Farewell to an Icon: Kelley O'Hara Ends Her Career Early

Gotham FC has officially announced that defender Kelley O'Hara has been placed on the season-ending injury list due to chronic knee problems, marking the end of her final season. Nonetheless, O'Hara will support the team in a leadership role for the remainder of the season. The Olympic champion with the U.S. women's national team had already announced in May that she would retire from professional soccer in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) after the 2024 season, following prolonged struggles with ankle and knee injuries. "It is very taxing to continuously recover from injuries only to fall back again," O'Hara told Just Women's Sports in May. O'Hara, a central figure in the USWNT for over a decade, participated in four World Cups and won two titles, in 2015 and 2019. Additionally, she is a titleholder in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) and a two-time NWSL champion, having triumphed in 2021 with the Washington Spirit and in 2023 with Gotham. O'Hara was part of the NWSL from the beginning, starting her career in this league with Sky Blue FC. After stints with the first iteration of Utah Royals FC, she moved to the Spirit and finally signed with Gotham in January 2023. To honor O'Hara's remarkable career, Gotham will host a celebration on October 20th during the last regular-season home game against Orlando Pride. This match will take place at Red Bull Arena.