# Bea Franklin

Elizabeth "Bea" Franklin (born October 4, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Chicago Stars FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Arkansas Razorbacks before being drafted by the Red Stars in the third round of the 2024 NWSL Draft. A former two-sport athlete, she also played for the Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball team in her final year of college.

## Early life

Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Franklin played club soccer for Crossfire ECNL. She also attended Seattle Preparatory School, where she led the girls soccer team to three Seattle Metro Championship titles and the Washington State Champion title in 2015. In her time with Seattle Prep, Franklin scored 59 goals and made 26 assists, playing from various positions. She was named the 2018–19 Washington State Gatorade Player of the Year, the Seattle Times Player of the Year, and a first-team All-state selection on two separate occasions. Additionally, Franklin grew up playing several other sports, including tennis and basketball.

## College career

Franklin started off her college sports career playing soccer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In her freshman year at Notre Dame, Franklin starred in 15 games, starting in 4. She scored her first college goal on October 31, 2019, scoring against Wake Forest in the 77th minute of the match. Franklin's goal helped the Fighting Irish clinch a spot in the ACC Championship, knocking out Wake Forest. In her sophomore season, Franklin played in 4 games and accrued 96 minutes of total game time.
Franklin departed Notre Dame and joined the University of Arkansas ahead of the 2021–22 soccer season. In her first season playing on the Arkansas team, Franklin started 9 games and appeared in 18 throughout the season. Her first goal came on October 21, 2021, against Auburn. It would not be Franklin's only goal of the year, as she went on to score 5 in total during the season. As a senior, Franklin started every single match of the campaign for the Razorbacks. She ended up scoring her first career brace on November 18, 2022, in a 5–2 NCAA Tournament win over Ohio State. In Franklin's final soccer season at Arkansas, she scored a team-high 9 goals and also led the team in assists and points. She received numerous accolades, including SEC Midfielder of the Year, SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, All-SEC First Team, USC All-America second team, and USC All-Southeast Region first team honors. Franklin started in all of Arkansas' matches and scored four game-winning goals for the Razorbacks.
Following the conclusion of the soccer season, Franklin switched sports and joined the Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball team. She played in 3 games for her team, making her collegiate basketball debut on December 7, 2023, against Louisiana Tech. After signing a contract in the NWSL, Franklin did not return to the Razorbacks basketball program.

## Club career

On January 12, 2024, Franklin was selected by the Chicago Red Stars (later named Chicago Stars FC) in the 2024 NWSL Draft. The Red Stars drafted Franklin with the 13th pick of the 3rd round and 41st overall. On March 13, 2024, the Red Stars signed Franklin to a one-year contract with a one-year club option. She made her professional debut on March 29, 2024, entering the match as a substitute for Julia Bianchi in a 1–1 draw versus the Orlando Pride. On June 21, 2024, the NWSL Disciplinary Committee announced that Franklin had committed an instance of "Major Game Misconduct" in the Red Stars' June 14 match against the Kansas City Current and suspended Franklin for one game. She scored her first professional goal on September 1, 2024, in an away defeat against Angel City FC.

## Personal life

Franklin's father, Jesse Franklin IV, competed in rowing at the University of Washington and was inducted into the university's hall of fame in 1999. Franklin's brother, Jesse Franklin V, was selected by the Major League Baseball team Atlanta Braves in the 2020 MLB draft.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of November 10, 2024
| Club | Season | League | League | League | Cup | Cup | Playoffs | Playoffs | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Chicago Red Stars | 2024 | NWSL | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Chicago Red Stars | Total | Total | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
* ↑ Includes NWSL Challenge Cup and NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup
* ↑ Includes NWSL Playoffs