Emily Sonnett’s season is over.
The defender for the U.S. women’s national team and Gotham FC underwent surgery earlier this week to repair the ruptured patellar tendon in her left knee, which will keep her sidelined for the remainder of the 2026 National Women’s Soccer League season.
Sonnet suffered the injury in Gotham’s 2-2 draw at the Portland Thorns last Friday when she planted awkwardly in the artificial turf and fell to the ground just seven minutes into the match. She was then carried off the pitch on a stretcher.
“Emily has the full support of everyone at the club, and we will be with her every step of the way throughout her recovery,” Yael Averbuch West, the president of soccer operations for Gotham FC, said in a statement. “She is incredibly
resilient, and we know she will return stronger.”
Sonnet has been an anchor on defense for Gotham and the USWNT. Since joining Gotham ahead of the 2024 NWSL season, she’s made 64 appearances with the club and has led them to three trophies — the 2025 NWSL Championship, the 2025 Concacaf W Champions Cup and the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup. The No. 1 pick in the 2016 NWSL College Draft, she’s the only player in the league’s history to win championships with three different clubs.
The 32-year-old from Georgia has started 10 of 16 NWSL matches this season for Gotham, which is second place in the league standings with a record of 10-4-3.
On the international stage, she’s one of the USWNT’s longest-tenured active players with 118 caps. She helped the Americans win the 2019 World Cup and the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics. If healthy, Sonnett is expected to be part of Emma Hayes' USWNT squad for the World Cup next summer in Brazil.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USWNT defender Emily Sonnett out for rest of NWSL season after knee surgery
