Akemi Higa

Quick Facts

• Position: QB
• Twin sister, Akiko, is a WR/DB in flag football and has played with Akemi on the U.S. Girls’ Junior National Team
• At age 17, she was the starting quarterback and youngest member of the U.S. Women's Flag Football Team at the 2026 IFAF World Championships
• Finished the tournament leading the tournament in total passing touchdowns and only one interception

Biographical Information

Akemi Higa grew up on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, where she started playing football at age 5. She grew up playing flag football and tackle football with her twin sister, Akiko, and the family decided to move from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, to Las Vegas when they were teenagers because Hawaii did not have sanctioned high school flag football.

Higa starred in high school girls’ flag football in Nevada, setting numerous state records, including career passing yards and passing touchdowns. Most of her passes went to her twin sister, Akiko, who played with her on the same high school team and also on the U.S. Girls' Junior National Team. Her high school coach said of the bond of the Higa twins on the field: “I can’t coach it. You can’t teach it. They’re both blessed that they happen to live with it. It goes a long way. You can’t even put it in words, but it’s just there. Everybody knows it’s there.”

In 2026, Akemi Higa made the U.S. Women’s Flag Football Team at age 17, becoming the youngest member and starting quarterback at the 2026 IFAF World Championships. In her international debut at those world championships against Australia, Higa threw for over 300 yards and 5 passing touchdowns in a 32-point win. As the starting quarterback, Higa helped the U.S. secure a silver medal by leading two second-half comebacks with under two minutes left in a quarterfinal win over host Germany and a semifinal win over Great Britain. 

Higa committed to play college flag football at Nevada State University along with her sister, Akiko, and some other teammates who had played with them on the national team.