NWSL’s Highest-Paid Player Sophia Smith Reveals the Real Reason Behind Her Choice Not to Play in Europe

Sophia Smith’s status has been cemented among the NWSL elite. The Portland Thorns star inked a contract extension after which she dethroned Maria Sanchez as the highest-paid player in the division. While the numbers of the deal haven’t been fully revealed, Smith will earn more than $2 million per season! Yet, for all her impressive achievements, there was a question that remained unanswered. The star revealed she had offers from Europe. Then why did she opt against moving to the soccer-crazy continent?

In a segment with ESPN FC, Sophia Smith spoke of the factors that made her stay in the NWSL. She said, “I do believe the NWSL is one of, if not the best leagues in the world. I think it doesn’t get enough credit for how hard it is to play in this league.” For Smith, it’s not just the NWSL that is impressive, but she also lavished praise on the direction Portland Thorns’ sporting vision has taken.

She explained, “I love the new owners. I love the direction that they’re taking this club and the vision that they have for our team and for our team globally.” Notably, RAJ Sports, led by the brother-sister duo Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhatha, completed the acquisition in January.

Per Sophia Smith, going abroad offers great benefits. However, she said, “I feel like I’ve just grown as a player and a person for five years now and I feel like I still can grow so much in this league.” Well, that sums up the NWSL star’s stance toward a move abroad and is great long-term news for the league. But what exactly makes her such a great asset to the division? Her teammate had the answer to that.

Becky Sauerbrunn reveals what sets Sophia Smith apart in the NWSL

Becky Sauerbrunn spoke on ‘The Women’s Game‘ podcast about what sets Sophia Smith apart from her peers. She explained, “It’s hard to explain Soph because I think she came on the scene a few years ago and people just did not know how to defend her.” The defender added that teams employed strategies like double-teaming to negate the influence of the prolific attacker. However, per Sauerbrunn, Smith adapted her game.

She revealed, “Now I see Soph is evolving her game where she’s reading the pressure. She’s able to physically ride challenges she knows when to lay it off when to spin it and get in behind.” Furthermore, Sam Mewis labeled Sophia Smith as incredibly skillful yet strong. Becky Sauerbrunn attested to this and revealed that facing the Portland Thorns attacker helped improve her defending skills. Moreover, she was on Cloud 9 after winning the ball back from the ace striker.

In fact, her performance stats further justify the hype around her name. This season in the NWSL, the 23-year-old is averaging 5.45 shots per game, of which 2.73 are on target, in comparison to Alex Morgan’s 6.28 shots with 2.09 on target. Well, when being compared with the best-of-best, the youngster stands the test!

With Sophia Smith staying put until 2025, what do you think is the future of this talent-enriched women’s league?

Read More: Sophia Smith Salary: Why Isn’t the NWSL’s Highest-Paid Player’s New Deal With Portland Thorns Being Disclosed?