37 Facts About Shannon Boxx

Shannon Leigh Boxx Spearman is an American retired soccer player and former member of the United States women's national soccer team, playing the defensive midfielder position.

Shannon Boxx last played club soccer for the Chicago Red Stars in the American National Women's Soccer League.

Shannon Boxx won gold medals with the United States at the 2004 Athens Olympics, 2008 Beijing Olympics, and 2012 London Olympics.

Shannon Boxx has finished third place or better with the US at the 2003,2007,2011 and 2015 FIFA Women's World Cups.

Shannon Boxx was a finalist for the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year award, and won an NCAA Women's Soccer Championship with Notre Dame in 1995.

Shannon Boxx announced her retirement from international and club soccer after winning the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Shannon Boxx played her last game on October 21,2015, when the USWNT tied with Brazil as part of their victory tour.

Shannon Boxx was diagnosed with lupus in 2007 when she was 30 years old, and went public with her diagnosis shortly before the 2012 London Olympics at which she won gold with the United States team.

In 2020, Shannon Boxx joined the ownership group of Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League.

In 2022, Shannon Boxx was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

From 1991 to 1995, Shannon Boxx attended South Torrance High School, where she was a four-sport athlete, playing soccer, volleyball, softball and basketball.

Shannon Boxx was named to the Parade All-America team for girls' soccer in 1995.

Shannon Boxx played for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 1995 to 1998.

Shannon Boxx helped the team win the school's first NCAA Women's Soccer Championship in 1995, beating defending champions North Carolina in the semifinal.

Shannon Boxx was named to the All-Big East team in 1995,1996 and 1997, and is tied for the most soccer games played for the Irish at 101 games.

In 1999, Shannon Boxx played for the Boston Renegades of the W-League, and then went to Germany to play for 1.

In 2001, Women's United Soccer Association began play, and Shannon Boxx was drafted by the San Diego Spirit in the third round of the entry draft, with the 19th pick overall.

In 2009, Shannon Boxx signed to the Los Angeles Sol for the inaugural season of Women's Professional Soccer and was named team captain.

Shannon Boxx started in 18 of the 19 matches she played for the Sol, scoring three goals with three assists.

Shannon Boxx was named to the WPS First Team and played in the WPS All-Star Game.

Shannon Boxx helped the team win the WPS regular season title and championship.

Shannon Boxx started in 19 of the 20 games she played in, while scoring one goal and providing five assists.

Shannon Boxx was a WPS All-Star Game starter and received the fifth overall votes.

Shannon Boxx helped the club make a run to the playoffs in the second half of the season and win the quarterfinal match against the Boston Breakers.

On July 27,2015, Shannon Boxx announced retirement from NWSL and Red Stars effective immediately.

Shannon Boxx scored a goal in each of the two pre-World Cup friendlies, against Costa Rica and Mexico, and in the opening match of the World Cup against Sweden, Shannon Boxx became the first American woman to score three goals in her first three matches with the national team.

Shannon Boxx started five matches at the Women's World Cup, scoring again against Canada in the third place match.

Shannon Boxx was voted the player of the match against Canada by the FIFA Technical Study Group, who said Boxx "seized control of the game, spurred on her team-mates and finally scored the decisive goal in USA's victory".

Shannon Boxx started 31 of 32 national team matches she played in 2004, including all six matches at the 2004 Olympics, where she scored a goal, assisted on another and helped the team win a gold medal.

Shannon Boxx scored eight goals over the course of the year, including a hat trick against Trinidad and Tobago in an Olympic qualifying match.

Shannon Boxx came in seventh in the voting for the 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award.

In 2005, Shannon Boxx started all nine matches US national team matches, playing all but 23 minutes of all matches played.

Shannon Boxx was a finalist for the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year, coming in third behind Birgit Prinz and Marta.

Shannon Boxx missed most of 2006, first for surgery to repair torn cartilage in her right hip, and then for torn medial collateral ligaments she suffered on her first day back in training with the national team.

Shannon Boxx returned in 2007 after an eight-month layoff, and was named to the United States' squad for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Shannon Boxx played every minute of all five US games in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Shannon Boxx was featured along with her national teammates in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series in FIFA 16, the first time women players were included in the game.