Michaela Kovacs

Michaela Dominique Kovacs (born March 9, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for A-Liga club Brøndby in Denmark. She played college soccer for the Michigan State Spartans and made her breakthrough with Damallsvenskan club KIF Örebro, being named the club's Player of the Year in 2022. She was then sold to Norwegian club Vålerenga in 2023, winning two league titles and two national cups.

Kovacs grew up in Hudsonville, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids. She attended Hudsonville High School and earned first-team all-state honors as a junior in 2014. Her high school coach credited her with raising the team's level. She played club soccer for Grand Rapids Crew Juniors and captained the regional Olympic Development Program team. She also trained with the Grand Rapids Crew boys' team for several years. She committed to Michigan State during her sophomore year.

Kovacs played for the Michigan State Spartans between 2015 and 2019, appearing and starting in 72 games and scoring 7 goals. She started every game in her freshman and sophomore seasons and was named co-captain before her junior season. Just three games into her junior season, she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury while warming up and missed the rest of the year. She returned to the field and missed just four games in her redshirt junior and senior seasons.

During college, Kovacs also played for United Women's Soccer club Grand Rapids FC, training with the men's side the summer before joining the inaugural women's team in 2017. She helped lead GRFC to the UWS championship, scoring a late equalizer in the semifinals, and was named championship MVP after the final victory.