From 1985 to Today: Celebrating 40 Years of USWNT History | National Women's Soccer League Official Site

15 August 2025By: NWSL Editor

From 1985 to Today: Celebrating 40 Years of USWNT History

It’s a rare Monday night football game for the NWSL, when the Seattle Reign host the Chicago Stars, but with good reason. The inaugural Queen’s Match at Lumen Field will celebrate the 1985 United States Women’s National Team in honor of the 40th anniversary of its very first game.

It’ll be 40 years to the day since the very first women represented the U.S. on the international stage at “Mundialito,” a four-team soccer tournament in Italy. Though the debut was a little lackluster, losing three games and drawing another, it set the stage for the USWNT that fans know today.

Seattle is the perfect location for such a celebration due to its deep ties to the “85ers,” the nickname for the original USWNT players. Two-time World Cup Champion Michelle Akers, Lori Bylin Sweeney, Denise Bender, Sharon McMurtry Remer, Cindy Gordon, and Kathy Ridgewell – players who were part of the roster that played in Italy 40 years ago – all hail from the Seattle area.

Without these trailblazers, we may never have known the moments that are so inextricably tied to U.S. soccer today. The triumph of the 1991 World Cup win, the first in the USWNT’s history. Brandi Chastain ripping her shirt off in 1999 after converting her penalty, the photo of which graced every Wheaties box in every supermarket in the country. Carli Lloyd’s goal from center circle in 2015 that capped off a hat trick. Megan Rapinoe’s statuesque goal celebration and Alex Morgan sipping tea after scoring against England in 2019. The Triple Espresso attack that scored 10 out of 12 goals in Paris for the USWNT and powered them to an Olympic Gold Medal in 2024. And all the glorious moments in between that inspired today’s stars.

Of course, the link between the NWSL and the USWNT is strong, but the history runs far deeper than the current overlapping rosters.

From fun stats to a comprehensive list of every current and former NWSL player who capped for the USWNT, check out just how closely linked the two institutions are below.

QUICK FACTS

124 of the 281 players capped by the USWNT have played for the NWSL
59 NWSL players have played in a Women’s World Cup
34 are Women’s World Cup champions
45 NWSL players are Olympians
37 are Olympic gold medalists
NWSL players have scored a total of 1156 goals

Includes players’ most recent NWSL team.

Angel City FC

Sydney Leroux
Christen Press
Alyssa Thompson
Gisele Thompson
M.A. Vignola
Julie Ertz (retired)
Merritt Mathias (retired)

Bay FC

Abby Dahlkemper
Alyssa Malonson

Boston Breakers (no longer active, 2013-17)

Whitney Engen (retired)
Cat Whitehill (Reddick) (retired)

Houston Dash

Jane Campbell
Danielle Colaprico
Avery Patterson
Yazmeen Ryan
Ella Masar (retired)
Sarah Hagen (retired)
Christine Nairn (retired)

FC Kansas City (no longer active, 2013-17)

Lauren Holiday (Cheney) (retired)
Brittany Taylor (retired)
Amy LePeilbet (retired)
Casey Loyd (Nogueira) (retired)
Leigh Ann Brown (Robinson) (retired)

Kansas City Current

Alana Cook
Michelle Cooper
Kristen Hamilton
Claire Hutton
Lo’eau LaBonta
Hailie Mace
Izzy Rodriguez
Ally Sentnor
Allie Long (retired)
Sam Mewis (retired)
AD France (no longer in NWSL)

North Carolina Courage

Casey Murphy
Ashley Sanchez
Jaedyn Shaw
Kendall Fletcher (retired)
Heather O’Reilly (retired)
Emily Fox (no longer in NWSL)
Jaelene Hinkle (Daniels) (retired)

Gotham FC

Jill Loyden (retired)
Tierna Davidson
Jaelin Howell
Rose Lavelle
Midge Purce
Emily Sonnett
Ali Krieger (retired)
McCall Zerboni (retired)
Ashlyn Harris (retired)
Natasha Kai (retired)
Kelley O’Hara (retired)
Gina Lewandowski (retired)
Carli Lloyd (retired)
Christie Pearce (retired)
Kristie Mewis (no longer in NWSL)
Crystal Dunn (no longer in NWSL)
Jenna Nighswonger (no longer in NWSL)
Taylor Smith (no longer in NWSL)

Orlando Pride

Kerry Abello
Morgan Gautrat (Brian)
Haley McCutcheon (Hanson)
Carson Pickett
Emily Sams
Erika Tymrak (retired)
Megan Montefusco (Oyster) (retired)

Portland Thorns FC

Sam Coffey
Olivia Moultrie
Morgan Weaver
Sophia Wilson (Smith)
Meghan Klingenberg (retired)
Angie Kerr (Woznuk) (retired)
Rachel van Hollebeke (Buehler) (retired)
Marian Dougherty (retired)
Tinna Ellertson (Frimpong) (retired)
Sarah Huffman (retired)
Becky Sauerbrunn (retired)
Lindsey Heaps (Horan) (no longer in NWSL)
Tegan McGrady (no longer in NWSL)

Racing Louisville FC

Bethany Balcer
Savannah DeMelo
Taylor Flint (Kornieck)
Emma Sears
Jess McDonald (retired)

San Diego Wave FC

Savannah McCaskill
Naomi Girma (no longer in NWSL)
Alex Morgan (retired)

Seattle Reign FC

Lynn Biyendolo (Williams)
Jordyn Bugg
Claudia Dickey
Mia Fishel
Sofia Huerta
Sam Meza
Hope Solo (retired)
Megan Rapinoe (retired)
Yael Averbuch (retired)
Tobin Heath (retired)
Stephanie Cox (Lopez) (retired)
Phallon Tullis-Joyce (no longer in NWSL)

Utah Royals FC

Imani Dorsey
Mandy McGlynn
Amy Rodriguez (retired)

Washington Spirit

Amber Brooks (no longer in NWSL)
Croix Bethune
Ashley Hatch
Hal Hershfelt
Aubrey Kingsbury
Casey Krueger (Short)
Tara McKeown
Trinity Rodman
Andi Sullivan
Nicole Barnhart (retired)
Lori Lindsey (retired)
Danesha Adams (retired)
Joanna Lohman (retired)