Position: Forward
Birthdate: June 6, 1999
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Height: 5-foot-4
Pronunciation: Emina Ekic
Previous Team: University of Louisville (NCAA)
2023: Spent the offseason on loan with Melbourne City in the A-League Women where she scored four goals and provided one assist before being sidelined with an leg injury. After returning to the pitch in June, Ekic made seven appearances across all competitions for Racing.
2022: Ekic appeared in 19 regular-season matches in her second year in the league, starting five. She found the back of the net twice in the regular season and once in the Challenge Cup. Her free-kick goal in the preseason tournament proved to be the equalizer against the Chicago Red Stars.
2021: Scoring a goal and tallying an assist in Racing’s first-ever win on May 21 against the Washington Spirit, Ekic was named the NWSL’s Player of the Week. The forward went on to make 15 appearances and three starts over the course of her rookie season.
Before Racing Louisville FC: The 2020 ACC Offensive Player of the Year, Ekic is the first Cardinals player ever taken in the NWSL Draft. She left UofL having tallied the fourth-most goals in program history with 29 and second-most assists with 19. The Louisville native, who attended duPont Manual High School, played a part in 10 of the Cardinals’ 11 goals in 2020 with seven goals and three assists. Ekic also led UofL in scoring in 2017 and 2019, with seven of her goals game winners. She quickly established herself at the college level, named ACC Co-Freshman of the Year after claiming numerous high school accolades, including Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016.
International: Eligible through both her parents, Ekic represents Bosnia and Herzegovina on the international level. She received her first senior call-up in July and has earned a pair of caps through September 2023.
