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Olivia Moultrie paved the way for NWSL's youth movement

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KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- One thing is undeniably true about the recent and continued influx of talented young players in the National Women's Soccer League: they would not be in the league right now without Olivia Moultrie.

Moultrie is 18 years old, but is playing in her fourth NWSL season for the Portland Thorns. Her decision to sue the NWSL in 2021 for her right to sign a contract at 15 was the catalyst for the league's current youth movement, an era in which most clubs now have full-team players under the age of 18 -- with several of them already stars.