6 BIPOC Women’s Soccer Players Whose Careers You Should Be Following
In honor of Black History Month, we’re taking a look at BIPOC women’s soccer players whose careers everyone should follow.
However, it must be said these women should be celebrated every month, every day, every minute, not just during February of each year. Keep reading to see what makes each one of them unique on and off the field!
Crystal Dunn
February 7, 2020, marked Crystal Dunn’s 100th USWNT appearance. The milestone was a long time coming; Dunn was a member of the famed U20 USWNT that won the 2012 U20 Women’s World Cup in Japan.
In 2015, she won the NWSL Most Valuable Player and the Golden Boot awards.
At 23 years old, she became the youngest player to win both awards. Despite her remarkable achievements in the league, then-USWNT coach Jill Ellis left Dunn off the 2015 Women’s World Cup roster.
After that heartbreaking exclusion, Dunn worked to make it impossible to leave her off future rosters. Now, as one of the best players in the world, she wants to be recognized for her achievements. She’s been crucial to the Portland Thorns this past season.
Sydney Leroux
Sydney Leroux dreamed of playing for the USWNT – a dream she stopped at nothing to make happen. The Canadian-born striker left her home country as a teenager to move to the USA and work towards her ultimate goal of playing for the USWNT.
The sacrifice and work certainly paid off. In just her second cap for the USWNT, Leroux scored a record-tying five goals during the 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
After a gold medal in 2012 and a World Cup championship in 2015, Leroux took a step back from the national team to start a family.
She’s struggled to find her way back to the uber-competitive USWNT ever since. However, she’s still a top striker and had a record season for the Orlando Pride!
Catarina Macario
Women’s soccer fans waited long for Catarina Macario’s arrival onto the professional and USWNT scene. Though she was born in Brazil, she’s lived in the United States since she was 12 years old with the hope of one day becoming eligible to play for the USWNT.
That day came in 2021 when FIFA granted her a one-time federation change.
Macario’s stats are impressive. During her time at Stanford, she won two national titles and scored some absolutely magnificent goals along the way. In just her second appearance for the national team in 2021, Macario scored her first goal.
We’re expecting more big things from this young star.
Lynn Williams
Lynn Williams has made quite the name for herself in the NWSL, but her goal-scoring ways go back to her time at Pepperdine. She broke numerous records and is still the school’s second all-time leading goal-scorer.
In the NWSL, Williams was indispensable to the NC Courage. They relied on her goal-scoring abilities to spur the team to victory. It’ll be exciting to see what she can do for the KC Current this season!
Additionally, Williams has been a star for the USWNT. After not getting much attention when Jill Ellis was the coach, she had a stellar performance in the 2020 Olympics and throughout the USWNT’s fall matches.
Margaret Purce
You can catch her on Instagram or the field as “Midge.” She was the Ivy League Player of The Year TWICE while playing for Harvard University, is on the Harvard Board of Overseers, has become vital in the NWSL, and is slowly but surely making a case for herself on the USWNT.
Needless to say, Purce is quite an impressive woman.
Better yet, Purce is still in the early stages of her career. Based on what we’ve seen of her so far, the sky is really the limit, and we can’t wait to watch her career in earnest.
Trinity Rodman
Trinity Rodman burst onto the scene at the 2021 NWSL College Draft, surprising women’s soccer fans across the country by forgoing her NCAA eligibility to turn pro at just 18 years old. She continues to break records with the highest earning NWSL deal in history.
BIPOC women’s soccer players don’t always get the attention and recognition their hard work deserves. During Black History Month and every month of the year, make a conscious effort to support BIPOC players.
Featured Image via Getty Images
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