Lynn Williams Bypasses Kerr As All-Time Top NWSL Goalscorer

NJ/NY Gotham FC’s Lynn Williams scored her 79th goal on May 19 to become the NWSL’s all-time leading goalscorer across all competitions, bypassing previous record-holder Sam Kerr.

Lynn Williams Cruises Past Sam Kerr To Bag The All-Time Goalscoring Record In The NWSL

The Match That Saw The Record-Breaking Goal

The NJ/NY Gotham FC forward scored her 79th career goal across all NWSL competitions on May 19. The record-breaking goal came 57 minutes into Williams’ game for Gotham at home in Harrison, New Jersey.

Williams’ strike set Gotham up to beat the Chicago Red Stars 2-1 at the Red Bull Arena. The goal opened up the scoring for the game, with Penelope Hocking equalising for the Red Stars in the 74th minute.

It was Ella Stevens’ goal in the match’s final minute that ultimately sealed the deal in favour of Williams’ New Jersey side.

Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said of Williams after the game: “She has that commitment, that passion, and that quality to be scoring goals in key moments for us, for the US, for whatever team she’s playing [for]. She’s wearing the armband. Having people like her in this club is what we want.”

Williams’ Path To Becoming Top Goal-Scorer

Now 31 years old, Williams was originally selected by the Western New York Flash from the 2015 NWSL College Draft. The American forward stayed with the team when they became the North Carolina Courage at the start of the 2017/18 season.

Williams bagged a massive 45 goals across the four years that she was with the Courage.

In 2022, Williams was traded to the Kansas City Current but only played once due to injury. A trade to Gotham in 2023 saw Williams help the team claim their first-ever NWSL title last season.

The previous NWSL goal-scoring record set by Australian forward Kerr, who currently plays for Chelsea, which had stood since 2019.

Winning With The NWSL And The USWNT

A regular for the US Women’s National Team, Williams has racked up 63 international caps. Even before breaking Kerr’s record, Williams has long been the top-scoring American in the NWSL.

Williams said of her new record: “For a very long time, I have believed in myself, and a lot of moments along the way I’ve been told, ‘No, you’re not good enough.’ And I think that every single time I score a goal, every single time I’m put on the field, it’s another moment for me to continue to believe in myself.”

The US striker has collected four NWSL titles, three NWSL shields, one Golden Boot, and one MVP award in her career. She has played at both a World Cup and an Olympic tournament with the USWNT so far.

With incoming USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes set to release the June Camp roster within the coming week, Williams will look to bag a spot in the lead-up to this summer’s Paris Olympics.

Marni Dagtoglou

Marni is a women's football writer for LWOS amongst other sports sites. She covers the newest updates on the women's game from domestic leagues like the WSL and NWSL, to the UWCL, the Women's World Cup and other changing international tournaments. She can't get enough of how fast women's sports is growing and follows so many different leagues that it's a wonder her Flashscore account hasn't crashed.