With over 100 caps, Emily Sonnett is the USWNT’s secret veteran in a new generation | OneFootball

On Thursday night in Houston, Emma Hayes and the reigning Olympic gold medalists play their first game of 2025. Colombia, then Australia and Japan await the USWNT, who will test their mettle with a mix of new names and trusted talent in the 10th SheBelieves Cup.

Ahead of the game, one lasting veteran with a sharp wit, tenacious style, and too-often unsung impact will be honored for reaching 100 caps: 31-year-old Georgia native Emily Sonnett.

Sonnett’s positional forays include time at full-back, center-back and defensive midfielder. That versatility has helped influence Sonnett’s staying power in one of the world’s elite sports teams. In the words of star forward Sophia Smith during a training session from October: “This is our girl. She’s played every role for this team you could possibly think of, and we love her.”

Speaking to the Guardian, Sonnett described her evolution as the natural byproduct of a fiercely competitive environment.

“I sometimes joke, it’s kind of like survival of the fittest,” she says. “How can I accumulate all these positions? Because that’s the point that I’m in, in my career, to be able to make rosters, to become desirable to make rosters … I enjoy playing center-back, but I also enjoy understanding that I fill a lot of roles, and if that allows me to play and serve the team in a way, I can do that.”

Sonnett was selected first overall in the 2016 NWSL Draft by Portland Thorns, and helped the west coast juggernauts win the NWSL championship the following season. She has won two NWSL championships, one NWSL Challenge Cup, was named to the NWSL Best XI in 2018, and NWSL Second XI in 2019.

But as ever-present as she has been, Sonnett’s entry to the USWNT was far from a given.

“I think the one thing I think about for my personal journey, it didn’t come quickly, she said. “I wasn’t seeing starts or a lot of game time early on. I actually never thought I’d reach 100 caps. I’ve never been a true starter for this team. So maybe that created a little more of this work ethic that you have to bring excellence every day to make rosters, to make the game day roster, just for friendlies, to even get on the field. If you’re bringing that step-by-step, goal-oriented mentality, you might accidentally stay around for a little longer than you think.”

Sonnett’s 100th cap, which she collected in the USA’s 3-1 win against Iceland on 24 October, makes her just the 45th player to reach that milestone. It’s a run that includes two World Cups, two Olympics and myriad international tournaments beyond that. But her experience and example may prove even more essential than ever before.

This February, with NWSL still in preseason, just 12 of the US’s 22 gold medalists are on the SheBelieves Cup roster. As Hayes looks to build a wider pool of talent, she’s named four uncapped players, and 10 who’ve clocked four or fewer appearances for the USWNT. Sonnett is one of just three players with 100 caps or more in camp (and one of six with over 30), making her a clear veteran in the squad.

Earlier this month, in an interview with US veteran Ali Krieger on ESPN, Emma Hayes described Sonnett as “someone who is diligent in the background, is always doing everything she can possibly do. And my message is, be ready.”

“I’m probably someone who leads a lot by example, and being coachable,” Sonnett says. “How can I do my best to be seen by other new players or returning players? So that’s like a constant reminder for everyone that we have to be working hard, but also applying what we’re learning.”

Sonnett describes the present moment with Hayes as one where layers of complexity are continually added in, as the team builds toward their next big run in 2027.

“I think what I really appreciate about Emma and her staff, they’re always forward thinking, always layering in,” Sonnett says. “I think the Olympics was the tip of the iceberg of how they can teach in such a short amount of time.”

Header image: [Photograph: Daniela Porcelli/ISI Photos/Getty Images]