Crystal Dunn Reveals Her ‘Why’ With Sweetest On-Field Snap

The athlete owes her motivation, in part, to her son.

Crystal Dunn / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

For the past decade, Crystal Dunn has taken the pitch for a handful of NWSL teams and for the U.S. Women’s National Team. As is true of all professional athletes, the 31-year-old has her own particular motivations for sticking with the sport for so long.

In 2022, though, she got a new motivation altogether. That year, the University of North Carolina alumnus gave birth to her first and only child, Marcel, who she shares with her husband and NWSL athletic trainer Pierre Soubrier. Now almost 2-years-old, there’s no doubt that Marcel fuels her passions on and off the field.

The professional athlete said as much in a recent Instagram post. In the first of the pair of photos that she shared, Dunn held Marcel in an on-field embrace. The second gave a glimpse of her new Gotham FC threads. “My Why…🤎✨,” she captioned the pair of snaps, crediting her young son with giving her the motivation to keep playing—and playing well.

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Prior to the 2024 season, which kicked off in mid-March, Dunn was an integral member of the Portland Thorns squad for the past three seasons. During the offseason, she left for Gotham FC, the New York- and New Jersey-based club that took home the 2023 NWSL Championship last fall.

With the move, the New York native returned home. She has committed to play for Gotham FC through the 2026 season. It remains to be seen if Dunn can help lead them to a second consecutive title this year.