Swimsuit

Alex Morgan Wore Just Bodypaint for Her SI Swim Debut 11 Years Ago

The professional soccer player has been featured in the annual publication three times.

Cara O’Bleness

Alex Morgan was photographed by Kayt Jones in a New York studio.

Alex Morgan was photographed by Kayt Jones in a New York studio.

Professional soccer player Alex Morgan has been featured in the SI Swimsuit Issue three times since her debut in 2012. It’s difficult to choose a favorite photoshoot, since Morgan has impressed each and every time she returns to the fold. 

Her first brand feature with the magazine took place 11 years ago, when Morgan worked with photographer Kayt Jones and makeup artist Joanne Gair for a unique bodypaint spread in a New York studio. Two years later, she traveled to Guana Island in the British Virgin Islands for a more traditional beachside feature with photographer Adam Franzino. In 2019, she landed the cover of the SI Swimsuit Issue after a stunning photoshoot in St. Lucia with Ben Watts.

While many people may feel a bit uncertain about posing in nothing but bodypaint, the San Diego Wave FC striker was totally game during her brand debut.

“I was really happy and definitely willing to do this,” Morgan stated at the time of her bodypaint feature. “I feel like it was art today that they drew on me. I didn’t feel like I was naked at all.”

A two-time Olympic medalist, Morgan competed in the 2023 World Cup this summer, her fourth with the USWNT. The 34-year-old athlete is also a proud mom, as she and her husband, former pro soccer player Servando Carrasco, share a 3-year-old daughter named Charlie. Whether on the field or off, Morgan always impresses and continues to be an inspiration to us all.

Below, you’ll find a few of our favorite snapshots from her SI Swimsuit debut in 2012.

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MTY5MjQzMzEwNTg0NzY3OTYz
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Published
Cara O’Bleness

CARA O’BLENESS

Cara is a trending news writer/editor for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit. A passionate writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience in print and online media, she loves storytelling and believes that words have the power to change the world. Prior to joining the team, Cara worked as a writer and editor across a number of content verticals, including food, lifestyle, health and wellness, and small business and entrepreneurship. In her free time, Cara loves reading, spending time with her family and making her way through Michigan’s many microbreweries. She is a graduate of Michigan State University's School of Journalism.