Profile

Emily
Sonnett

Position Defender
Number 14
Date of Birth Nov 25 1993
Hometown Marietta, GA
Height 5' 7"
Club OL Reign

The UVA alum, NWSL first overall draft pick, and Portland Thorns player is one of the bright new prospects for the U.S. Women’s National Team. The versatile Georgia native is appearing in her first World Cup in 2019 and could see the field as either a center or an outside back.

The Path

Sonnett is always focused on how she can best fit into the structure of the team. In preschool, Emily and her identical twin were running around the playground when another dad spotted them: “I want those two on my team.” That was the beginning for both of them—Emily playing in the back while her sister played up front. In college, they did, in Sonnett’s words, “a little switcheroo,” and traded positions; Emily became a center back at UVA, “I went from scoring goals to stopping them,” says Sonnett. The first overall draft pick for the Portland Thorns began getting steady call ups to the National Team in 2015. In 2017, there was a six-month period where she did not get called into the team—a period which motivated her to spend the off-season in Australia, the perfect place for her to try new things. “Modern day defenses are your first attacks—and in Australia, I could really work on my attacking. It was a perfect launch pad.”

The Jokester

Emily Sonnett has legendary photoshopping skills and constantly has her eye out for a good joke or something gif-able. Her playfulness and humor are a huge part of the special friendship between the younger generation of players who grew up together on U.S. Youth National Teams. “The jokes and the banter really make this whole lifestyle work,” says Sonnett. “I’m happy with my friends on the road.”