Sophia Wilson will return to the Portland Thorns for the 2026 NWSL season after exercising the player option in her contract. The 25-year-old U.S. women’s national team forward missed the 2025 campaign while on maternity leave, but is set to resume her career with the club where it began after she was selected No. 1 in the 2020 NWSL College Draft, and became a central figure in Portland’s sustained success.Wilson has been a cornerstone of the Thorns since the club selected her first overall in the 2020 NWSL College Draft. Then known as Sophia Smith, she helped lead Portland to the 2022 NWSL Championship and earned both league MVP and Championship MVP honors that season."Coming back to Portland is so special to me because Portland is where I started my professional career and where I've grown up in a lot of ways," Wilson said in a club statement on Wednesday.Wilson’s impact in Portland has extended beyond her goal-scoring, though her production has been historic. She became the first player to win both NWSL MVP and NWSL Championship MVP in the same season, and the youngest to do so at 22. In total, Wilson has made 82 starts in 97 appearances for the Thorns, scoring 50 goals.“We are thrilled to have a world-class player like Sophia continue to call Portland her home,” Jeff Agoos, President and General Manager of Soccer Operations, said. “Sophia is an exceptional global star that can change the game in an instant. She will strengthen our roster’s attack and her return makes our front line one the most formidable in the NWSL," Agoos added. The Thorns finished the 2025 season in third place in the league standings, with an 11-8-7 overall record. Wilson made her appearance at a handful of games throughout her pregnancy. "Bringing this new version of myself back to Portland is so special to me," Wilson said in a video shared on Portland's social channels. "Portland is where I started my professional career and where I’ve grown up in a lot of ways."Wilson is now a mom and mentioned having her daughter in the stands is something she's always dreamed of. She said playing in Providence Park and seeing her daughter Gigi out in the crowd means she can "breathe" and that "all is right in the world."Wilson also hopes to show that she's still the same person, just different, and for the better. "I do want to be the same Soph that everyone knows and hoepfully loves, but I'm different now," she said, "but for the better." I can show everyone that you can be both, and great at both. I think in women's sports it's a kind of a new thing to have a child and continue playing at a hight level. I hope to show it's possible that you don't have to choose."Wilson shared she's passionate about being in Portland, saying, “I love living there, and I love the people there. I have so many friends and people I’ve spent a lot of time getting to know there.”In addition to her on-field success, Wilson has collected multiple team honors with the Thorns, including the 2021 NWSL Shield, the 2021 Challenge Cup, the 2021 Women’s International Champions Cup, and the 2020 NWSL Community Shield. In 2023, she became the first Thorns player to win the NWSL Golden Boot, scoring 11 goals.“I’m excited to get back with everyone and play in Providence Park and to play in front of the Riveters. There’s no place like it. That is the place to play, and I’m excited to be back in it!”Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingWilson and the Thorns will soon know their full schedule for the 2026 season, with the league saying Matchday 1 is March 13. Portland's opponent is to be determined.