Clarissa Larisey couldn’t have asked for a better start to her NWSL career with the Houston Dash.
In her first-ever start with the club, the striker scored the first goal and earned an assist on the second in just 45 minutes as the Dash went on to defeat the San Diego Wave 3-0 on September 7 at Snapdragon Stadium.
It wasn’t that long ago that playing in the NWSL, or as a professional at all, was far from Larisey’s mind. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the striker was enjoying lighting up the NCAA while playing at the University of Memphis. During her collegiate career, Larisey was named to the AAC All-Rookie Team, First Team All-Conference (sophomore and junior years) and the AAC All-Conference Second Team (senior year).
Even with all that success, she had never heard of the NWSL. At least until her junior year of college.
“I was thinking, ‘what can I do after’ because I want to keep playing,” Larisey said. “That’s when I learned about the NWSL and Europe. For me, my goal since I was young [has been] to play for the national team. I didn’t know about the professional [teams], for me, it was Team Canada.”
Larisey’s professional career began in Europe, where she landed at Valur in Reykjavik, Iceland, and scored two goals in seven appearances. From there, she made the leap to Celtic FC in the Scottish Women’s Premier League and quickly found her knack for finding the back of the net, scoring 12 goals in as many matches
“What gave me a lot of confidence going (to Celtic), was that the coach only really looked at my time in Iceland and was like…‘I believe in this player,’” Larisey said. “I had confidence in myself because I knew he saw something in me that I saw in myself, but had yet to show anyone.”
After banging in double-digit goals in Glasgow, Larisey made the move to Swedish side BK Häcken during the January 2023 transfer window.
“Of all the teams that were interested, Sweden was the country where I could continue to grow,” Larisey said. “I’m still not where I want to be, and I just want to keep growing and getting better. Sweden [was] the perfect next step for me.”
Playing for BK Häcken provided the additional invaluable experience playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. Scoring against Chelsea at home in the UWCL group stage in 2023, remains her favorite all-time goal.
The forward went on to score 13 goals across 40 games in all competitions for the Swedish side. Once again, her prowess for scoring earned her another opportunity, this time with Crystal Palace in the English Women’s Super League, one that Larisey views as one of the top two women’s football leagues in the world.
Unfortunately for Larisey, she has struggled to escape the injury bug throughout her career, many of which have sidelined her for long durations. So far this year, Larisey has been named to Canada’s roster for friendlies in April, only to be forced to withdraw.
Larisey remains positive by focusing on the small steps and understanding that injuries are a part of the game. The injury also meant that Larisey missed a month of play during her five-month stint in the WSL. When Crystal Palace was relegated at the end of the 2024-2025 season, it was perfect timing for her to make the move to the NWSL.
Nervous about coming back to the United States, Larisey relishes the challenge and change that comes with playing in North America. Describing everyone at the Dash as “absolutely amazing,” Larisey is enjoying being back on the pitch and contributing to her team.
Her longer-term goals?
They include making her way back to the Canadian Women’s National Team, where she has seen success in limited match time. Since first receiving a call-up in 2022, she has earned 12 caps, scored two goals, and recorded one assist.
“My whole world shook,” she says of hearing the news of her first call-up. “It was such a wholesome moment for me. I’m so grateful to be representing my country.”
Larisey acknowledges that she has been in and out of the national team since 2022, and that’s something she would like to change.
“The biggest thing for me is trying to be more consistent,” Larisey said. “I have found it a little hard to adapt because of how amazing the players are at Canada. I [need to continue] to show my abilities, whether I play five minutes or get the start. I would like to be more consistently on the team and provide more for us. It’s doing what I can to show the staff and the players that I deserve to be here.”
These are strong words from a player who once didn’t even know professional women’s soccer existed. Every goal she scores is a reminder of how far her belief can take her, and in Houston, that belief burns brighter than ever.
