Who is Emily Sonnett, the United States soccer player?

Who is Emily Sonnett, the United States soccer player?

Kevin Omuya
February 17, 2024 at 10:47 AM
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Emily Sonnett logo
E·Sonnett
OL Reign Women logoDUnited States logo
Kelley O'Hara logo
K. O'Hara
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USA(w)
United States
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NJ NY Gotham Reserves (w)

Emily Sonnett represents the USA women's national team and is a professional midfielder and defender for NJ/NY Gotham FC of the Women's Soccer League. Many consider her to be among the world's top defenders. With an exceptional eye for the game, she has been a football player since her childhood.

Emily Sonnett the USA women's football defender
Emily Sonnett (right) of the US during the national anthem at Toyota Stadium on December 2023. On the left: Emily with the ball against Colombia in 2023. Photo: Sam Hodde, Brad Smith/Getty Images
Source: Original

She is a former member of the US U18 and U23 national teams. She captained the Portland Thorns to the 2017 NWSL Championship and was named to the 2018 NWSL Best XI.

Profile summary

Title

Details

Full name

Emily Ann Sonnett

Gender

Female

Date of birth

November 25, 1993

Place of birth

Marietta, Georgia, U.S

Age

30 years as of 2024

Nationality

American

Ethnicity

White

Height

1.70m (5'7")

Weight

62kg (136lbs)

Parents

Bill (father), Jane Sonnett (mother)

Siblings

Emma Sonnett

Profession

Professional football player

Position

Midfielder/defender

Jersey number

14,22 (USA) 16 (Portland Thorns FC)

Social media

Instagram, X (Twitter)

Emily Sonnett's biography

Emily Sonnett
Top-5 facts about Emily Sonnett. Photo: Robin Alam/Getty Images (modified by author)
Source: Original

Sonnett was born in Marietta, Georgia, to Bill and Jane Sonnett. She has a twin sister, Emma, who played soccer for the University of Georgia. Sonnett and her sister began playing for the North Atlanta Soccer Association (NASA) in 2003.

She was born on November 25, 1993, and is 30 years old when writing. Her listed height is 5'7"(1.70m), and her weight is 62kg (136lbs).

Emily Sonnett's education

Emily completed her education in 2012 at Roswell, Georgia's Fellowship Christian School. She enrolled at UVA (University of Virginia) with an athletic scholarship in February 2012. The NWSL drafted her, so she dropped out of college for a semester. However, she came back and earned a degree in sociology.

Is Emily Sonnett married?

Emily Sonnett has not been in a relationship as of 2024. Being single and unmarried, Emily Sonnett does not have a partner.

Emily Sonnett and Kelley O'Hara

Sonnett and O'Hara
Carli Lloyd of NJ/NY Gotham FC (centre) poses for a photo with Kelley O'Hara (5) and Emily Sonnett (6) of the Washington Spirit on October 6, 2021, in Chester. Photo: Howard Smith
Source: Getty Images

The athletic and talented Kelley O'Hara is a multi-sport player. She was born in Fayetteville, Georgia, USA, on August 4, 1988. Both defender and midfielder are O'Hara's leading positions.

She has participated in the Olympic Games on multiple occasions and won the FIFA Women's World Cup on two separate occasions (in 2015 and 2019). O'Hara has also been a professional soccer player, having suited up for the Utah Royals FC and Sky Blue FC (now NJ/NY Gotham FC) in the NWSL.

Emily Sonnett and Kelley O'Hara play football professionally for the USWNT, representing the US in international tournaments. In 2021, the United States Olympic women's football team selected the two players following their good stats.

Career highlights

Emily Sonnett during NWSL Cup Final game
Emily Sonnett (2) of OL Reign distributes the ball during the NWSL Cup Final game against Gotham City FC at Snapdragon Stadium on November 11, 2023. Photo: Michael Janosz
Source: Getty Images

While attending the University of Virginia, Emily got her start on the soccer pitch. The 24-year-old football player scored six goals in 98 appearances during her three college years. In addition, she was named the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year.

Portland Thorns FC took Emily Sonnett first in the 2016 NWSL College Draft. Additionally, in the semi-final match for the NWSL championship, Emily Sonnett scored her first goal. On top of that, she was Lindsey Horan's assistant in the NWSL championship game.

She has also acted in concert with Allie Long before. Her loan to Sydney FC began on October 24, 2017, and has continued. She scored off a penalty kick in her debut for Sydney FC.

Sonnett was traded to OL Reign on January 12, 2023, for their 2023 NWSL draft pick (32nd overall) and 2024 NWSL draft pick (natural first round). The news of Sonnett's three-year contract with NJ/NY Gotham FC was announced on January 4, 2024.

As a professional football player, she has played for the following clubs. Her tenures with each club are detailed in the table;

Club

Period

NJ/NY Gotham FC

2024-Present

Ol Reign

2023

Washington Spirit

2021 - 2022

Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC

2020

Orlando Pride

2020

Sydney FC (loaned)

2017

Portland Thorns FC

2016 - 2019

International career

Emily Sonnett during USA vs Ireland game
USA's Emily Sonnett (27) and Ireland mid-fielder Karen Duggan (6) during the professional women's soccer game in San Diego, California. Photo: Tom Walko
Source: Getty Images

At the U18 and U23 levels, Emily had previously represented the United States. She debuted her U.S. women's national soccer team on October 16, 2015.

She made her international debut against Brazil on October 25, 2015. She has played in 12 matches so far. She earns a respectable living as a professional football player. Her net worth and salary, though, remain a mystery.

The 2015 ACC Defensive Player of the Year award has gone to Emily Sonnett. In addition, she was named to the 2012 ACC All-Freshman Team.

Sonnett netted her first international goal in a 3-0 semi-final victory over Costa Rica in Monterrey's 2022 CONCACAF W Championship tournament. This was her 69th cap.

2020 Olympics

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed from late March 2020 to the summer of 2021 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Sonnett was included in the 18-man roster for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, by Andonovski in June 2021.

Sonnett played the entire match in her Olympic debut against New Zealand on July 24, 2021, and the team won 6-1. In the bronze medal match against Australia, Sonnett replaced Christen Press in the dying minutes. The USWNT won their first Olympic bronze medal with a 4-3 victory over the Matildas.

Emily Sonnett's awards

Emily Sonnett poses with trophy award
Emily Sonnett of the USA poses with the Women's World Cup trophy 2019 after beating the Netherlands at Stade de Lyon on July 07, 2019, in Lyon, France. Photo: Naomi Baker
Source: Getty Images

Clubs

  • Washington Spirit - NWSL Champions: 2021
  • Portland Thorns FC - NWSL Champions: 2017, NWSL Shield: 2016
  • Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC - Damallsvenskan: 2020

Country

  • FIFA Women's World Cup: 2019
  • Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020
  • CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2018, 2022
  • CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2016, 2020
  • SheBelieves Cup: 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
  • Tournament of Nations: 2018

Final word

Emily Sonnett has been part of the USWNT since 2015, making numerous appearances for the team. She was a member of the United States squad that won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2019. Sonnett has also represented the United States at other international tournaments, showcasing her talent and skill as a defender.

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Authors
Kevin Omuya photo
Kevin Omuya
Kevin Omuya is a Content Writer with 4 years of experience who joined Sports Brief in 2022. In 2019 he held a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Digital Media from KCA University.