PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Sophia Wilson played in her first game with the Portland Thorns on Friday night since taking maternity leave last season for the birth of her daughter.
Wilson, who won a gold medal with the U.S. team at the Paris Olympics, came on as a substitute in the 75th minute of a preseason match between Portland and Liga MX club Monterrey.
The Thorns defeated Monterrey 5-1. Wilson came close to scoring in the 86th minute, but his shot just missed the target.
“I’m feeling good. I’ve obviously been a lot more patient with myself. I think coming back from a pregnancy is completely different than coming back from an injury, so I think I’m giving myself a reprieve because of that,” Wilson said. “But I feel really good. I was really eager to play in my first game, so I feel like I checked the box. I felt good. And, of course, I’m very happy to be able to play in front of the fans.”
Portland opens the National Women’s Soccer League season on March 13th against the Washington Spirit.
Wilson was officially released from maternity leave Thursday and placed on the active roster. The former Sophia Smith is married to Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson. The couple welcomed their daughter, Gianna, in September.
The 25-year-old forward was part of a trio known as the “Triple Espresso” along with Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson at the Paris Games.
Wilson, who is also included in the 2023 Women’s World Cup squad, has scored 24 goals in 58 appearances for the national team. She was named U.S. Soccer Women’s Player of the Year in 2022 and Young Player of the Year in 2017.
In five seasons with the Thorns, Wilson scored 44 goals in all competitions. She helped Portland win the championship and was named NWSL MVP in 2022. She won the Golden Boot award in 2023 with a league-leading 11 goals.
Wilson, a Colorado native, was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NWSL Draft out of Stanford University and helped the Cardinal win the 2019 College Cup.
Wilson exercised the player option on his contract to spend an additional club season in Portland in December.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
