A group of young, talented Black women are ready to lead a new generation of American soccer stars
The U.S. women's national team means so much to so many people. It's more than just a national soccer team — it's an institution that represents hope, equality, strength, power, and success… all rolled into one.
But for decades, it didn't necessarily look like the people it represented. Like much of high-level women's soccer, there was a lack of diversity at the top of the American game for years.
That's changed now. The new generation of USWNT stars is led by a group of rising, Black up-and-comers, determined to change the game for those after them. They know that they embody those values mentioned above, but they also represent much more.
'Representation does matter'
"I think it's definitely something we and others are aware of," USWNT star Sophia Wilson tells GOAL. "I think it's a major shift in what this team has always been and I think it's a really good thing because I think representation does matter.
"For all the young, women and men and kids and girls and boys of color who have a dream and who want to, whether it's to be on this team or whatever their dream is, I think it's important for them to see people who look like them doing that."
Smith doesn't have to fight these battles alone, though. Crystal Dunn, one of the team's veteran leaders, was a trailblazer before her. From battling stereotypes to changing the way the program thinks about photoshoots, making sure there's more representation in the team's content, Dunn has always approached that national team knowing the type of change she can inspire.
And now, as she looks at the generation following behind her, she sees more change coming. A new USWNT is rising, and it's only just beginning.
"I think for a long time," Dunn tells GOAL, "across all industries, it's not even just women's soccer, as a black woman, we feel like, 'Oh, we're here to just survive this environment', And I'm like, 'No!' We should be here to thrive in this environment and not just be that token black girl that's just like, 'Oh yay, they let you in!' We deserve to feel like we're impactful, that we are gatekeepers, and that we are a vital part of this. We need to continue to push that narrative that we're here to really eat and we're here to really thrive in these environments."
As part of Black History Month, GOAL spoke to both Wilson and Dunn about their experiences as young African-American women in soccer, the moments that defined them, and how this new generation of USWNT stars can lean on each other to alter things forever.
AdvertisementGetty Images'Where are all the black girls?'
Wilson's story so far, the beginnings of which will feel familiar for many African-American soccer players, is quite extraordinary.
"I grew up in a pretty predominantly white area," Wilson tells GOAL, "so where I went to school, the teams that I played on growing up were predominantly white. I was usually one of very few Black players and that was kind of the case throughout my childhood. Even when I changed clubs and was driving down to Denver, it was still the case. I wasn't paying a lot of attention to that, but I would notice it. It would make me wonder 'Why?'. Like, where were all the Black girls? Where were the young Black girls who wanted to play soccer?"
At one point, Dunn, like Wilson, was one of those young Black girls, and she also rarely encountered Black teammates or opponents on Long Island during her youth. For many young, Black players, that's enough of a reason to step away.
All too often, soccer is labeled as a "white" or "Hispanic" sport, one that hasn't always been welcoming or available to young Black players. It was very possible someone like Dunn could be convinced to focus on other activities. Dunn, though, is thankful that she had some advocates standing behind her: her parents.
"At a young age, I did realize that there weren't many in the sport that looked like me," Dunn tells GOAL. "Sometimes, I was the only Black player on the entire field. I was pretty young when I realized. My parents, I would say, did an amazing job of just kind of putting it on my radar but not also making me feel like 'Oh, yeah, like this sport may not be for you because many of us don't play it'. I think they were very much like, 'I want you to be able to see things, keep enjoying it, keep loving it'. I think that's really important, especially as parents, to just educate our kids but, at the same time, always support their dreams. I think I was very fortunate to have parents that really supported mine."
The need for role models
The easiest way to draw someone into a sport, or any activity really, is to give them someone to look up to. Role models are important and, for years, young Black girls had few that looked like them playing at the highest levels of soccer.
There were plenty out there in other sports. Serena Williams inspired millions in tennis, as have Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff in modern times. Simone Biles is a history-maker in gymnastics, while the likes of Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes Candace Parker and Maya Moore have represented basketball at the highest level.
In American soccer, Brianna Scurry is the first everyone points to, and for good reason. The legendary 1999 World Cup goalkeeper captured the hearts of millions during her career.
Dunn, though, points to Williams as the player she saw herself in. She even wore Williams' name on the back of her jersey back in 2019 when players were given the chance to honor influential women in their lives.
"To me, Serena was somebody that looked like me," Dunn says, "and I was able to really connect visually with who she was and everything that she was about as a woman of color in tennis. Tennis was one of those sports that, for a long time, had hardly any Black people in it. I kind of feel like I resonated with her and everything that she went through in her career and was able to follow her journey and be able to be like, 'Okay she's the one who just stuck with it and, therefore, I'm gonna just stick with it'."
We all know how that went for Dunn. She went on to become a legendary figure herself, having amassed 141 caps and counting. For years, though, she was one of the only Black players in the USWNT setup. For example, at the 2016 Olympics, her first major tournament, Dunn was one of just three Black players in the squad.
Eight years younger than Dunn, Wilson remembers watching her now-teammate help set the tone with those national teams. She recalls seeing the likes of Christen Press, Jess McDonald and Adrianna Franch, too.
Wilson, like Dunn, idolized Williams but, on the soccer side, she was blessed with a few more role models to look up to before breaking into the team.
"I would say Crystal's definitely one of them," Smith said when asked about her role models. "I think I was fortunate to grow up in a time where there were a few black players that played for the USWNT but still not very many.
"I am a big Serena fan too. I grew up always watching her and just learning from her and wanting to be her but in my sport. I would say those were the big ones. I'm also a big Marta fan, too. I wanted to emulate her game in a way because she was always crafty, always trying new and different things and I like trying new and different things. I would say those three, for sure."
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Small things, huge difference
It seems like such a small thing for those who haven't lived it, but, for Dunn, it was something that really resonated with her.
She had just made her dream come true by earning her maiden USWNT call-up. Coming up was a photoshoot and, as part of that, all the members of the team were put through hair and makeup. Dunn, though, quickly realized that the setup wasn't going to work for her. There was no one there that knew how to work with Black hair or skin. Dunn had to go to the bathroom and get herself ready. She was the only one there that knew.
It's the type of thing that makes someone feel different, if not unwelcome. And, for Dunn, it made her question herself a bit. Was this a fight worth picking? How could she change this for the better and make sure that the next generation of Black girls wouldn't have to do what she did to have their hair and skin make them feel confident and comfortable?
"When you're one of very few of anything in an environment, I feel like you're constantly battling and figuring out your battles," Dunn says. "Sometimes you can't always fight everything. Sometimes you need to just do it and down the road say that you actually had a problem with it or that you would like this resolved or fixed or whatever.
"That was what my earlier years were all about. I felt like I was the only one and felt like 'Okay, if I'm the only one with this, maybe this is not a big deal'. That comes with being younger. When you're younger, you don't feel like you have that power, that voice to be able to raise any concerns that you may have, no matter how big or small. When you're one of the only few, you have to navigate your battles.
"I think, outside looking in, it's easy to be like, 'Oh, I didn't even think about that', but yeah, that's something that you have to live every time you come into camp and there's a photo shoot or a picture or anything. I'd have to just say that I'm going to go just do my own and hopefully look good with all the photos being taken. Everyone's getting their makeup done professionally, so I always felt like I'd never look like the best version of myself. It's just little things like that that I had to navigate."
Wilson, meanwhile, says she's had similar experiences throughout her career
"Crystal's example is definitely true," Smith says. "I think even now, it's kind of about going out of the way to make sure that there's someone who knows how to do a Black person's hair for photo shoots. If girls want braids or makeup, it does seem like you always had to request that and it's not just something that's been thought of in the same context when you're hiring hair and makeup. That's just a requirement."