Former Chicago Star Ava Cook Signs with Carolina Ascent
Published on January 15, 2026 under Gainbridge Super League (GSL)
Carolina Ascent FC News Release
CHARLOTTE, NC - Carolina Ascent FC announced today that the club has signed forward Ava Cook, pending league and federation approval.
Cook, 27, joins Carolina after four seasons with the Chicago Stars of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The attacker made 62 total appearances across NWSL regular season and Challenge Cup play, scoring six goals after being selected with the 18th overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft.
"We are absolutely delighted to welcome Ava to the club," shared Carolina Ascent Head Coach Philip Poole. "She brings great experience and is a perfect fit for the way we play. Fast, tough, brave, and dominant in the air, Ava has been brought in to bolster our strong attacking unit and to make an impact throughout the club."
At the international level, Cook made two appearances for the United States U-23 Women's National Team in 2022, scoring in both outings.
"I'm incredibly honored and excited to be joining this club," expressed Cook. "Carolina Ascent is filled with amazing people across the board, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to work alongside them. I'm looking forward to meeting the community, the fans who back us, and giving everything I have on the pitch."
Prior to her professional career, Cook enjoyed a prolific collegiate tenure at Grand Valley State University, where she competed from 2017-21 and emerged as one of the most dominant scorers at the Division II level. Cook led her conference with 24 goals as a sophomore and followed that performance by pacing all of Division II with 29 goals in 2019.
Cook spent her fifth collegiate season at Michigan State University in 2022, earning All-Big Ten honors while scoring seven goals for the Spartans.
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