NWSL Star Lynn Williams Clarifies She's Not Related to Serena Williams — but Wants to 'Keep the Joke Going'

Fans were confused after the tennis great called Lynn Williams "cuz" in a social media post

After Gotham FC star Lynn Williams broke the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) record to become the all-time leading scorer, Serena Williams' reaction left fans confused about the athletes' relationship.

The tennis great and soccer star obviously share a common last name, but when Serena, 42, quoted a post from the league announcing the news of Lynn's accomplishment on X (formerly known as Twitter), she wrote, "Congrats cuz," and tagged Lynn, 31.

Some fans took the post literally, with one user replying, "Sports in the DNA." Another user wrote, "I can’t tell if she means real cousin or fake cousin but they are both the best at what they do (or did) and have the same last name."

During an appearance on Sam Mewis' podcast, Good Vibes FC, Lynn clarified that she and Serena are not actually related. “I should just keep this joke going," she quipped.

Lynn added, "I’ve been reading people thinking we’re actually cousins and somebody was like, ‘I’ve been wondering if they’re actually cousins and I looked at their legs and that’s DNA that runs in the family.' ”

Related: A Year After 'Devastating' Injury, Gotham FC's Lynn Williams Named to World Cup Roster (Exclusive)

Lynn's record-breaking goal on May 19, which came during Gotham's 2-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars, was her 79th in the NWSL. Before she held the title, it belonged to former Red Stars player Sam Kerr.

After the match, Lynn spoke to reporters and credited her teammates for helping her break the record. “I just owe it all to them,” Lynn said, according to The Athletic. She added, “I can’t put any single one of those goals away without them.”

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The Gotham forward said she's "just really proud of" herself after becoming the record holder and opened up about the challenges she's faced along the way.

“A lot of moments along the way I’ve been told, ‘No, you’re not good enough.’ And I think that every single time I score a goal, every single time I’m put on the field, it’s another moment for me to continue to believe in myself," she added.

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