In a 4-1 victory over Gotham FC on April 22, two Portland Thorns rookies scored their first NWSL goals in a breakout moment for a young team in transition. Spring has sprung for a Thorns roster with 11 new faces, including rookie forward Caiya Hanks and rookie defender Jayden Perry. The Oregonian/OregonLive is spotlighting Hanks and Perry for a miniseries we’re calling “bud break.” That begins with Hanks. It is a familiar sight for fans in the north end of Providence Park: a fleet-footed, diminutive forward — with a ponytail swinging behind her jersey — finding space in the box and firing the ball into the back of the net. This time around, it was rookie Caiya Hanks stepping into a spot normally occupied by former league MVP Sophia Wilson. On a feed from captain Sam Coffey, no less, en route to a 4-1 rout for the Thorns over Gotham FC. One goal in one moment, six games into one season, does not a future league MVP make. But the Thorns are highly encouraged by what they’ve seen from the 20-year-old out of Wake Forest. That includes her playmaking on the wing, exemplified by an assist to Mimi Alidou to open up the Gotham game. “Physically and from the data we’ve received, she is 20% above everything in the league,” Thorns coach Rob Gale said. “It’s maybe her and a Trinity Rodman who have had those outputs. Now, we also have to manage that, because physically she is feeling wear and tear she’s never felt before. “It’s not just the expectancy that in the first year they’re going to be stars. You look at a Sophia Smith, now Wilson, she wasn’t a star in the first year. There were tools. It took her two years, three years to get in league-leading measurables.” The Thorns rookies and other young players on the roster will be steeped in opportunity this season, which Gale believes will do wonders for their development as professionals. Wilson and Olivia Wade-Katoa are both on pregnancy leave, and a trio of players (Morgan Weaver, Marie Müller, Nicole Payne) have season-ending knee injuries. Hanks had 11 goals and 12 assists in 24 games for Wake Forest her junior year, departing for the pros a year early. Had the NWSL Draft not been discontinued, those in league circles say she could have been in the running for the No. 1 overall pick. Hanks — born in Oakland but raised primarily on the Big Island in Hawaii — said she grew up watching the Thorns, idolizing players like Wilson and Coffey. Now, whenever Wilson visits the team, Hanks tries to absorb as much as she can from the star U.S. women’s national team forward. “After the game is over, she will come and find me and tell me, ‘Good job.’ And I’m like, ‘I need tips!’” Hanks said with a laugh. “She just tells me to keep doing what I’m doing and that it’s going to come. That is really supportive because something like that doesn’t happen automatically. I’ve talked to Rob (Gale) about it, too. He doesn’t need me to be ‘it’ right now. He wants me to pursue this role and build myself into it.” Hanks had to build her profile on the youth circuit, too. Being from Hawaii, the opportunities to play in front of scouts were far and few between. She began playing competitive soccer for travel teams around the age of 13, on the more populated island of Oahu, and started catching the eye of college programs when her club would visit the mainland for tournaments. Hanks eventually landed at Wake Forest, following older sister Jadyn (who played four seasons for Idaho) into the collegiate soccer ranks. One of the people who played a key role in the Hanks sisters’ athletic development was their father, Steve, who was a defensive back for Kansas State football in the 1990s under legendary coach Bill Snyder. “Oh my gosh, he’s insane,” Hanks said with admiration. “Some days, he took us to our high school track and made us run twenty 200s, and tried to collect our average time. Woke us up at 7 a.m. to take us to the track. He just wanted us to do something and find success, and I’m really grateful for it. After a while, it was mainly self motivation, but he was always that voice.” Both of Hanks’ parents have made it out to Thorns games this season, although they didn’t get a chance to witness her first career goal in-person. If Hanks’ development continues on the track Portland has her on, there should be plenty of chances down the road. All the while, Hanks is exploring her new home — signed with the Thorns through 2028 — and spends much of her free time in the outdoors. She keeps hearing about those Pacific Northwest summers, and is fully immersed in the city’s coffee and food scenes. “I’m a huge foodie,” she said. “I’ve been trying food from all over the city so far, and I have not been disappointed once. I just feel so great about it. Every place that I’ve tried has been 10 out of 10.” -- Ryan Clarke covers college sports for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at RClarke@Oregonian.com or on Twitter/X: @RyanTClarke. Find him on Bluesky: @ryantclarke.bsky.social.