After a successful and illustrious career, Kelley O’Hara has announced her retirement at the end of the 2024 NWSL season. The defender, who plays for both the USWNT and Gotham FC, made the announcement exclusively through Just Women’s Sports in an article and a special “Kelley on the Street” YouTube video.
In the video, O’Hara asked people she met on the street about retirement, reflecting on her decision to hang up her cleats. At 35 years old, she had always said that she would continue playing under two conditions: if her love for soccer remained strong and if her body allowed her to play the way she wanted. After the 2023 NWSL season, she seriously considered her future and ultimately decided to retire. Since then, she has not had any second thoughts and feels at peace with her choice.
O’Hara has been involved in high-level soccer since she was a child, representing the United States starting from the Under-16 team in 2004 until the 2023 Women’s World Cup. She was part of the golden era of the USWNT, alongside players like Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Carli Lloyd. Despite recent changes in women’s soccer landscape, O’Hara is proud of being a two-time World Cup champion, an Olympic gold medalist, a three-time CONCACAF women’s champion and a five-time SheBelieves Cup champion as well as winning two NWSL championships during her career.
As she looks ahead to life after retirement, O’Hara is uncertain about what lies ahead but knows that she wants to stay connected to the sport that means so much to him in order to give back to future generations of players. Her passion for soccer remains strong and unwavering as she continues to work towards finding ways to contribute in some capacity.