There was the NWSL before Olivia Moultrie, and there is the NWSL after Olivia Moultrie.
The Portland Thorns midfielder was once the youngest player to make the jump to the league, fighting a legal battle that in 2021 overturned the NWSL’s age minimum of 18 and allowed minors to sign professional contracts. She made her professional debut for the Thorns just over two months later at age 15.
Now a veteran player at 17, Moultrie is coming into her own as a frequent starter and key presence in the midfield for Portland. And around the league, teenagers are making the same jump she did and thriving: Alyssa Thompson of Angel City FC, Jaedyn Shaw and Melanie Barcenas of the San Diego Wave, and Chloe Ricketts of the Washington Spirit.
“I think it’s extremely special that this is an aftereffect of what I did,” Moultrie said. “That wasn’t the thought process going in, it was just that I felt ready and wanted to play now. For all that hard work and difficulty I had to go through to make it so available for others has been amazing.
“You want to be so, so sure that that’s what you want before you’re doing it, and it’s not like the path is for everyone, but we deserve to have it as the men have it, as it is in Europe. To be at the highest level, we need that to be an option, because that’s how we’re going to grow the game.”
After 15 appearances and eight starts in the 2022 regular season, Moultrie has appeared in 10 of 11 matches for the Thorns in 2023, including four starts — scoring two goals and two assists with 10 of her 14 shots on-target.
She has ambition to become a regular starter as soon as possible.
“Ever since I’ve been able to play, it’s just been an upward spike, which is what I’ve wanted and been very exciting for me,” Moultrie said. “To continue to take advantage of more opportunities as they come. I’m just continuously trying to work towards being a full-time starter on this team, which hopefully is getting closer and closer. Our team as a whole is a great team with a lot of depth, so it’s a fun competition.”
Moultrie’s work ethic is the trait often brought up first by people in the Thorns organization. She can be spotted having lengthy chats with coaches after training and occasionally general manager Karina LeBlanc after games — always asking questions.
“I’ve always just had an internal desire,” Moultrie said. “When I decided I wanted to play soccer, and starting to love it, then creating goals within the sport. I’ve always been a very ambitious person. I’m naturally a very competitive person, too, and my family has been a big piece of that. I love competition. All of those things combined, I’ve never been somebody who is OK with mediocrity or who has been super excited by just participation. I want to win everything. That’s how I operate.”
While Moultrie’s reactions to her teammates’ wild 2022 championship celebration went viral, she is by no means an outsider just because of her age. She’s built strong bonds with teammates including Morgan Weaver and Michele Vasoncelos, and this season with midfield compatriots Crystal Dunn and Sam Coffey.
All of these players have acted as mentors for Moultrie, as others have, but it wasn’t always so easy. Moultrie had plenty to prove showing up to train with a professional soccer team before she could get a driver’s license. Now she feels as if she’s being treated as a peer who is earning her keep, rather than a kid coming to take someone else’s spot.
“The team as a whole has supported me throughout my journey,” Moultrie said. “When I first got here, I wouldn’t necessarily say that. It was a little awkward for everyone. But now that everyone has seen me go through what I’ve gone through, people have been extremely supportive and they know how hard I’ve worked for this.”
Moultrie said she is optimistic about the league’s future as it enters its second decade. By the time the NWSL begins its 20th season, she’ll be just 26.
“It’s so cool to see the work people have done to get the league where it is today,” Moultrie said. “I am optimistic because I think it’s going to continue to grow. Continuing to bring in players who will show who they are, grow and get better. I think it’s just becoming more fun to watch and more competitive. I definitely think it’s on the up and up.”
— Ryan Clarke, [email protected], Twitter: @RyanTClarke