Mia Hamm. Abby Wambach. Alex Morgan. Carli Lloyd. Megan Rapinoe. The biggest names of the USWNT are known in households across the country. They win awards, have massive social media followings, and are brought up in almost any conversation about women’s soccer. Die hard fans know, however, that the USWNT is and has always been more than just a handful of players.
While the whole world may not know their names, other USWNT players have developed a cult following of dedicated fans who simply can’t get enough of them both on and off the field. Among them is Emily Sonnett, whose relatable, fun, and energetic personality quickly worked their way into fans’ hearts.
But what is it about Sonnett? And how did she become one of the most beloved members of the USWNT? In short, she’s the perfect player for the USWNT’s younger generation of fans to look up to.
The long answer starts in 2015, when Sonnett, still a student at UVA, got her first cap with the USWNT. With just a handful of appearances for the national team under her belt, she was then the first pick of the 2016 NWSL draft, where she was selected by the Portland Thorns — fans of the NWSL know they’ve got the biggest following in the league by far.
A combination of joining the USWNT and the NWSL’s biggest club exposed Sonnett to a large audience right at the start of her career. From there, she quickly became a breath of fresh air that bridged the gap between fans and the USWNT.
In the age of social media, fans are closer than ever to their favorite players. Sonnett specifically shares content that speaks to young fans who live on social media. Take one look at her online presence and it’s really not hard to see how she’s become such a fan favorite.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-4oe9xFg_y/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
She’s known to share (and sometimes even photoshop) funny photos of herself with captions that show off her sense of humor. Whether she’s poking fun at her jersey number, making a meme of herself, or simply just being herself on the field, it’d take someone with absolutely zero sense of humor to not fall for her charm.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1XWTB2Afv-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Sonnett’s sense of humor is so well-known in the WoSo community that when the Orlando Pride became a “Challenge Cup Stan Account” after withdrawing from the 2020 NWSL tournament, fans joked (and maybe even hoped) Sonnett may be behind the Pride’s humorous posts.
While that particular theory is likely not true, it’s still proof that there’s just something about Emily Sonnett that women’s soccer fans really love.