Jyllissa Harris


Jyllissa Harris is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Northern Super League side Ottawa Rapid, on loan from the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League. She played college soccer for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Early career

Harris was born in Hazlet, New Jersey, and attended Red Bank Catholic High School. She was a nominee for the High School All-American Game in 2017 and competed for the PDA Gunners and Sky Blue of the Elite Clubs National League.

College career

Harris played college soccer for the South Carolina Gamecocks from 2018 to 2022.
Harris attended the University of South Carolina where she set an NCAA Record for all-time minutes. At South Carolina, Harris was No. 1 all-time starter and No. 1 in all-time games played. Across her five-year career, Harris started in all but two of her 107 games played and passed the 2000-minute mark twice. Harris was awarded the Top Drawer Soccer Best XI selection as well as a United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American nod.

Club career

Harris was selected by the Houston Dash in the 2023 NWSL Draft. In her first season with Houston, Harris recorded 47 total passes with an 80.9% success rate. In November 2023, the Dash exercised a contract option for Harris. In March 2025, she was loaned to Canadian Northern Super League club Ottawa Rapid FC. At the end of the 2025 season, she won the league's Defender of the Year award and was named to the league's Team of the Season. After the 2025 season, she returned to Houston, signing an extension. On January 26, 2026, having played 2,415 minutes during the previous season, it was announced that her loan with the Rapid had been extended for the 2026 season.

Personal life

Harris graduated from South Carolina in May 2022 with a degree in Childhood Education.
In September 2022, Harris and other female student-athletes at South Carolina were honored during a South Carolina football game before being yelled at to "get off the field"; the moment went viral as Harris spoke out on social media regarding the incident.

Honors

South Carolina Gamecocks
Individual