Lynn Biyendolo facts for kids
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Williams with the United States in 2017
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Lynn Williams Biyendolo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | May 21, 1993 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Fresno, California, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Seattle Reign | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Western New York Flash | 36 | (15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2021 | North Carolina Courage | 81 | (42) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | → Western Sydney Wanderers (loan) | 5 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | → Melbourne Victory (loan) | 4 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Kansas City Current | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 40 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Seattle Reign | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | United States U23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016– | United States | 75 | (21) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Lynn Williams Biyendolo (born Lynn Raenie Williams; May 21, 1993) is an American professional soccer player. She plays as a forward for Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Lynn also plays for the United States national team.
She is known as the all-time leading scorer in the NWSL. Lynn was chosen by the Western New York Flash in the 2015 draft after playing for Pepperdine University.
Williams won the NWSL's Most Valuable Player award in 2016. She also won her first NWSL Championship with the Flash that year. When the team moved and became the North Carolina Courage, she helped them win three NWSL Shields in a row. They also won two more Championships in 2018 and 2019. After playing for North Carolina for five seasons, she moved to the Kansas City Current. Later, she joined NJ/NY Gotham FC, where she won her fourth championship in 2023.
Lynn Williams first played for the United States national team in 2016. She has won two Olympic medals with the team. She earned a bronze medal at Tokyo 2020 and a gold medal at Paris 2024.
Contents
Early Life and High School Soccer
Lynn Williams was born in Fresno, California. She went to Bullard High School. There, she played on the varsity soccer team for all four years. She was recognized as an all-league and all-area player every year.
Williams set a school record with 117 career goals. This was the most goals scored by any boy or girl at the school. She also had 47 assists during her high school career. In 2011, as a senior, she scored 50 goals. She was named to the ESPN RISE All-American third team. That same year, she helped her team win county and section titles. She was also named Player of the Year by the Fresno Bee.
Playing for Pepperdine Waves (2011–2014)
From 2011 to 2014, Williams played college soccer for the Waves at Pepperdine University. In her first year, she started every game. She scored six goals and had eight assists, leading her team in assists. She was named the West Coast Conference (WCC) Freshman of the Year.
In 2012, Lynn continued to be a top player for the Waves. She scored 8 goals and had 19 points. She also scored her first college hat trick (three goals in one game). In 2013, she scored 11 goals and 3 assists in 15 games. She was named National Player of the Week after scoring important goals.
During her senior year, Williams was a standout player. She scored 14 goals and had 10 assists. Her strong play helped her team reach the "Sweet 16" in the national tournament. She was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy, which is a top award in college soccer. She was also named first-team All-American.
Club Soccer Career
Western New York Flash (2015–2016)
In 2015, Lynn Williams was picked sixth overall in the 2015 NWSL College Draft by the Western New York Flash. She played her first game for the team on April 12, 2015. In her first season, she scored four goals in 17 games.
The 2016 NWSL season was a huge year for Williams. She scored 11 goals, tying for the most in the league. She won the Golden Boot award for being the top scorer. Williams was also named the NWSL Most Valuable Player (MVP) for 2016. In the playoffs, she scored two goals in extra time to help the Flash win their semi-final game. In the 2016 NWSL Championship game, she scored a goal in the last minute to force penalty kicks. The Flash then won the championship against the Washington Spirit.
North Carolina Courage (2017–2021)
In 2017, the Western New York Flash team moved and became the North Carolina Courage. Williams continued to play a key role. She scored 9 goals in 2017. The Courage won the NWSL Shield (for having the best regular season record) but lost in the Championship game.
Lynn had an amazing 2018 season. She scored 14 goals, which was the second-highest in the league. North Carolina won its second straight NWSL Shield. Williams was also a finalist for the NWSL MVP award. She played every minute of the playoff games. The Courage won the 2018 NWSL Championship by beating the Portland Thorns 3–0.
Loan to Western Sydney Wanderers
In October 2019, Williams went to Australia to play for W-League club Western Sydney Wanderers on a temporary loan. She ended her loan early in February 2020 to focus on playing for the national team.
Loan to Melbourne Victory
In December 2021, Williams returned to Australia for another short loan. She joined Melbourne Victory for about a month. Her loan ended on January 13, 2022.
Kansas City Current (2022)
On January 10, 2022, Williams was traded to the Kansas City Current. This trade brought her back together with some former teammates. Sadly, Williams got a leg injury on March 18, 2022. This meant she missed the entire 2022 NWSL season.
Gotham FC (2023–2024)
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On January 12, 2023, Lynn Williams was traded to Gotham FC. She scored the first goal in the championship game against OL Reign. This helped her team win 2–1. She became the first player in the league to win four championships!
On May 19, 2024, Williams scored her 79th NWSL goal. She headed the ball into the net against the Chicago Red Stars. This goal made her the all-time leading scorer in the NWSL, passing Sam Kerr.
Seattle Reign FC (2025–)
On December 20, 2024, Williams joined Seattle Reign. This was part of a trade that also involved other players.
International Career
After her amazing 2016 NWSL season, Lynn Williams was called up to the United States national team. She played her first game on October 19, 2016. Williams came into the game as a substitute. She scored a goal just 49 seconds after entering the game! This was the fastest debut goal in the team's history.
In 2017, Williams played in the 2017 SheBelieves Cup. She scored the winning goal in a 1–0 victory against Germany. She also played in the 2017 Tournament of Nations.
In late 2019, a new coach, Vlatko Andonovski, took over the national team. Williams was called back to the team. She played in games against Sweden and Costa Rica. In her first five games back, she scored five goals and had five assists.
On June 23, 2021, Williams was chosen for the United States team for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
On July 12, 2024, it was announced that Williams would join the team for the 2024 Summer Olympics. She had been an alternate player before this. In the second game of the Olympics, against Germany, Williams scored the team's fourth goal in a 4-1 win. She also played as a substitute in the gold medal game against Brazil. The United States won that game 1–0, earning the gold medal!
Personal Life
Lynn Williams met her husband, Marley Biyendolo, when they were both at Pepperdine University. They got married on December 8, 2024. Lynn started using her married name, Biyendolo, in 2025.
Williams and fellow soccer player Sam Mewis used to host a podcast called Snacks. It was about women's soccer. Lynn also appeared in a Netflix documentary series. This series followed the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team during the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Playoffs | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Western New York Flash | 2015 | NWSL | 17 | 4 | — | — | — | 17 | 4 | |||
| 2016 | 19 | 11 | — | 2 | 3 | — | 21 | 14 | ||||
| Total | 36 | 15 | — | 2 | 3 | — | 38 | 18 | ||||
| North Carolina Courage | 2017 | NWSL | 21 | 9 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 23 | 9 | ||
| 2018 | 21 | 14 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 23 | 14 | ||||
| 2019 | 22 | 12 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 24 | 12 | ||||
| 2020 | — | 5 | 3 | — | 4 | 3 | 9 | 6 | ||||
| 2021 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 21 | 7 | |||
| Total | 81 | 42 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 100 | 48 | ||
| Western Sydney Wanderers (loan) | 2019–20 | A-League | 5 | 4 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 4 | ||
| Melbourne Victory (loan) |
2021–22 | 4 | 3 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 3 | |||
| Kansas City Current | 2022 | NWSL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| NJ/NY Gotham FC | 2023 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | 22 | 10 | ||
| 2024 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 7 | ||
| Total | 33 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 43 | 17 | ||
| Career total | 159 | 75 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 131 | 90 | ||
International Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | |||
| 2016 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 11 | 3 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2021 | 16 | 5 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 16 | 4 | |
| Total | 75 | 21 | |
- Scores and results list United States's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Williams goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 19, 2016 | Sandy, Utah | .svg){kind=small} Switzerland |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly | |
| 2 | March 1, 2017 | Chester, Pennsylvania |  Germany |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2017 SheBelieves Cup | |
| 3 | September 19, 2017 | Cincinnati, Ohio |  New Zealand |
4–0 | 5–0 | Friendly | |
| 4 | October 22, 2017 | Cary, North Carolina |  South Korea |
5–0 | 6–0 | ||
| 5 | November 10, 2019 | Jacksonville, Florida |  Costa Rica |
3–0 | 6–0 | ||
| 6 | 5–0 | ||||||
| 7 | January 28, 2020 | Houston, Texas |  Haiti |
2–0 | 4–0 | 2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying – Group Stage | |
| 8 | January 31, 2020 | Houston, Texas |  Panama |
2–0 | 8–0 | ||
| 9 | February 9, 2020 | Carson, California | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying – Final | |
| 10 | January 22, 2021 | Orlando, Florida |  Colombia |
4–0 | 6–0 | Friendly | |
| 11 | June 16, 2021 | Austin, Texas |  Nigeria |
2–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 12 | July 30, 2021 | Yokohama, Japan |  Netherlands |
2–1 |
(4–2 p) |
2020 Summer Olympics – Quarterfinal | |
| 13 | September 16, 2021 | Cleveland, Ohio |  Paraguay |
4–0 | 9–0 | Friendly | |
| 14 | October 26, 2021 | Saint Paul, Minnesota | South Korea |
6–0 | 6–0 | ||
| 15 | January 18, 2023 | Wellington, New Zealand | New Zealand |
4–0 | 4–0 | ||
| 16 | September 21, 2023 | Cincinnati, Ohio |  South Africa |
1–0 | 3–0 | ||
| 17 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 18 | February 20, 2024 | Carson, California |  Dominican Republic |
2–0 | 5–0 | 2024 CONCACAF Gold Cup – Group Stage | |
| 19 | July 28, 2024 | Marseille, France | Germany |
4–1 | 4–1 | 2024 Summer Olympics – Group Stage | |
| 20 | October 27, 2024 | Nashville, Tennessee |  Iceland |
1–1 | 3–1 | Friendly | |
| 21 | December 3, 2024 | The Hague, Netherlands | Netherlands |
2–1 | 2–1 |
Awards and Honors
Western New York Flash
- NWSL Championship: 2016
North Carolina Courage
- NWSL Championship: 2018, 2019
- NWSL Shield: 2017, 2018, 2019
NJ/NY Gotham FC
- NWSL Championship: 2023
United States National Team
- Summer Olympic Games Gold Medal: 2024
- CONCACAF W Gold Cup: 2024
- SheBelieves Cup: 2018; 2020, 2021; 2022, 2023
- CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2020
- Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020
- Individual Awards
- NWSL Golden Boot: 2016 (Top Scorer)
- NWSL Most Valuable Player: 2016
- NWSL Best XI: 2016, 2023
- NWSL Second XI: 2018
- Hermann Trophy finalist: 2014 (Top College Player Award)
Images for kids
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Williams during a match against Sweden, November 2019
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See also
In Spanish: Lynn Williams para niños
- List of American and Canadian soccer champions
- List of foreign A-League Women players
