Dunn, Fox Named To U.S. Olympic Women's Soccer Team

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Two former North Carolina women's soccer standouts have booked their tickets to Paris.

Crystal Dunn and Emily Fox were named to the United States Women's National Team Olympic roster, as announced by U.S. Soccer on Wednesday. The two are part of an 18-player squad which will represent Team USA at the Olympic Games in Paris, France, this summer.

This will be the third consecutive Olympic appearance for Dunn while Fox has earned her first Olympic berth.

Additionally, Katie Bowen – the reigning New Zealand Player of the Year – will also play in Paris with the Football Ferns. Bowen, a defensive midfielder, was an alternate on the New Zealand Olympic Team in 2012 before earning a roster spot in 2016.

A versatile player who excels everywhere on the field, Dunn has been a mainstay on the USWNT since 2013, netting 25 goals and dishing out 19 assists in her 147 caps. In 2019, she played every minute of her six starts to help the stars and stripes win the FIFA World Cup.

Dunn made her first Olympic team in 2016, playing in all four matches and scoring her first Olympic goal during group play in Rio. She earned bronze during the delayed 2020 Tokyo Games as the only player to start all six games.

A 2013 Carolina graduate, Dunn was named the National Player of the Year in 2012 along with winning the Hermann Trophy and Honda Award after leading the Tar Heels to a national championship. The three-time Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-America finished her collegiate career with 31 goals and 25 assists across 80 appearances.

She was the No. 1 pick in the 2014 National Women's Soccer League Draft, being chosen by the Washington Spirit. Dunn currently plays for NJ/NY Gotham FC.

A staple on the USWNT since earning her first cap in 2018, Fox has made 49 appearances and has recorded one goal and three assists. The top-class defender saw three starts at the 2022 Concacaf W Championships to help Team USA qualify for both the 2023 FIFA World Cup and 2024 Olympic Games. She also secured a spot on the World Cup roster.

Fox experienced a successful career in Chapel Hill from 2017-20 which was highlighted by earning a First Team All-America selection in 2019 along with being named a Hermann Trophy semifinalist. She was a four-time All-ACC pick and guided the Tar Heels to two ACC championships as well as three regular season titles.

Having been drafted as the first overall pick to Racing Louisville FC in the 2021 NWSL Draft, Fox made the move overseas last year and now plays for Arsenal.

Women's soccer will begin its group matches on Thursday, July 25 – one day before the official opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The gold medal game will be held on Saturday, August 10, the day prior to closing ceremonies.

In total, the women's soccer bracket will feature three sessions of group matches, two rounds of knockout stages, then the medal games.

Stay up to date with UNC women's soccer by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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