Portland Thorns Acquire USWNT Star Crystal Dunn in Three-Team Deal

USWNT star Crystal Dunn has been traded in a blockbuster NWSL deal.

USWNT star Crystal Dunn has been traded to the Portland Thorns in a three-team trade, the club announced Thursday. 

In the first of two deals, Dunn went from the North Carolina Courage, the club she played for this past season, to OL Reign in exchange for goalkeeper Casey Murphy and $140,000 of allocation money. The Reign then sent Dunn to the Thorns for an international slot, a 2022 first-round pick and $250,000 of allocation money.

“We are delighted to add a world-class player to an already talented group,” Gavin Wilkinson, Thorns FC general manager and president of soccer, said in a statement. “Crystal has proven herself on the international level and been a dominant player in the NWSL for many years. Her professionalism and presence will reinforce and add to the strong culture we have in this club.”

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The 28-year-old has spent the last three seasons with the NC Courage and previously played professionally with the Washington Spirit and Chelsea. She won the 2015 NWSL MVP award and scored a league-best 15 goals that season. Her MVP season followed missing out on the 2015 American World Cup roster.

"I think missing out on the World Cup actually was in hindsight now probably the best thing for my career, because I went on in 2015 to win the league MVP and the Golden Boot in that year,” Dunn recently told Sports Illustrated's Jessica Smetana. “I really defined who I wanted to be and I found myself again. I made a promise to myself that I would trust in who I was, work hard to be the best teammate I can be and constantly keep growing, because I think the moment that you get complacent or you feel like you've made it is the moment that you should probably retire, because I think you should never stop learning.”

Dunn's husband, Pierre Soubrier, is the Thorns's trainer. 

Portland took home the NWSL's Fall Series title in mid-October.