Washington Spirit Forward Crystal Dunn Voted NWSL Player Of The Week
To be the single player selected as Player of the Week, out of an entire league, is an honor in itself. To be named the Player of the Week six times within the 20th week of the season is raising the bar to a whole new level. Crystal Dunn is doing just that. It seems that 2015 is her time to shine. The Washington Spirit forward is definitely a player to watch as her performance in the NWSL is gaining new heights. It’s hard to believe Dunn didn’t make Jill Ellis’ roster for the World Cup this year. With so many veteran US WNT players retiring after the World Cup win, Dunn seems like an obvious pick for the 2019 starting roster, especially if she continues to dominate the NWSL.
Soccer News: Washington Spirit forward Crystal Dunn was voted the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Player of the Week by the media for Week 20 of the 2015 NWSL season.
Dunn, 23, scored two goals and recorded an assist to help the Spirit earn a point on the road in a 3-3 draw against Portland Thorns FC on Sunday night at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon.
The New York native’s assist came early in the game as she found teammate Francisca Ordega, who was able to beat Thorns’ goalkeeper Nadine Angerer, giving Washington an early 1-0 lead.
Dunn’s first goal gave the Spirit a two-goal lead going into halftime, as she headed the ball into the back of the net during first-half stoppage time. Her scoring run would continue late in the game to help the Spirit avoid defeat by getting past Portland defenders and blasting a shot into the goal to end the game in a 3-3 draw. With 15 goals, Dunn currently leads the league with the most goals scored this season.
The former Tar Heel is the third Spirit player to be honored as the NWSL Player of the Week. She is the first NWSL player to receive the award six times in a season, when she was honored with the award in Weeks 3, 8, 11, 16 and 18.
The Washington Spirit will play their final regular-season match on Saturday, September 5 at 7:00 p.m. ET against Seattle Reign FC at Maureen Hendricks Field Maryland SoccerPlex.
The NWSL Player of the Week is selected each week of the regular season by a selection of journalists that cover the league on a consistent basis.
