(image via Houston Dash)
We’re continuing our 2026 report card series, recapping each Houston Dash player’s season. Next up is rookie Kat Rader.
2026 Grade: A
2026 by the numbers
Appearances: 30
Minutes played: 2,480
Goals: 10
Assists: 1
2026 in review
Rader’s rookie season was exceptional. She led the team with ten goals and is a Rookie of the Year finalist. The former Duke Blue Devil became the first Houston player to score double digit goals in a season since Rachel Daly in 2018.
She appeared in all 30 matches and started all but two. Rader played in the wide areas some and spent most of her time in the number 10 role. Her ability to create, for others and herself, made her a difficult match up for defenses all year.
Moment of the season
Rader scored her ten goals in nine seperate matches. Her only multi-goal game came in the 5-0 win over Chicago Stars on August 19. She only played sixty minutes but bagged two goals in the first half and completed five passes into the final third, showing her offensive firepower. Her second goal, shown here, was set up by a cheeky flick over the defender. You could watch that replay over and over again.
Looking forward
After a record-setting rookie season, Rader is the foundational offensive piece for the new Dash regime to build off of. She is under contract through 2028 with a club option for 2029. Where Rader plays and what role she performs remains a question for the new coaching staff but it is no doubt she will be a face of the franchise moving forward.
