Athletes frequently experience a great deal of uncertainty before a major international competition. They fret about their potential playing time, the weaknesses of their rivals, and their performance in the games.
But there is one thing Lynn Williams, a key member of the US Women’s National Team who will soon compete in her first World Cup, can count on her diet.
Lynn stated that, regardless of the venue, she always has pancakes for her pregame meal before every game. Pancakes may not be the typical breakfast item for champions, but Williams believes they give her the energy she needs to compete at her peak for the full 90 minutes of the match.
Who is USWNT player Lynn Williams?
American professional soccer player Lynn Raenie Williams, who was born on May 21, 1993, competes for NJ/NY Gotham FC in the NWSL and the US national team. She previously participated in Australian A-League Women’s matches for the Kansas City Current, Western New York Flash, and Melbourne Victory.
Williams was actively involved in varsity volleyball while she was a student at Bullard High School. Williams was raised in Fresno, California, by her parents David and Christine. Throughout her four years of high school, she was recognized as a standout performer who was both all-league and all-area.
Williams’ incredible high school soccer career came to an end with an impressive total of 47 assists and a school record-breaking 117 goals scored, which is remarkable for both boys and girls.
She demonstrated her scoring prowess during her senior season in 2011, scoring an impressive 50 goals to earn a spot on the third team of the ESPN RISE All-Americans. Her contributions were crucial to the team’s accomplishments, which included winning the county and section championships in the same season and coming in second place in the regional final. Williams was also recognized by The Fresno Bee as Player of the Year for her outstanding performances.
From 2011 to 2014, Williams was a member of the Waves while a student at Pepperdine University.
During her rookie season, she started all 20 games, finished second on the team with 20 points, was third on the team in goals scored with 6, and led the Waves in assists with 8. She was named the West Coast Conference’s (WCC) Freshman of the Year in addition to being named to the NSCAA’s All-West Region Second Team, Soccer America’s Freshman All-American First Team, the WCC’s All-Freshman Team, and the WCC. Williams set a new school record by scoring in five straight games and tied for second with two games with multiple assists.
Williams was selected by the Western New York Flash with the sixth overall pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft.
She made her club debut on April 12, 2015, when the team faced the Seattle Reign FC in the first game of the year. Williams played in 17 games this season and scored four goals. The Flash finished eighth with a 6-9-5 record.
In 2016, Williams was one of the NWSL’s rising stars. With 11 goals combined, she and Houston Dash forward Kealia Ohai held the league’s top spot. Williams won the Golden Boot because she had more assists than Ohai overall.
Williams was named the 2016 NWSL Most Valuable Player and was a member of the league’s Best XI. During the NWSL Playoffs, Williams scored twice in overtime to help the Flash defeat the Portland Thorns and advance to the Championship Game. In the final minute of extra time of the 2016 NWSL Championship Game, Williams’ game-tying header prompted penalties. Williams’ penalty kick resulted in a victory for the Flash over the Washington Spirit.
On January 9, 2017, the Western New York Flash was formally sold to new owners. It then moved to North Carolina and adopted the name North Carolina Courage. Williams scored 9 goals for North Carolina in 2017, earning him a spot on the April Team of the Month award. North Carolina won the NWSL Shield in 2017, but the Portland Thorns defeated them in the finals.
Williams left for Australia in October 2019 to begin a loan with the W-League’s Western Sydney Wanderers. In order to focus on her international career, she ended her contract early in February 2020.
In December 2021, Williams traveled back to Australia and signed a one-month loan with Melbourne Victory. She had to pay back her loan by January 13, 2022.
In exchange for goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland’s rights, $200,000 in allocation money, and a first-round pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft, Williams was traded from the North Carolina Courage to the Kansas City Current on Monday, January 10. Former Courage teammates of Williams’s include Sam Mewis, Kristen Hamilton, and Hailie Mace.
Williams missed the remainder of the 2022 NWSL season after sustaining a right leg injury on March 18, 2022.
On January 12, 2023, Gotham FC acquired Williams from Kansas City Current in exchange for the second overall pick in the NWSL Draft.
Following a standout 2016 NWSL season, Williams received her first call-up to the United States women’s national team in October 2016 for a pair of friendlies against Switzerland.
Williams scored the game-winning goal in the United States 1-0 victory over Germany while being chosen for the 2017 SheBelieves Cup team.
Williams was chosen to compete for the U.S. WNT in the 2018 SheBelieves Cup, which they won for the second time.
In the latter half of 2019, Williams was recalled to the national team after Vlatko Andonovski took over as head coach in place of departing Jill Ellis.
On June 23, 2021, Williams was added to the roster of the American team for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
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