Racing Louisville FC has signed forward Rachel Hill to a two-year contract through the 2027 season.
The 30-year-old joins Racing as a free agent, having played with Bay FC the last two seasons.
“I’ve always respected the grit and blue-collar mentality Racing Louisville has on the pitch, and I’m so excited to now be a part of it!” Hill said. “I’m grateful to get to play for this club and a coach like Bev Yanez, especially after seeing what the team has accomplished this past year. I’m ready to get to work and help the team in any way I can!”
A professional since 2017, Hill is making Racing her fifth NWSL club, with 2026 set to be her 10th season in the league. She’s made 160 NWSL regular season appearances, scoring 18 goals and adding five assists.
Hill brings playoff and championship experience to the Louisville locker room. She won the NWSL Shield with the San Diego Wave in 2023. In 2021, Hill helped the Chicago Stars to a runner up finish in the NWSL Championship.
In addition to her time in the NWSL, Hill has played in the Australian W-League and the Swedish Damallsvenskan.
“Rachel’s NWSL experience, her work ethic and overall attributes as an attacking player make her a really exciting addition in our system,” Racing head coach Bev Yanez said. “She has great character and we believe she will add so much to the environment on and off the pitch.”
“With last year’s playoff breakthrough under our belts, adding in Rachel was a fantastic opportunity to bring even more postseason experience to our locker room,” said Caitlyn Flores Milby, Racing’s general manager, said. “She brings winning know-how and is a perfect fit for our culture and our high-pressing, hard-working playing style.”
The Portland Thorns selected Hill in the second round of the 2017 NWSL College Draft with the 14th overall pick, but immediately traded her to the Orlando Pride.
In three seasons in Orlando from 2017 to 2019, Hill made 59 regular season appearances, scoring 11 goals and registering three assists. Hill appeared in the NWSL Playoffs as a rookie in 2017, playing 18 minutes off the bench in a semifinal loss to Portland.
During her time with the Pride, Hill spent two off-seasons on loan in Australia with W-League club Perth Glory FC in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
In 2020, the Chicago Red Stars acquired Hill in a draft-day trade. She played with Chicago in the 2020 Challenge Cup, then moved on loan to Sweden’s Linköping FC in August. She scored twice in eight appearances for the first-division club.
Hill returned stateside in 2021 and spent two seasons in the Windy City, scoring four goals in 43 regular season appearances including 30 starts. Hill started all three of Chicago’s playoff games in 2021, and scored the Red Stars’ lone goal in the NWSL Championship, held at Louisville’s Lynn Family Stadium. She made one additional playoff appearance with Chicago in 2022.
Hill signed with the San Diego Wave as a free agent in 2023, where she helped the club to the NWSL Shield with a first-place finish in the regular season. She made 15 starts in 17 regular season appearances and again saw action in the NWSL Playoffs, starting the club’s semifinal loss.
Bay FC selected Hill with the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft. She made 41 appearances for Bay, including 16 starts, and gained more postseason experience, starting the club’s inaugural NWSL Playoff game, a 2-1 loss that ended the club’s 2024 expansion campaign.
In college with the UConn Huskies, Hill was two-time semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s most prestigious award. She was a two-time All-American, earning first-team honors in 2015 and a second-team distinction in 2016 from the NSCAA, now known as the United Soccer Coaches. She finished second all-time on the UConn scoring list, with 61 goals in 89 appearances.
Hill represented the United States as a youth international, at both the U-20 and U-23 levels. She played in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2014, appearing in a victory over Brazil. She played a significant part in qualifying for that tournament, appearing in five games with one goal and a team-high five assists during the CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship.
A native of Rollinsford, N.H., Hill finished her prep career at Somersworth High School as New Hampshire’s all-time leading scorer with 151 goals.
