Kealia Watt: Soccer Career, NWSL Stats & Real Salt Lake Controversy

On Wednesday night, Real Salt Lake welcomed NFL great JJ Watt and his wife, former NWSL player Kealia Watt, to an exhibition match against Burnley F.C. — a club the couple partially owns. The team's social media post, however, only identified one of them. "Welcome to the Riot, @JJWatt and fam," the club wrote. The omission sparked a swift response from JJ Watt and a broader conversation about recognizing women's soccer achievements.

Kealia Watt (née Ohai) is far from a footnote in sports. She grew up in Draper, Utah, and attended Alta High School in nearby Sandy, where she won four Utah state championships — one of them at America First Field, the very stadium where Wednesday's match took place. She was named Gatorade Player of the Year twice and National Player of the Year. In college, she won a national title with the University of North Carolina. She went on to play eight NWSL seasons between the Houston Dash and Chicago Red Stars, and she scored the fastest first goal in U.S. Women's National Team history. Today, she works as an analyst for Amazon Prime Video.

JJ Watt, a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, replied to the club's post with a list of his wife's accomplishments, writing: "The woman in the photo grew up literally down the road, won 4 Utah state championships (1 in this exact stadium), Gatorade Player of the Year twice, National Player of the Year, scored the fastest first goal in USWNT history… Could probably be worth a mention, but idk." The tweet quickly gained traction, drawing attention to the oversight.

Four hours later, Real Salt Lake apologized for what they called an "honest mistake." In a follow-up post, the club wrote: "When we welcomed the Watt family to America First Field, we should have recognized Kealia Watt for exactly who she is. Kealia is a Utah native and one of the most decorated players to ever come out of this state." They then published a two-paragraph bio detailing her career, including her high school state championships, national title at North Carolina, and eight NWSL seasons.

The incident highlights a recurring issue in sports media: the tendency to overlook women athletes, even those with elite credentials, when they appear alongside a more famous spouse. Kealia Watt's resume — four Utah state titles, two Gatorade Player of the Year awards, a national championship, a USWNT record, and eight professional seasons — is the kind of career that would earn any player a stadium welcome on its own merits.

The Watts are minority shareholders in Burnley F.C., which made the exhibition match a natural gathering. Real Salt Lake defeated Burnley 4-1 in Thursday's match, but the scoreline was secondary to the social media storm that preceded it.

For context, this isn't the first time a sports organization has faced criticism for failing to properly acknowledge a female athlete's accomplishments. The broader conversation about gender equity in sports recognition continues, and this episode serves as a reminder that even well-intentioned posts can miss the mark.

Kealia Watt's career is a testament to her skill and dedication. From her early days in Utah to the national stage, she has built a legacy that deserves to be celebrated — not as someone's wife, but as a soccer star in her own right.