SAN JOSE, Calif. — As a child growing up just across the East River from Manhattan, Crystal Dunn played soccer. She didn't have a lot of teammates — or opponents — who looked like her, however. Neither did Lynn Williams, who grew up in Central California, or Naomi Girma, who was born into an immigrant family in San Jose.
"It hasn't been the easiest road, obviously," said Dunn, one of two Black players on her club team, the Portland Thorns. "There were moments where I felt like I needed to conform to the environment and say 'OK, let me tone down who I am.' "
That moment might have passed because the team the U.S. will field in this summer's Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is the most diverse in history. The 23-player roster includes a record seven Black women and two Mexican Americans. There are three gay players and three others who became mothers since the last World Cup.
