Sydney Rae Leroux Dwyer (born May 7, 1990) is a professional soccer player and Olympic gold medalist who currently plays as a forward for Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). After representing Canada at various youth levels, she chose to play for the United States women’s national under-20 soccer team starting in 2008 and later began playing for the U.S. senior national team in 2012. Leroux has earned over 75 caps with the senior national team and was part of the Americans’ winning squads at the 2012 London Olympics and 2015 Women’s World Cup.
Leroux played collegiate soccer in NCAA Division I for UCLA Bruins women’s soccer and at the semi-professional level for the Vancouver Whitecaps. She made her debut for the Whitecaps at the age of fifteen, becoming the youngest player ever to play for the team. Leroux was the number one pick by the Atlanta Beat during the 2012 WPS Draft on January 13, 2012. Following the suspension of the league in early 2012, she played for the Seattle Sounders Women during the summer of the same year. In 2013, she made her professional debut for the Boston Breakers in the NWSL during the league’s inaugural season. She was later traded to Seattle Reign FC in 2014, Western New York Flash for the 2015 season and FC Kansas City prior to the 2016 season.
Leroux played for the Vancouver Whitecaps during the 2005 W-League season, becoming the youngest player to ever play for the team aged 15 years and seven days. She returned to the Whitecaps for the 2011 season. She ranked second in the league for goals scored with 11 finishing the regular season with 24 points in 11 appearances. After helping the Whitecaps advance to the W-League Championship Final Four with a goal during the team’s 4–3 defeat of Santa Clarita Blue Heat in the Western Conference Final, Leroux was named to the All-Western Conference team. Post-season, she was named 2011 W-League Rookie of the Year.
WPS Draft and Seattle Sounders Women, 2012
Leroux was the number one pick by the Atlanta Beat in the 2012 WPS Draft, though the league folded before she could play for the team. During the summer of 2012, Leroux joined fellow U.S. national team players, Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Stephanie Cox, and Megan Rapinoe on the Seattle Sounders Women in the W-League. Sounders Women head coach, Michelle French, said of the signing, “Sydney is the consummate goal scorer with an incredible attacking attitude. She not only shows tireless effort on the offensive side of the ball, but she is very unique in that she prides herself on her defensive recovery and ability to win the ball back. She makes an impact no matter where she plays on the field.” Due to her national team commitments and preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympics, Leroux made only two regular-season appearances for the club. She scored two goals and served one assist in her 168 minutes on the pitch. With the national teammates’ presence on the team, the Sounders sold out nine of their ten home matches at the 4,500 capacity Starfire Stadium. Average attendance during the 2012 season for the Sounders Women was four times higher than the next closest team.
Boston Breakers, 2013
Sydney Leroux (Boston Breakers) vs.Washington Spirit
In January 2013, Heather O’Reilly, Heather Mitts, and Leroux were the three United States national team players allocated to the Boston Breakers for the inaugural season of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She scored her first goal of the season in the 91st minute of the Breakers’ season opener against the Washington Spirit, tying the game 1–1 in stoppage time. Leroux scored the league’s first ever hat trick during the Breakers’ 4–1 win against the Chicago Red Stars on May 4 and was subsequently named NWSL Player of the Week. On July 3, she scored another equalizer against the Seattle Reign FC, resulting in a 1–1 draw. A few days later on July 6, she scored two goals against the Portland Thorns FC resulting in a 2–0 win for the Breakers in front of 12,436 fans at Jeld-Wen Field.
Leroux’s 11 goals scored during the season tied for second with national teammate Abby Wambach of the Western New York Flash. Lauren Holiday of FC Kansas City was in first place with 12. The Breakers finished the 2013 season fifth in the league with an 8–6–8 record.
Seattle Reign FC, 2014
On November 18, 2013, it was announced that Leroux had been traded to the Seattle Reign FC for the 2014 NWSL season in exchange for Kristie Mewis, Michelle Betos and the Reign’s first two picks in the 2015 draft. Ebullient Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey hailed the signing of Leroux: “One of the world’s best forwards. She is a young, extraordinary talent with unlimited upside. Sydney will be the consistent goal-scoring threat that we struggled to find last season.”
During the 2014 season, the Reign set a league record unbeaten streak of 16 games during the first part of the season. During the 16 game stretch, the Reign compiled a 13–0–3 record. The Reign finished first in the regular season clinching the NWSL Shield for the first time. After defeating the Washington Spirit 2–1 in the playoff semi-finals, the Reign were defeated 2–1 by FC Kansas City during the championship final. Leroux finished the 2014 season with five goals in 22 games played. In March 2015, it was announced that she was traded to Western New York Flash.
Western New York Flash, 2015
Due to her participation in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and an ankle injury, Leroux played only three games for the Flash. She scored once in those three games.
FC Kansas City, 2016–2017
On January 13, 2016, Leroux was traded to FC Kansas City. Leroux announced later that month that she was pregnant. Due to her pregnancy, she missed the 2016 NWSL season. She returned to play for FC Kansas City in 2017. After FCKC ceased operations, her rights were transferred to Utah.
Orlando Pride, 2018–present
On February 2, 2018, Leroux was traded to Orlando Pride for Orlando’s first-round pick in the 2019 NWSL College Draft.
