Portland Thorns star Sophia Wilson scores first goal since maternity leave

In the Portland Thorns' 2-1 victory against Angel City FC on Sunday, U.S. women's national team star Sophia Wilson returned to the scoresheet for the first time in 540 days.

Receiving a ball from Mimi Alidou, Wilson struck a powerful shot past Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson.

After scoring, it was an emotional and joyous celebration for Wilson, who was seen wiping tears from her face as her teammates swarmed to celebrate the momentous occasion.

"It was definitely a long time coming, I think," Wilson said in a post-match interview.

"I tried not to put too much pressure on myself, just coming back and playing at this level, but I really needed a goal [to be] completely honest.

"I think once I get one, hopefully more will come, but I'm really proud of our team."

SOPHIA WILSON WITH HER FIRST GOAL BACK SINCE MATERNITY LEAVE 🔥

Look at what it meant to her after finding the back of the net ❤️ pic.twitter.com/LYeJSNz6R8— espnW (@espnW) April 27, 2026

Wilson did not play at all in 2025 as she was on maternity leave, giving birth to daughter Gianna in September.

Wilson's strike on Sunday was her first NWSL goal since Nov. 1, 2024.

Currently, the Thorns are second in the league standings, accumulating 13 points across six matches.

During the April international window, Wilson returned to the USWNT for the first time in nearly two years, featuring in all three friendly matches against Japan.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sophia Wilson: Portland Thorns and USWNT star scores first goal since maternity leave