Goalkeeper Brittany Isenhour came to Angel City from Orlando ahead of the 2022 season. The Colorado native attended the University of Denver, where she was a four-year starter, posting 25 shutouts in 79 appearances. Isenhour got her first Angel City start last year in the team's 2–0 friendly win over Tigres UANL; she has made four appearances in the Challenge Cup this season.
Have you always been a goalkeeper?
Since it was an option, yeah. I actually I struggled to keep up with all the field players, so they were like, 'Go back there, you'll get really cool gloves and a really cool jersey!' But I also was a little fearless. I was the one on the team that loved jumping in front of the ball and throwing myself on the ground. So it was definitely a natural fit.
If you weren't a soccer player, what would you be doing right now?
Oh, that's so interesting. My senior year of college, I interned as a commercial real estate broker. So I think if I never went down the soccer path, I'd have done something like that.
But since I have been in the soccer world and navigating social media and all that stuff, I've found a lot of fun in that creativity in that. So I can see myself doing something with that too.
Speaking of social media, you wrote a long Instagram post last year about learning to be content where you are rather than always looking towards the next thing. How did you learn that lesson?
It's a process. I feel like as a competitor, you always want to focus on the next thing, the next victory. But yeah, as I got older and especially in the league, just enjoying where I am and realizing that the process is all you really have was an important lesson for me. I don't take for granted every single day in the process of the journey and I want to enjoy that regardless of if if I'm winning, if I'm playing, if I'm starting.
You entered the league in 2020, which was a challenging year, to say the least! Did that experience help you learn to enjoy the process?
When I started at Orlando in 2020, I went in as a discovery player, so I wasn't signed. So I went to their preseason camp unsigned and was on trial. Then I got sent home, because they sent the trialists home. I came back when they started training again and got signed for the Challenge Cup. Then Orlando didn't play in the Challenge Cup, [Ed. note: Orlando had to withdraw from the 2020 Challenge Cup due to positive COVID-19 tests on the team] so I went home again. So I was in this place where I didn't even know if I was going to sign my first contract, let alone continue on this career. So yeah, it was just a moment of trusting God's plan for me and and taking it day by day. I think 2020 really did teach me to take it day by day and just trust that there was a plan.
You released a merch collection last month in support of Football for Her. Why is that program important to you?
I just love that it's a local community thing. I think it's really cool how Angel City is so involved in the community, and I've been wanting to do something with what I have to impact our local community. So first and foremost, I love that it's in the L.A. community.
I also love that it's a former player who's enabling and equipping young girls and nonbinary kids to have a safe space to play. For me growing up, soccer was my escape and it was a really safe space for me to explore and figure out who I am. So I definitely believe that everyone should have the opportunity, regardless of economic standing, to have that safe place and explore who they are.
So, yeah, it was just near and dear to my heart, and my sister helped me. She's a tattoo artist in Boulder, so she helped me create those designs. It was just my little group and community and Shawna with Football for Her. What she's doing is so awesome.