You've probably heard of Olivia Moultrie before. The young soccer phenom made headlines when, at just 15 years old, she sued the NWSL to overturn the league's ban on signing players under 18. She hit the field soon after and has now played with the Portland Thorns for six years.
But behind the lawsuit, the "youngest player to ____" records, and a blossoming career with the USWNT, is a girl who just wants to play. Read on to learn about Moultrie's journey in the NWSL, her mindset about the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup, her favorite Portland spots, and more.
TOGETHXR: As one of the youngest players to enter the NWSL, do you have a memory of the first time that you realized that you really loved the game and wanted to pursue it at a high level?
Olivia Moultrie (OM): From as young as I can remember playing soccer, I knew I loved it. I was always drawn to competing in general. I don't know if there was one defining moment when I realized it, but I remember that once I started playing club soccer around the age of five or six, it just became more and more fun as I got better and as I did it more.
By the time I was seven, I was telling my parents, 'I want to be a pro. I want to be the best in the world.' I don't really think I grasped that concept at the time, so it's funny now looking back at a moment like that, but I do think I knew then that I truly loved what I was doing. I remember thinking, ‘Holy crap, could this actually be a job?’
When you're a little kid, and people ask, ‘What's your dream job?’ My answer was always, ‘If I could play soccer, that would definitely be my dream job.’ I feel like that was the moment I realized just how much I love doing this.
TOGETHXR: Being the youngest player to come into the NWSL, I’m sure you had to fight for the right to play in the league. Do you remember much about going through that lawsuit? What were you feeling during that whole process?
OM: Yeah, it was definitely a whirlwind. It felt both extremely fast and extremely slow at the same time because I'd felt ready to play for a while. I just didn't know what mechanism was going to get me into the league. Then COVID slowed everything down, so the league was in a really interesting place and going through a lot of change.
I remember walking into a courthouse to fight for my ability to play and do what I loved. That's such a weird thing to think about. There was definitely some fear in the back of my mind, like, ‘What if this doesn't work?’ My whole family had moved, and I'd taken this huge step in my career. If it hadn't worked out, the next option probably would have been going to Europe or doing something else that was a major change. But moving to Portland had already been a huge change, so the thought of that not going the way we'd planned was scary. None of it really went as we planned, but the next logical step was to be able to play.
I was 15 at the time, and I remember thinking, 'What am I going to do? Just sit here for three years until I'm 18?' So there was definitely some uncertainty. At the same time, though, I had this underlying feeling that everything was going to work out.
After we went into the courthouse the first time, we had a female judge, and I just had this feeling. I remember thinking, ‘I feel like she's on our side.’ That was just the energy I got from her. From that point on, I felt like it was going to work out, even though you never really know until you know.
So the whole process felt both slow and fast. But once the judge officially ruled in our favor, everything happened incredibly quickly. I made my debut just three days later, and that part was absolutely crazy.
TOGETHXR: Walk me through what that was like — walking in as a 15-year-old and making your professional debut.
OM: Luckily, with my teammates, I had been with them since I was 13. So at that point they were very familiar with me. It wasn't like being thrown into something unfamiliar for me, at least with them.
I remember going on that trip with no real expectations because you never know what's going to happen. Of course, I was ready if my number got called, but beforehand I'd been told, ‘You probably won't go in,’ which I think was meant to take a little bit of the pressure off.
Then, around the 80th minute, one of our midfielders went down with what looked like a cramp. I remember looking to my left, then to my right, seeing who was on the bench, and thinking, 'Oh my gosh, I think I'm about to go in.' I got super excited and just couldn't wait to sprint onto the field.
If you watch the video, you can tell I'm ready to go the whole time, and the referee is basically telling me, ‘Wait.’ I'm thinking, ‘Okay, I promise I've subbed into a soccer game before.’ I was just so excited.
That whole moment was really, really cool.
TOGETHXR: You've accomplished so much in your career. Did you feel like you had to live up to certain expectations, or was it more about finally having the chance to show why you fought so hard to be here?
OM: I would say I definitely felt more of the latter. At that point, I was so ready. I felt like I had been working so long with everyone. I've been ready, and now I get to show that. So, I definitely felt more of that. I was just eager to build my minutes, build my role, and grow into the player that I wanted to be.
To be completely honest with you, I wasn't even thinking about what other people's expectations were because my expectations of myself are so high that I was thinking, ‘This is just the beginning.’ At that point, I had no fear that it wasn't going to work because I am very, very confident in who I am and the work that I put in.
I believed in what I was capable of, not only in this league, but in my career in general. I was solely focused on that. I didn't really stop to think, ‘Oh my gosh, what if it doesn't work out?’ I just never thought that was an option. I was thinking, ‘I'm just gonna make it work. It's not going to be perfect, but I believe that I can learn and grow from every experience and that I will be able to be who I want to be someday.’
I'm still working towards that, but that's how I felt going into it. I can't believe I can say it's my sixth season because I still feel like I'm at the beginning. It's kind of crazy.
TOGETHXR: Since you made your debut and the league changed the rule, we've seen a handful of other under-18 players join the league. Have any of them reached out to you for advice about being the youngest person or on a professional team?
OM: I definitely have. I mean, players like Jaedyn Shaw and Alyssa Thompson — we've all known each other since we were like 5 years old. So, I've known them forever and their family. Jaden and I also played together on youth national teams for several years, so we've always had that connection too. It was really cool because when you see each other in the league, it's like, 'Hey, we made it.' That shared experience is pretty special.
It’s just exciting to see it grow. It's fun to see that after all that I had to go through, now it's become, ‘If you're good enough, you're old enough,’ and that was the whole point from the beginning. It was fun to see other people come into the league that way and be successful. Make an impact and help win games. It's not like we're just doing this for PR or to say that we're the youngest. Playing together on the national team after all having done that, I feel like that's cool to look back on.
TOGETHXR: Do you have any advice for kids who are in a similar position to where you were—young players who feel like they have the talent, the work ethic, and the ability to reach the level you're at someday? What would you say to those kids who are on that same journey now?
OM: Yeah, I mean, I think we've touched on it in terms of everybody's pathway being different. But I talk about this a lot. For me, what made it worth it was that I truly felt ready to impact games and help my team win. I wasn't going there just to hang out and hopefully get a few minutes. I felt ready.
Obviously, you learn and grow every time you get minutes, and I'm much better now than I was when I first did this. But I think a big part of it is also having people around you that you trust. For me, that was my family and my agent. They were the biggest people helping me understand what was realistic in every situation.
When the people closest to you, who really understand everything that's going on, are saying, ‘No, she's ready for this,’ that gives you confidence. I also had my coaches and the Portland Thorns saying, ‘No, she's ready, and we want her out there.’ That gave me the extra boost of confidence. I felt like I was ready, but hearing my team say they believed I was ready too made a huge difference.
I think that was the thing that finally pushed everything forward—having my coach say, ‘Yeah, we want her out there. We want her to help the team and be a part of what we're doing.’
So I definitely think knowing you have that support system and understanding exactly what you're walking into is a huge piece of all of this. In the end, it's a crazy experience, and there are obviously challenges once you're in it, but having that foundation makes all the difference.
TOGETHXR: Not only do you have success on the club side, but you have made numerous appearances with the US Women's National team as well. What was your thought process the first time you got the call to come up to the senior team?
OM: I love telling people this because I feel like I've had a lot of things in my life that I was expecting. I kind of knew what the next step was.
When the first national team call came, I was in my living room with my parents at about 10 PM on a random Tuesday or Wednesday or whatever. I'm looking at my email, cleaning out my inbox for the day, and I'm thinking, ‘What's this?’ I read it, and I'm reading it three or four times to make sure I'm not reading anything wrong. It was confirming that I had been called up to the US Women's National Team.
I had no idea it was coming. With a lot of things in my life, I thought, ‘No, I'm ready for this. I know what I want. I am expecting this of myself.’ I expected to play for the women's national team at some point. That was a dream, that was a goal, that was something I wanted. When it actually happened, and I saw it happen right there, I thought about little Olivia’s dream of being able to put on this jersey someday. I was a little bit in awe.
TOGETHXR: You've already accomplished so much in soccer, but I think sometimes people forget that you're still just one of the girls. What are some of your favorite things to do off the pitch?
OM: Yes, I love to cook. That's probably the first thing because, no matter what, I make all of my own meals. I really enjoy eating healthy and experimenting with different recipes. My family is always like, ‘What are you doing downstairs?’ and I'm like, ‘Trying another recipe.’
I also love reading. That's become a really big thing for me, especially with how much we travel. I bring my Kindle everywhere—it's basically my best friend.
More recently, my dad has gotten super into golf. We have a membership at a golf club that's literally about 10 minutes from our house, and whenever I have the time, I've been trying to get into it a little more. I'm definitely not very good yet, but hopefully one day I'll be good enough that we can actually go out and play together.
That's been a really fun thing to do with my family. I love it.
TOGETHXR: What is one of your favorite meals to make?
OM: My favorite thing ever that I make is my yogurt bowls. I love a great bowl. People who know me know that I'm weirdly obsessed with those. I’m three years into this obsession.
TOGETHXR: Next year, we have the World Cup in Brazil. Assuming you’re headed to Brazil, is there anything on your bucket list that you’d want to experience while you’re there (other than winning a World Cup)?
OM: Yes, hopefully I am there. That’s the goal. Honestly, I think the whole experience of going to a World Cup, period, is just going to be incredible. Obviously, I have no idea what it truly entails to be there day to day and actually experience it, but I think Brazil is an extremely cool country to host a World Cup in. The passion of the people and the fans there will make it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and experience.
I don't even know exactly what it will entail, but whatever it is, I'm going to try to soak in every single moment of it. Hopefully, I get to play in a couple of games, but either way, I'm going to try to appreciate it all because I feel like it will be another one of those moments where I'm like, ‘Holy crap, I watched World Cups as a little kid and wondered if I could be there someday.’
So yeah, that's definitely one of the goals, and it would be really, really cool.
TOGETHXR: Brazil is such an incredible environment, which we saw at the last two friendly matches with the USWNT. Can you imagine what it will be like for a World Cup match, after it was like that just for friendlies?
OM: I know. We had 35,000 and 55,000 people in the stands for friendlies. That's going to be wild. I love it.
TOGETHXR: Do you have any mantras, mental health strategies, or anything that you use to help keep the mental side of the game strong while you're working toward the goal of making the World Cup roster and, hopefully, getting on the field during the World Cup?
OM: I think throughout my entire career, something that has been huge for me is to control the controllables. How can I get better every day? There are so many big-picture things to look at, but the only thing I can truly control is the now: how I train and how I keep myself healthy in the work that I do.
I think to myself, ‘How can I completely take care of all of the things that are in my control?’ At the end of the day, I can't make the roster decision. I can't decide the playing time, but I can try to make it as hard as possible for the person making that decision. I really think that is the goal for me — to continue to grow into who I want to be as a player.
I want to be the best player in the world someday. Luckily, I have a lot of time — hopefully. I think just being able to experience and soak up as much as I can all the time is really what I focus on. People talk a lot about how it's only a year away, and I’m thinking, ‘How many games do I play in that time? How much am I speaking with my team?’
I have things that I have to worry about now. Obviously, I want a championship with the Thorns, but I also want to win our game in 2 weeks. It's nice to have things to focus on, keep getting better, and keep preparing myself for that situation when, hopefully, I'm heading down to Brazil in ‘27 with the team. You can only take it one day at a time.
TOGETHXR: You've been in Portland with the Thorns for six years now. Do you have any Portland recommendations?
OM: My teammates have so many recommendations. They have lists. My teammate Morgan Weaver has a long list. I wish I had one in front of me.
Portland has great coffee shops and great food. I've had a lot of Italian food in the city. Gumba is really good. I feel like everyone talks about Bamboo Sushi, but that's good too. A teammate's favorite is Janken, which I actually haven't been to yet, but I've heard is delicious.
But yeah, Portland just has really good food. My favorite matcha spot in the city that I've tried is Yunomi Matcha, so if you're ever over that way, it's very, very good.
Of course, you have to go to Powell's when we're talking about books. And Providence Park — if you're visiting Portland, you have to come to a Thorns game.
TOGETHXR: Portland is looking more and more like one of the best women's sports cities in the world now. What does it mean to you as a woman in sports to see more women athletes coming into Portland and building fan bases that support them?
OM: It's super cool. We had a doubleheader a couple weeks ago, and we had about 22,000 fans at our game, and then they had 19,000 fans at [the Portland Fire game]. I don't think any other women's sports teams are experiencing that in the same city. That is pretty dang special.
Also, being able to rep each other is super cool. We're gonna be sharing space at the new training facility. We'll be on different sides, but we're gonna be at the same training facility a lot of the days. Hopefully we'll be able to build relationships there, having the same ownership.
I think it's super, super cool to experience that and just see women's sports grow in that way. I think Portland has been at the head of that for a while. What's super special about this city is they always show up. I can't wait for all of these teams to come and just to continue to see it grow in that way.
RAPID FIRE
Shout-out to another woman in sports you love watching compete: A’ja Wilson is just a baller. I really enjoy watching her. I also like Coco Gauff. I've been watching tennis a little bit more. I want to keep expanding what I'm seeing. I love seeing other female athletes killing it and getting the recognition that they've worked for. It's really cool.
Your biggest pet peeve: I don't like when people touch my face or when people are very affectionate. I'm very weird about germs. If the skincare is done, the dog can't give me kisses on the face. I don't know if other people are like that, but I'm a little bit of a germophobe.
Your number one recommendation right now: I semi-recently read the Magnolia Park series. I go through book slumps sometimes because I read so much. Usually, I go book to book to book, and I would say I average about one book every four or five days, so I read relatively quickly.
Also, I am definitely a "need caffeine in the morning" type of girl. I know I said I love matcha, but I don't always have time to get one, especially because the spots I like are kind of far away in the city. But the new cherry sugar-free Red Bull flavor—I feel like I haven't seen as many people drinking that one, but it's really, really good.
A piece of advice for other young athletes: Honestly, every time I get asked this question, I truly think the answer is: set goals for yourself and then follow through.
I feel like a lot of people are like, ‘I want to play,’ and they enjoy playing, but I think you have to really look at what you want and ask yourself: what are you willing to suffer for and work for? Because a lot of people can say they want something, but are you willing to go to work for it every single day?
For me, the way I did that was by putting those goals in front of myself. It was like, ‘Okay, I want to be a pro,’ or ‘I want to play at this school in college,’ or ‘I want to score this many goals in my season.’ Just having those things to work toward was really important.
I feel like I'm a very action-oriented person. When I have something I want to go after, that pushes me. And I think that's super important in life, even if it's not sports—just having goals and knowing what you want to work toward. That's kind of how I operate as a person. It's very much my personality.
But yeah, I think that would be my advice to young girls: just keep trying to accomplish your dreams.