Lynn Williams Etches Name In NWSL History Books
May 14, 2023; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey/New York Gotham FC forward Lynn Williams (10) controls the ball during the second half against the Orlando Pride at Red Bull Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Written by Oluwaseun Oyediji
Gotham FC’s Lynn Williams etched her name into the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) history books, becoming the all-time leading goalscorer across all NWSL competitions last weekend.
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Coming in the 57th minute of Gotham’s 2-1 win over Chicago Red Star, Williams’s 79th goal broke a tie with Austrealia and Chelsea star Sam Kerr for the league record. The header was her ninth-career headed goal, and her first since 2021.
“I don’t get the goals without my teammates. I have played with so many incredible people over the 10 years,” Williams said after the game. “At the end of the day, I think I just owe it all to the people that are around me — all my teammates, all my family members. I just owe it all to them, and I can’t put any single one of those goals away without them.”
Kerr still holds the regular season record, with 77 of her 78 goals having come in the regular season. Williams sits in second place with 66 regular season goals scored, having long been the top-scoring American in the NWSL.
The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) regular has won four championships with the WNY Flash, North Carolina Courage, and reigning champions Gotham FC.
"Her commitment to make sure the team wins, even the last kick of the game is her kicking out of the box, no? She has that commitment, that passion, and that quality to be scoring goals in key moments for us, for the US, for whatever team she’s playing (for)," Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said on Sunday. "She’s wearing the armband. Having people like her in this club is what we want."
"I’m just really proud of myself. I think that I have exceeded a lot of people’s expectations," Williams added. "For a very long time, I have believed in myself, and a lot of moments along the way I’ve been told, 'No, you’re not good enough.' And I think that every single time I score a goal, every single time I’m put on the field, it’s another moment for me to continue to believe in myself."
The striker even got a shoutout from one of the greatest of all time: Serena Williams.
"Congrats cuz," she tweeted after the Gotham victory.
Meanwhile...
Despite missing the entire 2022 NWSL season due to injury, Williams' 57 career NWSL regular season goals heading into the 2023 regular season ranked third all-time in league history behind Australian Sam Kerr (77) and Canadian Christine Sinclair (59), and most ever for an American, a record she broke last weekend.
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Selected No. 6 overall by the Western New York Flash in the 2015 NWSL College Draft where she won the NWSL Golden Boot in 2016, was named the 2016 NWSL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and helped the club win the 2016 NWSL Championship.
After the Flash moved to North Carolina and became the Courage, won two more NWSL Championships (2018 and 2019) and a streak of three consecutive NWSL Shields (2017, 2018, 2019) with the Courage.
She was traded to the Kansas City Current prior to the 2022 season and was then traded from the Current to NJ/NY Gotham FC prior to the 2023 season.
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