She started playing soccer influenced by her brother, and played for Bahia teams until 2000, but never getting any salary. Three years later, she became professional in Ferroviária. After a game between the Brazilian national team and Umeå IK in 2004, she was contracted by Umeå and played for them in Damallsvenskan from 2005 to 2009, where she joined Marta.
Tyresö won the Damallsvenskan title for the first time in the 2012 season and Elaine collected her fifth Swedish league winner's medal.[3] With competition for places becoming very strong at Tyresö, Elaine moved on loan to nearby Elitettan club Älta IF in July 2013.[4] Ahead of the 2014 season she made her transfer to Älta permanent.[5]
She stopped playing after the 2014 season and joined Djurgårdens as an assistant coach for 2015.[6] In 2018 she missed playing and joined Division 3 club Lindhagen FF as a player.[7]
She remained in the national selection for the 2007 Pan American Games, where Brazil retained their gold medals. At the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China, Elaine featured in Brazil's striking 4–0 semi-final win over the United States and the 2–0 final defeat by Germany.[11]
On 4 February 2021, Elaine reported security guards in Gullmarsplan of Stockholm to police after allegedly being beaten by them and suffering injuries, including a concussion, while attempting to reach the subway on her way home.[17] The guards remained on duty after the incident and claimed to police that the action was necessary because Elaine was allegedly intoxicated, which she denied.[18]