Women’s Soccer, Angela Hucles Mangano, said. “Kat’s proven goal-scoring ability and competitive nature stood out throughout her collegiate career, and we believe she has the talent and drive to make an impact at the next level. She’s a great fit for the culture we’re building in Houston, and we’re excited to see how she develops with the guidance of our technical staff.”
The 21-year-old led Duke University to the NCAA Women’s College Cup in 2024 and 2025. Rader scored 32 goals and tallied 20 assists across four seasons with the Blue Devils. The forward scored 12 goals and tallied 12 assists in her final season with the program and was named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy. She was also named to the NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team, ACC All-Tournament Team and United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American as a redshirt junior.
“I couldn’t be more excited to start my professional career with the Houston Dash,” Rader said. “From my first conversation with the club, I could tell there was a shared belief and clear vision about where this team is going. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the club and help this team reach its goals in the years ahead.”
Rader scored 12 goals in her first season with Duke University and was named the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2022. She finished with 65 appearances (61 starts) for the Blue Devils and helped the program reach the semifinals of the ACC Women’s Soccer Championship three times (2022, 2024 and 2025). Rader can be found throughout the Duke University record book, and she currently ranks fifth in game-winning goals (13), seventh in goals (32) and seventh in points (84).
The Stuart, Florida native has been a member of the United States Youth National Team pool since 2018, beginning her international youth career at the U-14 level. Rader helped the U-15 youth national team win the CONCACAF Girls' U-15 Championship in 2018. She joined the U-20 U.S. Women’s National Team for a training camp in 2024 and joined the team later that year for friendlies against Colombia prior to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Rader was one of the most coveted prospects at the youth club level and ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect in 2022 by TopDrawerSoccer.com. She scored 42 goals in 23 matches in her final campaign with the U-19 Florida United Academy team during the 2021-2022 season. She also played for Weston FC and scored 32 goals in 14 games during the COVID-shortened 2019-2020 season, the most goals scored by a single player in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy across all age groups. She also served as a team captain for both the Florida United and Weston FC teams from 2019-2022.
Rader will join the team at Houston Sports Park on Jan. 19 to begin preparations for the 2026 NWSL regular season. The Dash will compete in the Coachella Valley Invitational next month and face Dallas Trinity FC as part of its preseason slate. The Dash will open the regular season in March and season tickets for the upcoming campaign are available HERE.
