Yolanda Thomas

Raised in Uppsala, Thomas joined Bälinge IF from Gamla Upsala SK.^[1] She cited Dutch player Ruud Gullit as her role model growing up.^[2] She represented Sweden internationally up to the under-21 level, appearing at the 2002 and 2003 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championships and captaining the under-19s to the semifinals at the latter.^[3] She initially committed to play college soccer for the powerhouse North Carolina Tar Heels.^[4] However, she had her scholarship offer rescinded after the NCAA said she had been paid more than an amateur was allowed by her Swedish club.^[4] Karen Hancock and the Oklahoma State Cowgirls were later able to clear her eligibility and she joined the program as a freshman in 2005.^[4] She was told by her youth national team coach that she would not be called up again if she went to the United States,^[5] though senior team manager Thomas Dennerby later expressed interest in the player.^[6]

She finished her freshman season with 7 goals and 4 assists in 19 games from the back line and was named second-team All-Big 12.^[3] In 2006, she finished her outstanding sophomore season with 5 goals and 8 assists in 21 games and was named first-team All-American and the Big 12 Co-Player of the Year alongside Nebraska's Brittany Timko, becoming the first Cowgirl to be named All-American.^[3] She had a goal and an assist in their first-ever NCAA tournament match win.^[3] In her junior year in 2007, she scored 7 goals and was named first-team All-Big 12 for the second time and second-team All-American by SoccerBuzz.^[3] In her senior year in 2008, she led the Big 12 with 16 goals and was named the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year and was an All-American for the third time.^[7] She also led the Cowgirls to their first Big 12 regular-season title and the NCAA tournament second round for the third straight year.^[7] With multiple program records including career goals and single-season goals,^[7] she was inducted into the OSU Athletics Hall of Honor in 2023.^[8]

During college, she also played for Gamla Upsala SK in 2007,^[9] and USL W-League club Jersey Sky Blue in 2008.^[10] She attended the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) combine before the 2009 WPS Draft.^[11] She went unselected and returned to Sweden with Linköping FC, though suffered a serious back injury in training in January 2009.^[12] She decided to retire from playing and enter coaching after the injury.^[13]

Thomas coached high school soccer for four seasons at Edmond Memorial High School in Edmond, Oklahoma.^[14] She was also the director of SoccerCity Oklahoma City and Lil' Kickers youth program.^[14]

She became an assistant coach for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane under Kyle Cussen in 2015.^[14]

She became the head coach of the Rogers State Hillcats in 2018.^[15] After two seasons at Rogers State, she became the ECNL girls' director for Tulsa Soccer Club in 2020.^[16] She was also the head coach of Fortuna Tulsa in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL).^[15]

Thomas became an assistant coach for the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)'s Orlando Pride under head coach Seb Hines in 2023.^[17] In her second season in 2024, she helped the Pride win their first NWSL Shield and NWSL Championship.^[18] In August 2026, Hines was fired and Thomas was elevated to interim head coach.^[18]

Thomas is the daughter of Victor and Carina Odenyo and had five siblings.^[3] Her father is Kenyan and her mother is Swedish.^[19] Her older sister Sasja, who played college soccer for the FIU Panthers, died in a car crash that also killed a teammate in 2002.^[4][20] She and her husband Phillip, a pastor, have three children.^[13][21]