Abby Dahlkemper Traded Her Signature Soccer Kit for Classy Swimwear in St. Lucia

The professional soccer player posed for Ben Watts in 2019.

Abby Dahlkemper was photographed by Ben Watts in St. Lucia. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Five years after her SI Swimsuit feature, we’re still often recalling just how marvelous Abby Dahlkemper’s time on set with the brand in 2019 was. The professional soccer player was, at the time, headed to the FIFA World Cup with the U.S. Women’s National Team later that year. Little did she know she and her teammates would also send major waves through the sports industry after filing a class action lawsuit (which they later won) demanding equal pay for the men’s and women’s teams.

The Pennsylvania-born, California native also posed for SI Swimsuit on the breathtaking beaches of St. Lucia, modeling for visual artist Ben Watts. She nailed each itty-bitty bikini look with her platinum blonde locks and blue eyes pairing perfectly with the sandy shores and crystal-clear waters of the Eastern Caribbean Island.

“I was kind of in disbelief because Sports Illustrated is such an iconic magazine to be a part of. I was just shocked… and honored and I was really excited about the opportunity to have people get to know me off the field and not in soccer clothes.,” the 31-year-old gushed while on location. “[The SI Swimsuit team] just made me feel super comfortable and confident in whatever I was trying on and wearing, so I think that that helped the night before. And then I just kind of got in zone in front of the camera on the first day... As a soccer player and being out in the field you really have to make adjustments through the game, and I think that’s kind of similar to this shoot and the way that I approached it... As I went along throughout the day, I ended up with a sheer shirt on and I felt comfortable and confident.”

2024 has been pretty special for Dahlkemper, too. The NWSL star was drafted by the Western New York Flash as the no.3 overall pick in 2015 after graduating from UCLA where she was a four-time All-American and helped the university win its first National Championship in 2013. In ’22, Dahlkemper transferred to the San Diego Wave FC in 2022, and earlier this year she departed to join the new Bay FC as a center back.

Below we’re taking a trip down memory lane and reminiscing on some of Dahlemper’s most stunning images from her 2019 SI Swim shoot with Ben Watts in St. Lucia.

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated