National Women’s Soccer League player Olivia Moultrie of Portland Thorns FC arrives at the ESPY awards on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Chris Pizzello, Invision via Associated Press
Teen soccer sensation Olivia Moultrie has signed a contract extension with the National Women’s Soccer League’s Portland Thorns, the team announced Tuesday.
The new three-year deal will keep Moultrie in Portland through at least 2026. The team had previously exercised the fourth-year option of Moultrie’s contract for the 2024 season in September.
“I chose to stay and play in Portland because I feel like this club has every piece needed to achieve excellence — the roster, the staff, the ownership and of course the incredible supporters that create an unrivaled environment for every game,” she said in a statement, per the Thorns. “I absolutely cannot wait to continue to build towards achieving greatness with this club, and of course winning championships.”
Let’s do this @ThornsFC !! We’ve got trophies to win! https://t.co/dlywwJQWpL
— Olivia Moultrie (@olivia_moultrie) February 14, 2024
The extension comes a week after Moultrie, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was named to the U.S. women’s national soccer team’s roster for the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, which starts Tuesday, as the Deseret News previously reported.
“From the beginning of her journey Olivia’s drive and determination to achieve at the highest levels has been apparent, she is one who has always sought to be the best, no matter the obstacles that she may face, and she has always desired to do so as a member of the Portland Thorns,” general manager Karina LeBlanc said in a statement, per the Thorns. “We are excited to have her with us for this next stage of her career and cannot wait to watch her reach new heights as a member of the Thorns.”
In January, Moultrie was awarded the U.S. Soccer’s Young Female Player of the Year award after earning her first senior national team call-up and cap, or appearance, for the team in 2023.
Moultrie was with the team when they played Colombia in October in Sandy, Utah, but she did not play in the game. She’ll play her first professional game in Utah when the Thorns play the Utah Royals on June 29.
How long has Olivia Moultrie played for the Portland Thorns?
In 2019, Moultrie joined the Thorns Academy and began training with the team at age 13, according to the Portland Timbers. At the time, NWSL rules kept her from signing a professional contract with the Thorns because she was under 18.
Two years later, Moultrie filed an antitrust lawsuit against the league and was granted a preliminary injunction by the judge, which allowed her to sign a three-year deal with the Thorns and become the youngest player to sign a NWSL contract at age 15, according to The Athletic.
Moultrie’s lawsuit opened the door for a wave of young players to enter the NWSL.