Crystal Dunn’s Impact Still Shaping the U.S. Women’s National Team

Crystal Dunn scored the first-ever SheBelieves Cup goal for the U.S. Women’s National Team in the tournament’s inaugural run in 2016. One decade and a retirement announcement later, she continues to be recognized for her impact on the team, on and off the field.

Dunn was one of the first Black stars for the USWNT, especially as a field player, and she became a role model to many young players of color across the country, including her teammates.

“I remember growing up, Crystal was, a lot of times, the only Black player on the team, and I definitely watched her and learned from her,” said defender Naomi Girma. “Just the way she carried herself with so much joy is something that I remember seeing through the TV. And then when I met her, it was like that, times a million.”

Dunn is set to make an appearance for U.S. Soccer Insiders next week before the SheBelieves Cup matches in New Jersey, not too far from her hometown of Rockville Centre, N.Y.

She finished her 12-year senior international career with 25 goals in 155 caps. She was one of the few Americans to win a FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup, a FIFA Women’s World Cup and an Olympic gold medal.

“She's someone who not only had a big, big impact on this program, she's had a big, big impact globally,” said head coach Emma Hayes, “I can attest to the way players across the globe have always talked about Crystal for the qualities that she's got.”

Hayes and Dunn forged a relationship long before Hayes took over the helm at the National Team, as she was the coach at Chelsea FC in 2017 when Dunn joined the club a few years into her professional career.

Girma, who now plays at Chelsea, learned a lot from her few years playing alongside Dunn with the National Team and applauded the physical and emotional aspects she brought to the team.

“She had incredible work ethic,” Girma said. “She always brought intensity in training, always wanted to win, but beyond that, she was just such a good teammate, had such amazing energy and made everyone feel like they were the most important person on the team.”

Dunn and Girma were two of the nine Black players on the squad when the USWNT won gold in the 2024 Olympics, compared to the three who were on Dunn’s first Olympic team in 2016. More and more Black players are representing the crest and upholding its winning culture, something Dunn undoubtably contributed to.

“Early on in her career, I'm sure it must have felt quite lonely playing for the National Team as one of the only Black players,” Hayes said, “But she has been a role model for so many players. I look at the diversity of our team now and think about the impact she's had on shaping that, not just directly, but indirectly, and she deserves all the credit for so many reasons.”