Samantha Johnson joined Utah Royals FC in June. Johnson was overshadowed in the media because she was attached to Utah’s mega-trade with Chicago Red Stars to bring U.S. Women’s National Team superstar Christen Press to Utah.
But Johnson was a key player for the Red Stars at defense. In 2017, she was the starting center-back and appeared in 22 games. The 2018 season marked her 5th year in the NWSL, initially signing with the Chicago Red Stars in 2014 after attending open tryouts. She was officially traded to Utah on June 18, 2018, but it wasn’t until June 30, 2018, that Johnson played her first minutes as a Utah Royal.