Gotham FC signs USWNT defender Emily Sonnett to multi-year contract extension through 2028
Gotham and U.S. women’s national team defender Emily Sonnett has signed a multi-year contract extension through 2028, the club announced Thursday.
The 32-year-old arrived at Gotham ahead of the 2024 season, joining the club as part of a quartet of U.S. players who signed with the club after they won their first NWSL Championship in 2023. Sonnett quickly established herself as a key member of the team’s backline, helping them to a second championship in 2025. That year, Gotham allowed only 25 goals in 26 matches and helped clinch a club record of 11 clean sheets.
“I’m really excited to continue with Gotham FC,” Sonnett said in a club statement. “This is a special group that holds itself to a high standard every day. I’m looking forward to building on what we’ve started here.”
In 2026, Sonnett has made eight regular-season appearances, with five starts. She recently surpassed 200 career appearances across all NWSL competitions and 15,000 regular-season minutes played. Last year, she appeared in and started all 26 regular-season matches, tying the club’s appearance record.
Emily Sonnett is here to stay. ✍️
In partnership with @Dove, #GothamFC Defender @emilysonnett has signed a contract extension through the 2028 @NWSL season. LET’S GO SONNETT ⭐️⭐️#KeepHerConfident
Read more: pic.twitter.com/nd2HyqF44k
— Gotham FC (@GothamFC) June 25, 2026
“Emily has been an essential part of our team’s success,” Gotham’s president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West said in a statement. “Her quality, consistency and standard of excellence have been incredibly valuable to our group.”
Sonnett’s resumé distinguishes her as one of the most accomplished players in NWSL playoff history. She appeared in and started her fifth league championship last year, tying league records and extending her all-time playoff marks to 17 games played, 17 starts and 1,679 minutes. Sonnett has reached the final with four different clubs (Portland Thorns, Washington Spirit, OL Reign and Gotham) and has won three NWSL titles.
In 2023, Sonnett and Rose Lavelle were on the losing side of the 2023 championship with Seattle, before the pair were signed by Gotham the following off-season.
Sonnett is also an established member of the USWNT, now among the most-capped players for the senior team during the 2027 Women’s World Cup cycle. She won the 2019 Women’s World Cup and an Olympic Gold in 2024. In 2021, she was on the U.S. squad that won bronze in Tokyo. Her trophies also include two Concacaf Women’s Championships and the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup.
This year, she made history by winning a record eight SheBelieves Cup titles – the most of any player in tournament history. She has played in every edition of the competition. “I love SheBelieves, apparently,” Sonnett recently told The Athletic in an exclusive interview ahead of securing that latest milestone.
The NWSL is currently nearing the end of a month-long pause, with Gotham and Kansas City Current the first teams to return to the pitch for the Challenge Cup in Columbus on Friday night.