Making The Case: Crystal Dunn for U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year

Coming off a 2023 campaign in which she put together impressive offensive numbers for club and helped lead a dominant defensive effort for the U.S. Women’s National Team, Crystal Dunn has been nominated for the 2023 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year Award.

READ MORE: 2023 Female Player of the Year Nominees

Fans once again have the opportunity to vote for all U.S. Soccer end of year awards on ussoccer.com and at the links below. The fan vote will account for 15 percent of the overall vote tally, with the rest coming from National Team players, coaches, media, and other constituents.

VOTE NOW: Fan Voting for 2023 Player of the Year Awards

Take a look back at the excellent year that was for Dunn:

• Dunn started all 14 of her appearances for the USWNT in 2023, which marked her first full year with the team after returning to the field following the birth of her son, Marcel, late in 2022. The 31-year-old now ranks No. 25 on the team’s all-time caps list with 140 international appearances.
• She logged 970 minutes of action for the red, white and blue, helping the U.S. to one of its best defensive years to date with the lowest goals allowed per game average (0.17) in any year in program history (min. 10 games)
• She started all the USA’s games at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, her second World Cup at the senior level, and played all but eight minutes while helping the USA defense to just one goal and two shots on goal allowed all tournament.

• Dunn once again showed her stalwart defensive abilities while contributing to the USA’s attack on the flanks, ranking second on the team in total interceptions (23) and fifth in tackles (20) while also completing 86% of her passes into the attacking third.
• In the NWSL in 2023, Dunn made 19 regular season appearances, 17 of them starts, in her final season with Portland Thorns FC, scoring five goals and adding two assists while helping the Thorns finish second in the NWSL regular season table.

WATCH: DUNN BAGS BRACE FOR THORNS

• Dunn’s five goals marked her most in a single regular season since 2019 and were highlighted by a brace in the Thorns’ win over the North Carolina Courage on May 6.

This is Dunn’s third nomination for U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year, earning her first nomination in 2016 and again in 2020. Dunn was also a three-time nominee for Young Female Player of the Year (2010, 2012, 2013).