Topics: Heather O'Reilly, North Carolina Courage, USWNT, National Women's Soccer League
The USWNT icon will hang up her boots after once the upcoming NWSL season comes to an end.

The end of an era is near for Heather O'Reilly. The USWNT icon announced on social media that this will be her final season in the National Women's Soccer League.

The 34-year-old revealed this on Instagram just ahead of the kick-off for the new season. The campaign will begin on Saturday, with the North Carolina Courage ace set to hang up her boots once the term comes to an end.

In a lengthy post, the midfielder explained the reason behind this decision. She wrote: "On the day before the start of the 2019 NWSL season, I would like to share that this is going to be my last season as a professional player!"

"It's been a long and beautiful ride. For the last 17 years, I have competed at the elite level, beginning as a teenager on the USWNT. I've played with and against the best players on the planet, and have won many trophies along the way with UNC, the U.S. Women's National Team, and various professional teams.

"My tank is not empty yet. I am looking forward to helping the North Carolina Courage this season continue to raise the level for women's football in the U.S. and globally."

 
 
 
 
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On the day before the start of the 2019 NWSL season, I would like to share that this is going to be my last season as a professional player! It's been a long and beautiful ride. For the last 17 years I have competed at the elite level, beginning as a teenager on the USWNT. I've played with and against the best players on the planet, and have won many trophies along the way with UNC, the U.S. Women's National Team, and various professional teams. My tank is not empty yet. I am looking forward to helping the North Carolina Courage this season continue to raise the level for women's football in the U.S. and globally. I am also looking forward to my work this summer on the other side of the lines with Fox at the FIFA Women's World Cup as a studio analyst, and am grateful for the opportunity to do so this year. I'm very excited to give back to this beautiful game in different ways going forward. There will be time for more sentiments at the end of the season! Until then, my teammates and I are ready to go to work. See you at the stadium! HAO

A post shared by heatheroreilly (@heatheroreilly) on

Praise for the former Stars and Stripes star came pouring in upon this announcement, and rightly so, due to her contribution to the national side and women's football as a whole. For the USWNT, O'Reilly helped her country win three Olympics gold medals, with the most recent coming in London 2012.

Additionally, she also was a part of the United States squad that won the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015. She called it quits to her international career in September 2016, retiring as USWNT's eighth most capped player (231 apps) and has the fifth-most assists for the national side (55), tied with Julie Foudy.

Her honors are not limited to the international scene only. O'Reilly got her hands on the NWSL in 2018 with North Carolina Courage, having previously won it with FC Kansas City in 2015, while also lifting the NWSL last year. The midfielder also enjoyed success in the FA WSL Cup, winning the title with Arsenal in 2017/18.

Heather also announced that she will be joining Fox as a studio analyst in their coverage of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. The midfielder will play a different role this time around as USA aims to defend their title this summer.