If she reaches her full potential, this player could soon become a force for KC NWSL

Picking up the ball on the left side of midfield Friday night at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kan., Darian Jenkins set off on an explosive run toward the North Carolina Courage box. The KC NWSL winger had one thing on her mind, and a single defender wasn’t going to stop her.

From 20 yards out, Jenkins unleashed a fierce shot toward the bottom right corner of the goal. Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy tipped it outside of the post, knocking it away.

It was the best chance of the game so far for KC NWSL ... and the best that Jenkins has looked in a Kansas City NWSL jersey, too.

“Darian is quality,” KC coach Huw Williams said.

Jenkins has been an integral part of Williams’ National Women’s Soccer League team, making 10 appearances and starting nine games. The 26-year-old arrived from the OL Reign in January via a trade that sent Tziarra King and a 2022 second-round draft pick to the Pacific Northwest.

From KC’s perspective, it was a heavily loaded swap: a player selected eighth overall in the 2020 draft, as well as a future draft pick, to acquire Jenkins.

But Williams saw — sees — in Jenkins a “potential difference-maker.” It didn’t hurt that he had also received a glowing recommendation about her from U.S. Women’s National Team coach Vlatko Andonovski, the former FCKC coach who’d also coached Jenkins during his time with the Reign.

Williams said Jenkins just hasn’t realized her potential here yet. He’s confident it’s just a matter of time before she does.

“She’s underperformed so far, and she’s done OK,” he said. “But she’s a way better player than an OK player, way better.”

Bluntly, Jenkins has yet to score. She’s committed more fouls (10) than shots on target (6).

Her biggest challenge so far has been re-integrating into the style of play in the NWSL. She was on loan with French team Bordeaux when she was dealt to Kansas City. She wasn’t expecting to be traded.

“When I came back to the U.S. and I was playing, it affected how I was thinking,” she said.

In the U.S., she knew she had the speed and power to get past a player one-on-one and win a corner or free kick. Williams called her one of his team’s fastest and strongest players, and Jenkins knows how to play to those strengths.

But in France, the emphasis is on maintaining possession. In France, Jenkins would burst into the final third and be terrified of losing the ball. So she’d pass it off, continuing the slow possession game until a teammate took a shot. Noticing her hesitation, defenders would often back off and force her to take closer touches and keep the ball tight to her feet.

Assimilating into Williams’ fast-paced, attacking mentality hasn’t been easy. One of his biggest criticisms has been Jenkins’ lack of selfishness. That explains why he was so encouraged by her aggressive run and shot against the Courage Friday.

“I have really worked on that part of my game and I can definitely feel it when I’m training and feel it when I’m in games,” she said. “It’s all kind of coming to fruition — just being a little more selfish and not worrying so much about making the wrong pass or decision.”

Jenkins stands to benefit from KC’s recent trade with North Carolina, which sent captain Amy Rodriguez to the Courage in exchange for outfield players Kristen Hamilton and Hailie Mace and goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland.

For one thing, Jenkins has played with both Hamilton and Mace in the past. She spent two years with the Courage, the team that drafted her out of UCLA. And Jenkins and Mace were Bruins teammates for two seasons.

“It’s just nice to play with people that you kind of already have that baseline of chemistry together,” Jenkins said.

The trio’s chemistry was on display Friday in the form of some of the most fluid soccer KC NWSL has played. All three were coached by NC’s Paul Riley at some point in their careers, so each understands the type of runs the other two make.

“Before, we were all kind of islands trying to play,” Jenkins said, “and now it’s a little bit more cohesive. It’s fun to have old teammates on the team now.”

Williams is calling the second half of KC’s winless inaugural campaign “a new season,” and Jenkins likes the sound of that.

“I personally feel that this week has been my best week of training,” she said. “I feel dangerous and (I’m) taking many more shots and just being a little more selfish, so it’s been great.”