Adelaide United is pleased to announce the signing of American defender Bella Yakel on a one-year deal.
The 22-year-old joins the Reds after completing an accomplished NCAA Division I career in the United States and spending time in the professional environment with Portland Thorns during their 2026 NWSL preseason. Yakel was invited into the Thorns’ preseason squad as a non-roster trialist earlier this year.
Bella Yakel said:
“I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to begin my professional career with Adelaide United. I look forward to growing as a player in the A-league and giving my all for the club, my teammates, and our supporters.”
A native of Long Beach, California, Yakel played three seasons with the University of Portland before transferring to Texas A&M University for her final collegiate campaign.
Across her Division I career, the defender accumulated 74 appearances, including 66 starts, and established herself as a consistent presence across the backline.
Yakel started all 17 matches for Texas A&M in 2025, playing every available minute across the season and earning the program’s Defensive MVP award.
Earlier in her collegiate career, Yakel was named to the West Coast Conference All-Freshman Team with Portland and earned multiple Academic All-District honours.
Adelaide United Football Director Mitch van Gellekom said Yakel’s profile and defensive qualities made her an exciting addition to the squad.
“Bella has been a consistently high-performing defender throughout her college career and comes to us after testing herself in an NWSL environment,” van Gellekom said.
“She is composed, competitive and has shown strong leadership qualities throughout her career.
“We believe there is still significant growth in Bella’s game, and we’re excited to provide her with the opportunity to begin the next chapter of her career here in Adelaide.”
Yakel joins Adelaide United on a one-year deal for the 2026/27 season and will wear the number 16 shirt.
