An unpleasant thought popped into Crystal Dunn’s head several months ago: “Oh my goodness, is this how it’s going to be for the entire year?”
It was an usually pessimistic viewpoint for the veteran, who has maintained a professional and joyous reputation for much of her career. The words “fun” and “bubbly” are usually associated with her, and her teammates point to her habit of dancing spontaneously at training as one of her defining features. She did, though, have a good reason to take a downbeat tone.
For the first time since the early stages of her career, uncertainty followed her like a shadow. The longtime NWSL standout signed for NJ/NY Gotham FC as a free agent last winter, a move that felt like a perfect fit because the native New Yorker was finally playing near her home base for the first time in her career. Yet, she struggled to crack Juan Carlos Amoros’ starting lineup to start the season. The situation was not much clearer with the U.S. women’s national team — a period of rebuild meant that every spot on the team was once again up for grabs, including her years-long hold on the left back spot.
There are few challenges Dunn has not overcome since winning her first USWNT cap in February 2013 and…
