Olivia Hylton Thomas (born April 16, 2005) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Denver Summit FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels, leading the team to the 2024 national championship and earning third-team All-American honors in 2025.
Thomas was raised in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, the fourth of five children born to LaShanda and Terence Thomas. Her father played college football at Albion College. Thomas began playing soccer with the Michigan Hawks at age 11. She earned ECNL All-American honors in 2021 and 2023 and helped lead the Hawks to the ECNL under-19 national title game in 2023. She attended University Liggett School, where she played two all-state seasons of field hockey and track and one season of soccer in her senior year. She committed to the North Carolina Tar Heels as a junior.
Thomas played in 10 games and scored 1 goal for the North Carolina Tar Heels as a freshman in 2023, but missed much of the later part of the season due to a hamstring tear. In her sophomore season in 2024, she scored her first brace in a 4âÂÂ3 win against Georgia. She missed eight games that year due to a different hamstring strain, but recovered to finish the season ranking second on the team with 9 goals in 19 games. She had four goals in the NCAA tournament as North Carolina won its 23rd national title and first since 2012. In the semifinals, she scored the second goal in the 3âÂÂ0 win against Duke, and in the title game, she scored the lone goal off a curling free kick in the 1âÂÂ0 victory over Wake Forest. She was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Offensive Player.
Thomas led the Tar Heels with 13 goals in 20 games in her junior year in 2025. Unseeded in the NCAA tournament, the team went to the third round before losing to TCU on penalties, with Thomas missing hers. She was named first-team All-ACC and third-team All-American the end of her first injury-free season. After three seasons at North Carolina, she decided to accept a professional offer and give up her remaining year of college eligibility.
NWSL expansion team Denver Summit FC announced on January 20, 2026, that they had signed Thomas to her first professional contract on a three-year deal with the mutual option for another year. She made her professional debut as a halftime substitute for Emma Regan in the Summit's inaugural game, a 2âÂÂ1 loss to Bay FC on March 14.
Thomas was called into virtual training with the United States under-17 team in February 2021. She was called into camp with the under-20 team in March 2025.
North Carolina Courage U23
North Carolina Tar Heels
Individual