Sonnett, along with her sister, began playing for North Atlanta Soccer Association (NASA) in 2003.[3] With NASA, the Sonnetts earned back-to-back Georgia State Cup Championship titles in 2007 and 2008 and also the Region III League Championship title in 2008.[3] In the 2011 US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, NASA 12 Elite II placed third in U-17 standings, and Sonnett was named to the U-17 Best XI as a midfielder.[4][5][6][7]
In 2013, Sonnett, playing in the midfield position, helped NASA 12 Elite II win the U-19 national title at the 2013 US Youth Soccer National Championship Series inOverland Park, Kansas.[8] At the conclusion of the tournament, she was named to the U-19 Best XI and also earned the Golden Ball award as the best player at the tournament.[9]
In 2011 during Sonnett's junior season, Fellowship Christian's varsity girls soccer team reached the Final Four of the Class A state tournament, losing 0–2 to the eventual state champions,First Presbyterian Day School, in the semi-final.[10][11] The following year, Fellowship Christian, with Sonnett as captain, reached the 2012 Georgia state championship game and again faced First Presbyterian Day School ultimately losing 0–1.[10][11] Sonnett ended her career at Fellowship Christian as the school's leading scorer with 113 goals and 41 assists.[12]
She was also named the 2011–2012 Gatorade Georgia Girls Soccer Player of the Year;[13][14] Sonnett was the first ever athlete from Fellowship Christian School to win the award.[15][16] Sonnett was also selected as 2011 Youth All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and was also named to both 2011 and 2012 ESPN Rise 1st Team All-American.[13][12]
In early February 2012, Sonnett signed her national letter of intent to play for theUniversity of Virginia in the fall of 2012 on an athletic scholarship.[3]
In her first season in 2012, UVA Cavaliers won the regular seasonAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title and made it to the round of 16 in the2012 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament.[17][18] Sonnett herself was named to the ACC All-Freshman and All-Tournament Team.[19] Though she was recruited as a center midfielder, Sonnett transitioned to the center back position early in her freshman year due to various injuries leaving the UVA back line bare and played in that position the remainder of her college career.[2][20]
During her sophomore season, Sonnett earned 2 goals and 5 assists and started all 26 games, playing a total of 2,341 minutes and setting single-season record at UVA.[19] She was also named to 1st Team All-ACC Team.[19] Sonnett helped lead UVA to their firstCollege Cup in 22 seasons, losing in the tournament's semifinal after double overtime toUCLA in penalty kicks, 1–1 (2–4).[21]
In her junior year, Sonnett again started in all 26 games during the 2014 season and earned a total of 5 goals and 3 assists.[2] UVA placed as runners-up to theACC 2014 title, losing 0–1 toFlorida State.[17] At the conclusion of the tournament, Sonnett was named to the ACC All-Tournament Team.[19] During quarterfinal of the2014 NCAA women's tournament, Virginia defeated the defending champion,UCLA 2–1 with Sonnett scoring the opening goal in the 33rd minute ultimately ending UCLA's 969-minute shutout streak.[2][22] In the semifinal match-up againstTexas A&M, Sonnett again scored with a header off a corner kick, giving UVA a 2–1 lead.[23] UVA ultimately defeated Texas A&M 3–1, earning a place in the university's first women's College Cup final.[23] UVA ended their season with a 0–1 loss to Florida State in the national championship.[2][24] Sonnett was then named the tournament's Most Outstanding Defensive Player and was also named a Third-Team NSCAA All-American.[19][24]
In 2015, Sonnett spent the summer playing for pro-am teamAtlanta Silverbacks, in the final season of theUSL W-League. Returning to UVA for her senior year, she was named team captain at the beginning of the season.[25] Mid-season in October 2015, Sonnett earned her first call-up and started her first cap (as center back) for the seniorUnited States women's national soccer team against Brazil.[25][26][27]
UVA were again runners-up to the 2015 ACC title, losing 2–2 (PK 6–7) toFlorida State, and Sonnett was again named to ACC All-Tournament team.[28] She led UVA to the quarterfinals of the2015 NCAA women's tournament, losing toRutgers University after double overtime in penalty kicks (6–7). Sonnett ended her senior season at UVA with 3 goals and 1 assist and was named a finalist for theHermann Trophy.[27][29] Additionally, Sonnett was named the 2015 ESPNW Soccer Player of the Year, Honda Sports Award Nominee, NSCAA first-team All-American, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and first team All-ACC selection.[2][27][30][31]
Sonnett leftCharlottesville a semester early to enter theNWSL (after being drafted as the number one pick by Portland Thorns FC in January 2016) but ultimately did graduate with a degree in sociology from UVA.[2][32]
On January 15, 2016, Sonnett was selected byPortland Thorns FC as the first overall pick in the2016 NWSL College Draft.[33][34][35][36] She made her debut with the Thorns on April 17, 2016. Her first professional goal came in the NWSL championship semi-final to bring the Thorns level with the Western New York Flash, though the Flash would go on to score the winning goal and ultimately win the championship.[citation needed] She was one of three finalists forNWSL Rookie of the Year.[37]
Sonnett scored again in the NWSL post-season in the 2017 season, helping the Thorns to a 4–1 win over theOrlando Pride in the semi-final. They would go on to win the championship, with Sonnett tallying an assist onLindsey Horan's game-winning goal.
In 2018 Sonnett appeared in 22 games for Portland, scoring one goal. Portland reached the NWSL Championship Game for the second straight year, but lost to North Carolina 3–0. She was named to the NWSL Team of the Month for March and April. Sonnett was one of four Portland Thorns named to the NWSL Best XI and was a finalist forDefender of the Year.[38]
On January 8, 2020, Sonnett was traded toOrlando Pride along with the NWSL rights toCaitlin Foord and two draft picks in exchange for Orlando's No. 1 overall selection in the2020 NWSL College Draft.[42] In March 2020, theNWSL announced an indefinite delay on the start of the 2020 NWSL season due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[43] The NWSL eventually began with the smaller schedule2020 NWSL Challenge Cup tournament in June.[44][45] However, on June 22, Orlando Pride withdrew from the tournament following positive COVID-19 tests among both players and staff.[46]
On August 18, 2020, having been unable to play for Orlando, Sonnett joined SwedishDamallsvenskan clubKopparbergs/Göteborg FC on a short-term contract until November 2020.[47] Orlando retained Sonnett's NWSL rights. Five days later she made her Damallsvenskan debut, starting in a 3–0 defeat toRosengård.[48] She made 10 league appearances as Göteborg won its first Damallsvenskan title.[49][50]
In 2021 Sonnett appeared in 18 regular season matches for the Spirit[52] helping Washington notch their first NWSL Championship by defeating theChicago Red Stars, 2–1 in extra-time at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 20, 2021.[53]
During the2022 NWSL Challenge Cup opener against the Orlando Pride, Sonnett suffered broken ribs after being kicked.[54] Sonnett was placed on the SEI list on August 25, 2022, after sustaining a foot injury during the2022 CONCACAF W Championship.[55]
On January 12, 2023, Sonnett was traded toOL Reign in exchange for their 32nd overall draft pick in the2023 NWSL Draft and their natural first-round pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft.[56]
On January 4, 2024,NJ/NY Gotham FC announced that Sonnett had signed a three-year deal with the club.[57] She was one of four national team players who joined Gotham as free agents that off-season along withCrystal Dunn,Tierna Davidson, andRose Lavelle.[58] Sonnett made her club debut on the opening matchday, a 1–0 win over the Portland Thorns.[59] She played the most minutes of any player for Gotham as they finished the season in third place.[60]
On May 25, 2025, Sonnett was fouled inside the box in the 81st minute of the2025 CONCACAF W Champions Cup final againstTigres.Esther scored on the rebound of the resulting penalty save as Gotham became the inaugural winners of the competition.[61]
In April 2011, Sonnett participated in the Southeast's Region III Olympic Development Program inCosta Rica.[62] Sonnett received her first call-up to theUnited StatesU18 training camp as a midfielder in June 2011.[13][14][63]
Sonnett received call-ups for theUnited States women's national under-23 soccer team training camps in April and December 2013.[64][65] She later represented theUnited States as a center-back at theU23 level during the 2014 Six Nations Tournament in March 2014.[20][66][67] Sonnett appeared in all three games, helping the team ultimately win the tournament title in the final against Norway.[68][69][70]
In February 2015 Sonnett again appeared in all three games in the 2015 U-23 Six Nations International Tournament inLa Manga, Spain helping the team earn their second consecutive tournament title and serving as captain in their match against Norway.[71][72][73] Although Sonnett was called up to the USWNT U-23 training camp inLakewood Ranch, Florida in April 2015, she was not named to the roster for the 2015 Four Nations International Nordic Tournament held in May 2015.[74][75]
In January 2016, Sonnett joined the national team for their first training camp of the year at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center inCarson, California and earned her second start in a friendly against theRepublic of Ireland that same month.[80][81][82][83] In February 2016, Sonnett was named to the USWNT roster for the2016 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament, playing in two of the five games in the tournament.[84][85][86] The USWNT's semi-final win overTrinidad and Tobago qualified the team for the 2016Rio Olympics.[87] The USWNT then went on to win CONCACAF title for the fourth consecutive year.[88]
Sonnett was named to the roster for the2016 SheBelieves Cup that took place in March 2016.[89] Sonnett played the full 90 minutes in the tournament's opening match againstEngland on March 3, 2016.[90] The USWNT would go on to win the2016 SheBelieves Cup after defeatingGermany 2–1 in the final.[91]
Sonnett was called up to all three training camps held in the spring and summer of 2016 and was named to rosters for friendlies againstColombia,Japan, andSouth Africa, appearing as a substitute forBecky Sauerbrunn during one of the friendlies against Colombia.[92][93][94][95]
Sonnett dropped out of the USWNT rotation for the majority of 2017 and did not earn any international caps during the calendar year.[102] Sonnett was called up for both the January and February training camps and was named to the roster for the2017 SheBelieves Cup tournament in March but did not see any playing time.[103][104][105] She was left off the USWNT roster entirely from April to October 2017 by coach,Jill Ellis.[76] In November, Sonnett received her first call-up in over eight months for the pair of friendlies againstCanada but did not earn any caps.[76][106]
In January 2018, Sonnett was called up to her third consecutive January training camp with the USWNT.[107] She then returned to the pitch for the USWNT as a substitute forTaylor Smith at left-back in the January friendly againstDenmark, earning her 13th cap for the USWNT (and making her first appearance in well over a year).[76][108]
In February she attended the pre-SheBelieves Cup training camp and was ultimately named to the 23-player roster for the2018 SheBelieves Cup for the third consecutive year.[109][110] Sonnett appeared in two of the three USWNT matches in the tournament, and made her first start in over a year and played the full 90 minutes againstEngland in the tournament's final on March 7, 2018.[76][111][112] In April she earned two starts in a pair of friendlies againstMexico but was left off the roster for the friendlies againstChina in June.[113][114][115]
Sonnett attended the USWNT training camp in January held in Portugal and started in the friendlies versusFrance andSpain that same month.[127][128][129] Sonnett was named to the 23-player roster for the2019 SheBelieves Cup and appeared as a substitute forKelley O'Hara in two of three matches in the tournament.[130][131][132]
In April during the friendly againstAustralia, Sonnett started as right-back and registered two assists toTobin Heath's goal in the 53rd minute andMallory Pugh's in the 67th minute.[133] She remained on the USWNT roster and appeared as a substitute in the World Cup send-off matches againstSouth Africa andMexico in May 2019.[134][135]
On May 2, 2019, Sonnett was named to the 23-player roster that represented the United States at the2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.[136] Sonnett earned one cap in the secondgroup stage game againstChile, entering the game at the 82nd minute to replaceAbby Dahlkemper.[137] The United States went on to defeat theNetherlands 2–0 in the final, winning back-to-backWorld Cup titles and the fourth overall World Cup title for the United States women's national team.[138]
Sonnett saw more playing time during the World Cup Victory Tour friendlies, appearing as right-back in four of the five match-ups and starting in three of these appearances.[139][140][141][142] In November, Sonnett was called up forVlatko Andonovski's first training camp as USWNT head coach.[143] She played all 90 minutes as a full-back in both international friendlies againstSweden andCosta Rica.[144][145]
Sonnett attended her fifth consecutive January training camp that was held inTampa, Florida, the first led by Andonovski.[146] Following the January camp, she was named to the 20-player roster for the2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying tournament held in late January/early February 2020.[147] Sonnett appeared in 4 of the 5 matches during the CONCACAF tournament as right back (switching to left back with substitutions of Kelley O'Hara andAli Krieger).[148][149][150][151] The USWNT qualified for the2020 Olympics with their win againstMexico and were named champions at the conclusion of the2020 CONCACAF women's tournament.[151][152] Sonnett was also named to the 23-player roster for the2020 SheBelieves Cup and played all 90 minutes in the match against Spain at left back, aiding the USWNT to ultimately capture the tournament title on March 11, 2020.[153][154][155]
Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the USSF cancelled the USWNT's April international friendlies.[156] The USWNT eventually returned to play in November 2020 defeating theNetherlands 2–0 inBreda, Netherlands with Sonnett playing at left back in the final minutes of the match.[157]
In early January, Sonnett was called up for the annual USWNT camp that was held inOrlando.[158] At the conclusion of camp, Sonnett appeared in both international friendlies as a full back againstColombia and registered an assist toMegan Rapinoe's goal during the January 22 match-up.[159][160] In February, she was named as one of the 23 players to represent the United States during the2021 SheBelieves Cup.[161] Sonnett appeared in all three matches during the tournament, starting and putting in the full 90 minutes againstBrazil as right back.[162][163] During the final match of the tournament againstArgentina, Sonnett was subbed in at the 32 minute mark forO'Hara and played in the right back, left back, and center back positions.[164] The USWNT went undefeated during the tournament and secured their fourthSheBelieves Cup championship title with a 6–0 win over Argentina.[164]
In June 2021, Sonnett was named to the 18-player roster by Andonovski for the2020 Summer Olympics inTokyo, Japan.[167] On July 24, 2021, Sonnett made her Olympic debut in a group stage match against New Zealand, playing the full 90 minutes and resulting in a 6–1 win.[168] Sonnett also appeared in the final minutes of thebronze medal match on againstAustralia as a substitute forChristen Press.[169] The USWNT defeated the Matildas 4–3, earning the team's first Olympic bronze medal.[170]
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Costa Rica
South Africa
