Dunn played collegiate soccer with the
North Carolina Tar Heels from 2010 to 2013 and was awarded the 2012
Hermann Trophy for best college soccer player. She was a member of the team that won the
2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan. Following her collegiate career, Dunn was selected first overall by the Washington Spirit in the
2014 NWSL College Draft that took place on January 17, 2014. The following year, she won the
NWSL Most Valuable Player and the Golden Boot awards,[4] becoming the youngest player to win both awards, at age 23.[5]
Early life
Born in
New Hyde Park, New York, to Vincent and Rhonda Dunn,[6] Crystal was raised with her brother Henry in
Rockville Centre, New York
where she attended
South Side High School.[7] At South Side, she was a four-year starter as forward and midfielder and team captain in 2008 and 2009.[6] She lost only two matches in three seasons at South Side and helped lead her team to New York state championships in 2006, 2007 and 2009. In 2008, she was competing at the
2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in New Zealand.[8] As captain of the team in 2009, she scored four goals in the first 20 minutes of the state championship game.[3][9]
"As a black woman I always felt growing up I had to do above and beyond stuff to be noticed, to feel like I could hang with everybody else," she says. "I tried to implement so many different things in my game so that I'm not just known for my speed. It's a stereotype that black players are just really fast, but at the end of day I want to be skilled, I want to be technical, I want to have vision and that's what I've always tried to promote in my game: not relying on one thing but just being able to outwork players in so many different ways.
Dunn scored 46 goals and had 35 assists in three high school seasons, missing the 2008 season due to national team commitments.[3] She was a highly decorated high school player earning Parade All-American and New York Gatorade Player of the Year.[11] She earned First-team All-State and All-Long Island honors in 2006, 2007 and 2009.[6] As a freshman, sophomore and senior, she was an All-New York First Team and All-Long Island team selection.[8] In 2009, she was named 2009 NSCAA, ESPNRise and Parade High School All-America.[12] The teams she played on in 2007 and 2009 went undefeated and were ranked number one in the nation by the
NSCAA.[3]
As a senior, she was named Newsday Long Island Player of the Year,[13] Nassau County Class A Player of the Year, New York Sportswriters Class A Player of the Year, BigAppleSoccer.com Youth Player of the Year and was the winner of the Mike Clark Award for the best all-around athlete in Nassau County.[6][3] In addition to her high school experience, Dunn played with the club teams, Albertson Fury, the RVC Tornadoes, and the RVC Power (with whom she won a state title).[3]
University of North Carolina, 2010–2013
Dunn attended the
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and majored in sociology. As a freshman in 2010,[6] Dunn started 23 matches for a total of 1,929 minutes, playing the full 90 minutes 18 times.[6] She was the team's leading player in points (26), including nine goals and eight assists.[6] She scored four goals during the
NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship, including a match-winner against
Jackson State, a goal against
Notre Dame, and two goals in a 3–1 win over
James Madison in the second round of the tournament.[6] Her accolades during her first year season included
Soccer America Freshman of the Year, 2010
NSCAA first-team All-America honoree, Second-team Soccer America MVP selection, and First-team All-
ACC.[6] She was the first freshman ever to win the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award and was a semi-finalist for the 2010 Missouri Athletic Club
Hermann Trophy.[6]
As a sophomore in 2011, Dunn started in 19 matches, missing only one while she was training with the
United States under-20 women's national soccer team. She scored three goals and made six assists during the season.[6] She was named third-team All-America and first-team All-Southeast Region by the
NSCAA. She was also named to the first-team All-ACC and was named to the
Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week three times.[6]
During her junior season in 2012, Dunn missed the non-conference phase of the 2012 college season while playing for the
United States under-20 women's national soccer team at the
2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan. Following her return, she helped lead the Tar Heels to win the
NCAA Women's Soccer Championship.[6] During the tournament's quarter-final, Dunn scored both goals in a 2–1 win against top-seed team
BYU, including a match-winning "golden" goal within four minutes of the end of the second overtime. She also saved her team from losing to BYU when she headed the ball away from the Tar Heels' goal line in the first overtime.[6][14] Dunn was named the 2013
Hermann Trophy winner as well as the
ACC Athlete of the Year and ACC Defender of the Year.[15][16][17] Dunn was an All-ACC selection for the third straight year and an
ESPY Awards finalist.[18] She also was awarded the 2012
Honda Award for Soccer.[19]
During her senior-year season in 2013, Dunn scored the first hat-trick of her collegiate career, ending a two-match losing streak for the Tar Heels by defeating the
Miami Hurricanes 4–0.[20] She was the team's top scorer with 14 goals, including six match-winning goals.[21] Dunn was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year,[21] NSCAA All-American and First-team All-ACC for the fourth consecutive year.[21] She was a
Hermann Trophy finalist[21][22] and a Honda Award nominee.[21]
Dunn returned to the Spirit for the
2015 season. On April 26, 2015, she scored two goals as a defender in a match against
Sky Blue FC, helping the Spirit win 3–1.[27] She was subsequently named
NWSL Player of the Week for week 2 of the season.[28] On August 1, 2015, Dunn scored the franchise's first
hat trick, scoring three goals in the first half of the Spirit's victory over the visiting
Houston Dash.[29] She finished the month with six goals, earning her the league Player of the Month award.[30] Dunn finished the regular season with a league-leading 15 goals, giving her the 2015
NWSL Golden Boot, and won the league Most Valuable Player award.[5] She became the youngest player to win both awards at age 23 and broke the league record with her 0.77 goals-per-game average.[4] She has said that being left off the national team for the
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup gave her extra motivation in the league.[31]
Dunn returned for her third season in 2016, scoring four goals and notching a career-high five assists. Two of her four goals were the two Spirit goals scored in the team's first-ever appearance in the NWSL Championship, which was
won on penalties by the
Western New York Flash after a 2–2 draw.[32]
Chelsea, 2017–2018
On January 3, 2017, Dunn joined
FA WSL 1 club
Chelsea.[33] On March 19, she scored her first goal just 12 minutes into her first competitive appearance for the club, in a 7–0
FA Cup win over
Doncaster Rovers Belles.[34] She made her first appearance in the FA WSL in April, scoring her first league goal in a 6–0 victory over
Yeovil Town.[35] At the beginning she played as a
striker for Chelsea, but switched to the
wing-back position.[36] During her time at Chelsea, Dunn scored five goals in 20 appearances in all competitions and helped Chelsea win the
FA WSL Spring Series.[37][38] She also helped the club reach the quarter-finals in the
2017–18 UEFA Women's Champions League, marking the first time they reached that stage of the competition.[39] Dunn enjoyed her time at Chelsea, and even named one of her adopted chickens after the club, but made the decision to return to the United States so that the national team staff could see her play more.[40]
North Carolina Courage, 2018–2020
After a year in England, it was planned that Dunn would return to North America with the deal of a trade with
Washington Spirit for two of
North Carolina Courage's players at the time,
Taylor Smith and
Ashley Hatch. The Spirit retained the League rights after Chelsea signed Dunn back in January 2017.[37] This move was confirmed by Chelsea on February 25, 2018.[36]
She made her first appearance for the North Carolina Courage in a 1–0 win over
Portland Thorns FC, in the opening game of the
2018 NWSL season.[41] Dunn was named Player of the Week twice in the 2018 NWSL season, for weeks 8 and 13.[42][43] She was named Player of the Month for the month of June.[44] Dunn appeared in 22 regular season games for the Courage, scoring eight goals, helping North Carolina win the NWSL Shield.[45] The Courage broke multiple season records including most goals scored, most wins, and most points.[46] Dunn was named to the 2018 NWSL Best XI.[47] Dunn was in the starting lineup for the semi-final game against the
Chicago Red Stars, in which North Carolina won 2–0 and advanced to the Championship Game. She was in the starting lineup for the final, which North Carolina won 3–0 over the Portland Thorns.[48]
Portland Thorns, 2020–2023
On October 22, 2020, Crystal Dunn was traded to
OL Reign in exchange for
Casey Murphy and $140,000 in
NWSL allocation money. Later that day, she was traded to the
Portland Thorns FC in exchange for an international roster slot, a first-round pick in the
2022 NWSL Draft, and $250,000 in allocation money.[49] With the rescheduled
2020 Summer Olympics occurring during the middle of the
2021 NWSL season, Dunn was away from the club for much of July and August. She played in 15 matches for the club during the remainder of the season, helping the Thorns to an
NWSL Shield, the third of her career.[50][51]
Shortly following the end of the 2021 season, Dunn announced her first pregnancy.[52] After missing the majority of the
2022 NWSL season, Dunn returned to the field less than four months after the birth of her first child, Marcel, subbing on during 0–2 win against the
Orlando Pride on September 9, 2022.[53][54] Dunn's first goal for the Thorns following her pregnancy would prove to a be a crucial one: a game-winning goal in the 93rd minute of their semifinal match against the
San Diego Wave.[55][56] Dunn would sub on late in the final, making her fourth career appearance in an NWSL Championship match, and lift the trophy with the Thorns.
Dunn played 19 matches for the Thorns during the
2023 season, during which she scored five goals and two assists. Following the 2023 season, Dunn became a free agent and announced she would not return to the Thorns, later saying that she felt undervalued by the club.[57][58]
NJ/NY Gotham FC, 2024–
During the 2023 offseason, Dunn was linked to a number of clubs including the
Orlando Pride, the
Washington Spirit, and
Gotham FC with reports that the Pride had offered her a salary of $400,000 a year.[59] On December 31, 2023, Gotham FC announced that Dunn, a Long Island native with family in the New York metropolitan area, had signed with the club through 2026.
[60]
Dunn made her first
Algarve Cup appearance for the senior team during the team's first match in the tournament on March 6, 2013, against
Iceland. She started the match at left back and played for the full 90 minutes. The United States defeated Iceland 3–0.[66] Dunn earned her third cap with the senior team during the final match of the tournament against
Germany. The United States clinched the tournament championship after defeating Germany 2–0.[67][68]
In October 2014, Dunn was dropped from the national team roster ahead of the
2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship, which served as the qualifying tournament for the
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[69] Dunn returned from injury in December 2014 and traveled with the team to Brazil, but did not play.[70]
Dunn was named to the roster for February 2015 friendlies against
France and
England,[71] and made a substitute appearance against England.[70] February 2015, Dunn was named to the
2015 Algarve Cup roster, but did not play during the tournament. Dunn was named to the preliminary roster for the
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, but surprisingly did not make the final squad of 23.[70]
In September 2015, Dunn was added to the roster for the national team's
Women's World Cup victory tour prior to the September 17 match against
Haiti, becoming the first player not on the World Cup roster to join the tour.[72] She made her first start of 2015 against Haiti and earned her first cap since the England friendly. She recorded her first career national team assists, both on
Carli Lloyd's goals, and scored her first national team goal in the final moments of the match.[m 1]
Dunn played in the national team's opening game of the
2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship, scoring her fifth international goal in the 5–0 victory over Costa Rica.[m 2] In the third group match vs Puerto Rico, Dunn was tied for the most goals scored by a U.S. player, netting five goals and one assist.[m 3]
During their first match of March 2019, each national team player wore a jersey with the name of a woman they were honoring on the back; Dunn chose the name of
Serena Williams.[73]
On February 7, 2020, Dunn played her 100th match for the United States in a 4–0 win against
Mexico.[74] Dunn was the only American player to start in all six matches at the
2020 Summer Olympics in Japan and played all but 16 minutes at the tournament helping the team win bronze.[75][76]
Style of play and position
Dunn is known for her creative problem solving in attack, her work rate, and above all, her positional versatility.[77][56][78] After beginning her professional career as a forward for the
Washington Spirit and the United States,
Emma Hayes deployed her as a wingback during her time at
Chelsea.[36][79][78] Upon her return to the United States, she played as one of two attacking midfielders alongside
Debinha for the
North Carolina Courage.[80] While playing for the Courage, Dunn also established herself as one of the world's best left backs, solidifying her as starter at that position for the United States during the
2019 Women's World Cup. Dunn has expressed that she prefers to play an attacking role.[56]
Dunn married Pierre Soubrier in December 2018. They met when she was playing for the
NWSL's
Washington Spirit, where he was working as an athletic trainer.[84][85] Soubrier's presence in Portland, where he was head trainer for the Portland Thorns, contributed to Dunn's desire to get traded to Portland.[86] Together, they have five chickens (Quinn, Juke, Chelsea, Toulouse, and Rocky), as well as three cats.[87]
On November 11, 2021, Dunn announced that she and Soubrier were expecting their first child together; baby Marcel Jean was born following an unplanned
C-section on May 20, 2022.[52][88][56]