Washington Spirit, 2014–2017 In January 2014, the
Washington Spirit selected Dunn with the first overall pick in the
2014 College Draft for the
2014 season of the
National Women's Soccer League. She made 19 starts in her 22 appearances for the Spirit during the
2014 season. The team finished fourth during the regular season with a record securing a place in the playoffs. During the semi-final, the Spirit were defeated by regular season champions
Seattle Reign FC 2–1 on August 31 in Seattle. Dunn came third in voting for
NWSL Rookie of the Year. Dunn returned to the Spirit for the
2015 season. On April 26, 2015, she scored two goals as a defender in a match against
Sky Blue FC, helping the Spirit win 3–1. She was subsequently named
NWSL Player of the Week for week 2 of the season. On August 1, 2015, Dunn scored the franchise's first
hat trick, scoring three goals in the first half of the Spirit's victory over the visiting
Houston Dash. She finished the month with six goals, earning her the league Player of the Month award. Dunn finished the regular season with a league-leading 15 goals, giving her the 2015
NWSL Golden Boot, and won the league Most Valuable Player award. She became the youngest player to win both awards at age 23 and broke the league record with her 0.77 goals-per-game average. She has said that being left off the national team for the
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup gave her extra motivation in the league. Dunn returned for her third season in 2016, scoring four goals and notching a career-high five assists. Two of her four goals were the two Spirit goals scored in the team's first-ever appearance in the NWSL Championship, which was
won on penalties by the
Western New York Flash after a 2–2 draw.
Chelsea, 2017–2018 in October 2017. On January 3, 2017, Dunn joined
FA WSL 1 club
Chelsea. On March 19, she scored her first goal just 12 minutes into her first competitive appearance for the club, in a 7–0
FA Cup win over
Doncaster Rovers Belles. She made her first appearance in the FA WSL in April, scoring her first league goal in a 6–0 victory over
Yeovil Town. At the beginning she played as a
striker for Chelsea, but switched to the
wing-back position. She also helped the club reach the quarter-finals in the
2017–18 UEFA Women's Champions League, marking the first time they reached that stage of the competition. Dunn enjoyed her time at Chelsea, and even named one of her adopted chickens after the club, but made the decision to return to the United States so that the national team staff could see her play more.
North Carolina Courage, 2018–2020 against
Orlando Pride in May 2018. After a year in England, it was planned that Dunn would return to North America with the deal of a trade with
Washington Spirit for two of
North Carolina Courage's players at the time,
Taylor Smith and
Ashley Hatch. The Spirit retained the League rights after Chelsea signed Dunn back in January 2017. This move was confirmed by Chelsea on February 25, 2018. She made her first appearance for the North Carolina Courage in a 1–0 win over
Portland Thorns FC, in the opening game of the
2018 NWSL season. Dunn was named Player of the Week twice in the 2018 NWSL season, for weeks 8 and 13. She was named Player of the Month for the month of June. Dunn appeared in 22 regular season games for the Courage, scoring eight goals, helping North Carolina win the NWSL Shield. The Courage broke multiple season records including most goals scored, most wins, and most points. Dunn was named to the 2018 NWSL Best XI. Dunn was in the starting lineup for the semi-final game against the
Chicago Red Stars, in which North Carolina won 2–0 and advanced to the Championship Game. She was in the starting lineup for the final, which North Carolina won 3–0 over the Portland Thorns.
Portland Thorns, 2020–2023 On October 22, 2020, Crystal Dunn was traded to
OL Reign in exchange for
Casey Murphy and $140,000 in
NWSL allocation money. Later that day, she was traded to the
Portland Thorns FC in exchange for an international roster slot, a first-round pick in the
2022 NWSL Draft, and $250,000 in allocation money. With the rescheduled
2020 Summer Olympics occurring during the middle of the
2021 NWSL season, Dunn was away from the club for much of July and August. She played in 15 matches for the club during the remainder of the season, helping the Thorns to an
NWSL Shield, the third of her career. Shortly following the end of the 2021 season, Dunn announced her first pregnancy. Dunn's first goal for the Thorns following her pregnancy would prove to a be a crucial one: a game-winning goal in the 93rd minute of their semifinal match against the
San Diego Wave. Dunn would sub on late in the final, making her fourth career appearance in an NWSL Championship match, and lift the trophy with the Thorns. Dunn played 19 matches for the Thorns during the
2023 season, during which she scored five goals and two assists. Following the 2023 season, Dunn became a free agent and announced she would not return to the Thorns, later saying that she felt undervalued by the club.
NJ/NY Gotham FC, 2024 During the 2023 offseason, Dunn was linked to a number of clubs including the
Orlando Pride, the
Washington Spirit, and
Gotham FC with reports that the Pride had offered her a salary of $400,000 a year. On December 31, 2023, Gotham FC announced that Dunn, a Long Island native with family in the New York metropolitan area, had signed with the club through 2026.
Paris Saint-Germain, 2025–2026 On January 31, 2025, she joined
Paris Saint-Germain. Dunn scored a brace against Saint Etienne during the 2024-2025 season in a 6-0 victory. On January 29, 2026, Dunn announced her retirement from professional soccer. ==International career==