After a shaky start in her first NWSL start, a July 26 loss to the Seattle Reign, San Diego Wave FC goalkeeper Sandra Paños has definitely gained confidence.
The 33-year-old veteran from Alicante, Spain followed up that loss with an impressive clean sheet versus the Washington Spirit on Aug. 2 in a rainy Audi Field, helping lead the Wave to a 1-0 win. The came the club’s dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Racing Louisville on Aug. 28.
“I am really impressed with the level of competition and talent here,” Paños said. “My teammates and our fans have been absolutely incredible because it has been really intense between travel, matches and everything else.”
Paños grew up in a sports-oriented family getting inspiration from her siblings and parents, also standout athletes. She began playing goalkeeper when there was a vacant position in goal for her futsal team in Spain, and later played seven-a-side football before competing for her first club, Sporting Plaza de Argel (formerly known as Hércules), when she was 10.
“Ever since I was little my parents instilled in us that sports was something important in our lives and helps to develop good habits,” she added. “They taught us (about) the values and discipline from playing and how it is very important for our day-to-day lives. Whether we became professionals playing sports would obviously be a decision left to us.”
Professional debut
In 2010, Paños made her first professional appearance for Levante in the Spanish first division. Despite being a goalkeeper, she scored a golazo off a free kick from outside the box, which led to a 3-2 victory over Espanyol on June 4, 2015, in her final season with the team.
She then moved on to play for Barcelona from 2015 to 2024. She was named to the UEFA Women’s Champions League Squad of the season at the conclusion of the 2015-16 campaign, becoming the first ever Barcelona player to do so.
She then signed with Liga MX Femenil side Club América in June 2024, helping lead las Águilas to the title during the Clausura 2026 tournament, where she was named “portera de la final” (goalkeeper of the final) for her efforts against Monterrey.
San Diego Wave signed Paños to a three-year deal in June; she has now made seven starts with the club.
“All leagues are different and they have their good and their bad things to them,” said Paños. “Having come from teams that dominate games, I’ve come to the best. I can see playing with San Diego Wave that it’s one of the few teams that has a good grasp when it comes to proper tactics.”
Paños and the Wave play again at 3:30 p.m. Saturday when they host the North Carolina Courage at Snapdragon Stadium.
