Crystal Dunn Reveals Significance of Representing USWNT on SI Swimsuit Pages

The professional soccer player couldn’t contain her excitement on the set of her 2019 photo shoot in St. Lucia.

Crystal Dunn was photographed by Ben Watts in St. Lucia / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

In 2019, Crystal Dunn made her FIFA Women’s World Cup debut in France. Though she made the preliminary roster in 2015, she had yet to be selected for the honor. But in 2019, she got her chance—and she made the most of it. That year, the defender helped the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) to a World Cup win.

But that wasn’t the only accomplishment that made Dunn’s 2019 impressive. Prior to touching down in France for the tournament, the now 32-year-old made a pitstop in St. Lucia, where she posed for her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut alongside a handful of her USWNT teammates—Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Abby Dahlkemper.

For the professional soccer player, it was a momentous moment. Not only was it her first photo shoot with the brand, but it was an opportunity to represent the USWNT in a whole new capacity. She was no longer just the face of the squad in her soccer uniform on the field—she was now the face of the team on the pages of the SI Swimsuit issue, too.

When asked about the importance of that task, Dunn couldn’t contain her excitement. “I think it’s amazing,” she told the team on set. “When I look at our team or when I look at society in general I think there’s so many different shapes and sizes of people…And I think that’s basically what our team is made up of—so many people from so many different walks of life.”

According to the athlete, it wasn’t just about putting her strength on display. She and her teammates were likewise representing various walks of life—and various body types, too.

But it was about putting her strength on display, too—and having a little bit of fun, of course. And that’s how she would characterize the experience on the beaches of St. Lucia. There was one moment on set, in particular, that will forever stand out in her mind. Dressed in a gold one-piece “that really stood out to [her],” she said, Dunn posed with a golden soccer ball at her feet. “They did my hair up differently and I kind of was joking with the guys, I was saying ‘oh I feel like a queen, like I feel like an Egyptian queen or something.’ It was just the way the sun was hitting the gold bathing suit…I think that's the one I had the most fun with.”

If you ask us, we would say each and every swimwear look—and photo—from that 2019 feature was equally fun. Here are a few of our favorites.

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated