{{short description|Nigerian footballer (born 2001)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}} {{Use Nigerian English|date=June 2021}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Nicole Payne | image = NC Courage vs Portland Thorns (Apr 2024) 037 (Payne).jpg | caption = Payne with the Portland Thorns in 2024 | fullname = Nicole Oyeyemisi Payne<ref name=SW>{{soccerway|521407|accessdate=19 June 2021}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|2001|1|18}}<ref name=SW/> | birth_place = Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.<ref name="joins">{{Cite web|url=https://en.psg.fr/teams/womens-team/content/nicole-payne-signs-for-paris-saint-germain-until-2026|title=Nicole Payne joins Paris Saint-Germain|date=20 July 2023|website=EN.PSG.FR}}</ref> | height = 1.65m<ref name=WVUA>{{Cite web|url=https://wvusports.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/nicole-payne/11384|title=Nicole Payne – Women's Soccer|website=West Virginia University Athletics|accessdate=19 June 2021}}</ref> | position = Defender<ref name="joins"/> | currentclub = Orlando Pride | clubnumber = 23 | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Oak Mountain Eagles | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Concorde Fire | collegeyears1 = 2019–2021 | college1 = West Virginia Mountaineers | collegecaps1 = 53 | collegegoals1 = 4 | collegeyears2 = 2022 | college2 = USC Trojans | collegecaps2 = 16 | collegegoals2 = 3 | years1 = 2023–2024 | clubs1 = Paris Saint-Germain | caps1 = 2 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 2024 | clubs2 = → Portland Thorns (loan) | caps2 = 9 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2024–2025 | clubs3 = Portland Thorns | caps3 = 10 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2026– | clubs4 = Orlando Pride | caps4 = 0 | goals4 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2017 | nationalteam1 = United States U17 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2018 | nationalteam2 = United States U19 | nationalcaps2 = 1 | nationalgoals2 = 0 | nationalyears3 = 2021– | nationalteam3 = Nigeria | nationalcaps3 = 10 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | pcupdate = 10 November 2025 | ntupdate = 16 June 2021<ref name=GSA>{{Cite web|url=https://globalsportsarchive.com/people/soccer/nicole-payne/480973/|title=Nicole Payne|website=Global Sports Archive|accessdate=19 June 2021}}</ref> }}
'''Nicole Oyeyemisi Payne''' (born 18 January 2001) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for the Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Born in the United States, she represents Nigeria at international level.
==Early life== Payne was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama,<ref name=WVUA/> where she attended Oak Mountain High School.
==College career== Payne attended West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia<ref name=WVUA/> for three years, transferring to the University of Southern California for her fourth and final year.
== Club career == Payne signed with Paris Saint-Germain of France's Division 1 Féminine in July 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 July 2023 |title=Nicole Payne joins Paris Saint-Germain |url=https://en.psg.fr/teams/womens-team/content/nicole-payne-signs-for-paris-saint-germain-until-2026 |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=Paris Saint-Germain}}</ref> Her first appearance (of four to date<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 February 2024 |title=Nicole Payne loaned out to Portland Thorns FC |url=https://en.psg.fr/teams/womens-team/content/nicole-payne-loaned-out-by-paris-saint-germain-to-portland-thorns-fc-2023-2024 |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=Paris Saint-Germain}}</ref>) for PSG came as a substitute in a 5–2 win over Dijon FCO on 12 November 2023,<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 November 2023 |title=Nicole Payne Excited To Make Division One Féminine Debut With PSG |url=https://superfalconsshow.com/nicole-payne-excited-to-make-division-one-feminine-debut-with-psg/ |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=Super Falcons Show |language=en-US}}</ref> with her first start on 20 January 2024 in an 8–1 win over FC Girondins de Bordeaux.<ref name="Portland" />
In February 2024, she was loaned to the Portland Thorns of the National Women's Soccer League for the 2024 season.<ref name="Portland">{{Cite web |last=Portland Thorns FC |date=18 February 2024 |title=Thorns FC acquire defender Nicole Payne on loan from Paris Saint-Germain |url=https://www.thorns.com/news/thorns-fc-acquire-defender-nicole-payne-on-loan-from-paris-saint-germain |access-date=18 February 2024 |website=Portland Thorns FC |language=}}</ref> Five months into her loan, Payne was acquired permanently by the Thorns.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Ryne |date=2024-07-02 |title=Thorns permanently acquire defender Nicole Payne from Paris Saint-Germain |url=https://www.kptv.com/2024/07/02/thorns-permanently-acquire-defender-nicole-payne-paris-saint-germain/ |access-date=2025-12-03 |website=KPTV |language=en}}</ref>
On 16 January 2026, the Orlando Pride announced that they had signed Payne to a one-year contract.<ref>{{cite web |title=Orlando Pride signs Seven Castain, Cara Martin and Nicole Payne to one-year contracts |url=https://www.orlandocitysc.com/pride/news/orlando-pride-signs-seven-castain-cara-martin-and-nicole-payne-to-one-year-contracts |publisher=Orlando Pride |access-date=17 January 2026 |date=16 January 2026}}</ref>
== International career == Payne was called up to the United States national under-17 team in 2017.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2017/08/15/22/17/20170815-news-u17wnt-to-face-england-u17-wnt-twice-in-portland-oregon | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018184251/http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2017/08/15/22/17/20170815-news-u17wnt-to-face-england-u17-wnt-twice-in-portland-oregon | archive-date=18 October 2017 | title=U-17 WNT to Face England Twice in Portland, Oregon - U.S. Soccer }}</ref>
Payne made her senior debut for Nigeria on 10 June 2021 as a 90th-minute substitute in a 0–1 friendly loss to Jamaica.<ref name=GSA-Debut>{{Cite web|url=https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2021-06-10/jamaica-vs-nigeria/2375811/|title=Match Report of Jamaica vs Nigeria – 2021-06-10 – FIFA Friendlies – Women|website=Global Sports Archive|accessdate=19 June 2021}}</ref>
Payne was called up to the Nigeria squad for the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thenff.com/2022/06/morocco-2022-waldrum-picks-ebi-oshoala-plumptre-22-others-for-women-afcon/|title=Morocco 2022: Waldrum picks Ebi, Oshoala, Plumptre, 22 others for Women AFCON|publisher=Nigeria Football Federation|date=25 June 2022|access-date=26 March 2025|archive-date=19 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719084845/https://www.thenff.com/2022/06/morocco-2022-waldrum-picks-ebi-oshoala-plumptre-22-others-for-women-afcon/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Payne was called up to the Nigeria squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thenff.com/paris-2024-olympics-waldrum-picks-ajibade-nnadozie-oshoala-15-others/|title=Paris 2024 Olympics: Waldrum picks Ajibade, Nnadozie, Oshoala, 15 others|publisher=Nigeria Football Federation|website=thenff.com|date=3 July 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== Born in Birmingham, Alabama, to Nigerian parents, Payne is the younger sister of fellow footballers Toni Payne and Stephen Payne.<ref name=upper>{{cite news |last1=McIntosh |first1=Loyd |title=Stephen Payne ready to kick off career in Portugal |url=https://upper90magazine.com/2017/01/stephen-payne-ready-to-kick-off-career-in-portugal/ |access-date=10 December 2019 |work=Upper 90 |date=10 January 2017 |archive-date=31 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131130027/https://upper90magazine.com/2017/01/stephen-payne-ready-to-kick-off-career-in-portugal/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> She and her sister Toni have played together in the Nigeria women's national team.<ref name=GSA-Debut/>
==Honours== '''Paris Saint-Germain''' * Coupe de France: 2023–24<ref>{{cite web|title=LE PSG PUISSANCE 4|url=https://www.fff.fr/article/12448-le-psg-puissance-4.html|language=fr|date=4 May 2024|access-date=4 May 2024}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons Category}} *{{Sports links}} *{{Instagram|nicoleopayne}}
{{Orlando Pride squad}} {{Navboxes | title = Nigeria squads | bg = #008751 | fg = white | list1 = {{Nigeria squad 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations}} {{Nigeria women's football squad 2024 Summer Olympics}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Payne, Nicole}} Category:2001 births Category:Living people Category:Nigerian women's footballers Category:21st-century Nigerian sportswomen Category:Women's association football defenders Category:Nigeria women's international footballers Category:Soccer players from Birmingham, Alabama Category:American women's soccer players Category:West Virginia Mountaineers women's soccer players Category:African-American soccer players Category:American people of Nigerian descent Category:Sportspeople of Nigerian descent Category:21st-century American sportswomen Category:21st-century African-American sportswomen Category:USC Trojans women's soccer players Category:Paris Saint-Germain FC (women) players Category:American expatriate sportspeople in France Category:American expatriate women's soccer players Category:Nigerian expatriate sportspeople in France Category:Nigerian expatriate women's footballers Category:Portland Thorns FC players Category:Orlando Pride players Category:National Women's Soccer League players Category:United States women's youth international soccer players Category:Footballers at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic footballers for Nigeria Category:2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations players