Kiki and Mimi Van Zanten; play in NWSL for Houston Dash and San Diego Wave; sisters on rival teams

From backyard battles to the big stage, meet the Van Zanten sisters taking the NWSL by storm

One plays for the Houston Dash, the other for the San Diego Wave. Despite their rivalry on the pitch, this sibling duo are united in trying to make their family proud.

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has a rich history of sisters gracing the field, whether it is on the samefootballteam or as rivals.

More recently, they’ve welcomed the arrival of a new sibling duo inKalyssa (Kiki)andAmelia (Mimi) Van Zanten. The latter was drafted by the San Diego Wave for the 2026 season, while the former is in her third campaign in the North American league, with the Houston Dash.

In the stands, the pair are cheered on by their older sister, Brianna, who inspired her younger siblings to take up the sport when they were kids.

“It was just part of our personalities [competitiveness]. We’re very determined and driven. We’re all copy-paste, the same person. We all admired something about each other,”Brianna told the NWSL website.

“Soccer is still a huge part of our relationship. We can’t shut up about the sport. I’m still living the dream through my sisters, now in double time. I get to watch twice as much soccer and brag twice as much.”

For Kiki, there is no better feeling than playing with or against her sister Mimi.

While they narrowly missed each other in the season opener this term, there will be another chance for them to meet on the field later this month in Houston.

“Both of us are here because of her [Brianna],” she said.

“You talk about team cultures and wanting to essentially do everything you can to help your teammates out. If they miss a tackle, you’ll pick it up. In its truest form, that’s what it feels like to play for your sister.

“If you could bottle that up and put that on every team, the soccer would be incredible.”

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Kiki is no stranger to the NWSL and is no doubt offering up a few key insights in the family group chat on how to adapt. The 24-year-old has gone through all possible emotions despite being in her third campaign, having missed almost all her rookie season with a foot injury.

As a result, she was sidelined for 399 days.

Last August, the Illinois native made her comeback.

“It felt natural, it didn’t feel weird,”she told reporters at the time. “I felt like I had picked up where I left off and I can’t wait to make up for lost time.

“It was a really long time and every day was different. Some months I was flying and some weeks I didn’t make any progress. With such a complicated injury, I felt like one thing would get better and then something else would go awry.

“It was frustrating but it’s still a battle every day to make sure I’m keeping up with the things that I need to do to make sure I feel good. The recovery process had its peaks and valleys, but I feel like I’m finally on the other side.”

This term she has demonstrated that in waves, currently sitting among the top scorers in the league thanks to her versatility to play across the pitch.

With four goals in six appearances, she is finding her feet after a stagnant start to life in the North American league.

Mimi is seemingly following suit, slotting into the San Diego Wave side with absolute ease. She has started all six of the regular season games so far, earning plaudits as one of the best-performing rookies.

Kiki Van Zanten representing Jamaica at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

When they’re not lacing up on opposing ends of the pitch, the Van Zanten sisters are lining up alongside one another for the Jamaican national team.

Born to a Jamaican mother, pulling on the colours that represent her makes playing for the national team even more special.

“It’s always an honour to represent Jamaica. It’s a small country, but we’re so powerful,” Kiki said.

The sentiment is shared by Mimi,who told her club in an interview: “A lot of [making the decision to represent them] was about opportunity. With Jamaica, the way they’ve grown over the past few years, you [saw it] in the last World Cup that they played in.

“They’re just getting better and better. I love to be part of a team that represents so much more than just soccer and has that grit and passion behind them.

“And then getting to play with my sister is incredible. I’ve always dreamed of doing it, now I’ve done it and I want to continue to do it… and I can’t wait to play against her!”

Picture by 2025 Getty Images

Picture by 2023 Getty Images