In The Journey to the Cup, The Athletic tells the stories of players and teams as they work towards a place in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Follow along as we track their progress as they prepare both mentally and physically for a chance to shine on the game’s biggest stage.
Uchenna Kanu lights up immediately at the mention of her dog, Luna.
“She’s got a really cute personality,” the Racing Louisville forward said, pulling up Luna’s Instagram on her phone. “She likes to cuddle, get under the blanket at night.”
Luna has been with Kanu since she was two months old. Luna is picky about her food. Luna only barks at noise or knocking on the door. Luna can do a lot of tricks. And Kanu is obsessed with Luna, as is the rest of Louisville’s roster.
It helps to have an extremely cute and smart dog to settle into a new place among new coworkers. “They want me to bring her to training every day. She’s so excited. She likes people,” Kanu said.
It also helps to be a good cook with a lineup of great Nigerian food in your pocket. Kanu said she watched her mom growing up and now loves to make food from home: Jollof, rice with stewed chicken, beans, plantains, and fufu, among others.
“We don’t really have a time where somebody teaches us how to cook or to measure…
