On Thursday, Jan. 29, U.S. women’s national team mainstay and 3-time NWSL champion Crystal Dunn announced her retirement from professional soccer. Though only 33 years old, the news of her retirement does not come as a surprise to many following her career — in her past year with French side Paris St. Germain, she only made six appearances and has not appeared on a game-day roster in months.
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Dunn’s career may be ending quietly, but she was a dynamic presence for both clubs and country during her 12-year professional career. After winning the NCAA Championship in 2012 with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and collecting the Hermann Trophy in the same year, she was drafted first overall by the Washington Spirit in the 2014 NWSL draft.
From there, she turned out a prolific career. In 2015, she earned the NWSL MVP award and the Golden Boot, scoring 15 goals in 20 appearances. She departed for North Carolina in 2018 and helped the Courage win the NWSL Championship in 2018 and 2019, earning Shields in both seasons as well. And when she made the switch to Portland in 2020, she also helped the Thorns bring home a Shield in 2021 and a trophy in 2022.
All the while, Dunn remained a mainstay for the national team. She made 160 appearances and scored 25 goals in her 12-year career with the USWNT and was a key roster member for the 2019 and 2023 World Cups as well as the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games. She started all USWNT matches in the 2019 and 2023 World Cup runs as well as the 2020 Olympics, and she played all but 75 minutes in the 2024 Olympics.
A versatile player, Dunn was recognized for her ability to shift from club role as a midfielder to full back for national team duty. It would be impossible to count how many times she ran the length of the field while playing for the USWNT.
Though Dunn’s career seems to be coming to a premature end, she has plenty to be proud of. On an Instagram post announcing her retirement, Dunn wrote that she “achieved nearly everything [she] dreamed of in this sport.” With Dunn’s retirement, only a handful of players from the 2019 World Cup roster still remain active — the USWNT may be ready to usher in a new era, but players like Dunn leave lasting, unforgettable legacies.
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