Analyzing the USWNT Olympic roster for Paris 2024

After the United States women’s national team spent much of the last World Cup cycle slowly turning over the roster, that process has ramped up in 2024 ahead of the Olympics. Program stalwarts such as Julie Ertz, Kelley O’Hara and Megan Rapinoe have been ushered out of inclusion. Alex Morgan did not make the cut. Longtime captain Becky Sauerbrunn hasn’t been involved since March.

Part of this is an inevitable necessity. The USWNT has slipped to fifth in FIFA’s latest world rankings, a table they’ve topped for most of the past three decades. A bronze medal showing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 was followed by a round-of-16 exit at the Women’s World Cup last year — a poor return from the Vlatko Andonovski era.

At last, Emma Hayes has arrived from dominating the Women’s Super League with Chelsea and will lead this team to the Games in France this summer and beyond. U.S. Soccer decided the serial winner from the English club game was worth the wait, running the USWNT under interim manager Twila Kilgore for nine months as Hayes finished her tenure in west London. The tradeoff was a limited window for these players to acclimate to their new coach and her system, with only 360 minutes in friendly matches to get tournament-ready.

Because of this, it’s hard to determine what the internal expectations will be, but Hayes will have plenty of talented players to work with. Here’s a guide to all 18 players who will take part in this summer’s Paris-hosted Olympics, as well as notes on the four alternates who may be called into action.

Cap totals and players’ ages correct as of July 21, 2024

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Goalkeepers

Casey Murphy 

Club: North Carolina Courage

Age: 28 

Caps: 19

A mainstay on the rosters since her debut — and player-of-the-match performance — against Australia in November 2021, Murphy has racked up more caps than any goalkeeper (not named Alyssa Naeher) combined.

She is in her prime years as a goalkeeper and along with the requisite shot-stopping, has performed above average at preventing crosses from finding targets and is a slight upgrade over Naeher in terms of playing out from the back. With a rising group of young domestic goalkeepers in the NWSL, she’ll need to maintain her level to get her chance after Naeher.

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Alyssa Naeher 

Club: Chicago Red Stars

Age: 36 

Caps: 106 

How does one quantify the impact of a proven international goalkeeper? In any other position, strong club form is a prerequisite for involvement — Hayes has said as much over the past few months. Yet despite a couple of middling seasons in the NWSL, Naeher continues to come through for her country.

This year, the veteran’s big-game mettle has been vital. She’s found a trick to increase her impact on penalty shootouts, opting to take spot kicks earlier in the sequence rather than waiting to see if an 11th player is needed. So far, it’s worked wonders.

There are reasons to be a bit concerned, though. Her attempts at playing out from the back have seldom been convincing, and she’s prone to being caught off-balance against well-placed and powerful shots. Still, any scenario that sees this team leave France with a medal involves Naeher coming up big on multiple occasions.

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Defenders

Tierna Davidson

Clubs: NJ/NY Gotham FC

Age: 25

Caps: 60

Injuries and poor club form made Davidson a tough omission from the 2023 World Cup squad, a setback after she’d been the youngest player on the 2019 title-winning roster. After leaving the Chicago Red Stars for defending champion Gotham FC at the start of 2024, early returns are positive; she’s gone from snub status to a regular USWNT starter.

Gotham’s proactive tactical approach has relied heavily on her line-breaking distribution. On the flip side, Davidson has been less imperious when defending in the air, as her rate of winning aerial duels has dropped from 66.7 percent to 42.9 percent while making 0.5 more attempts per 90 minutes. Instead, she has refined her approach to defending with the ball on the ground, shown by her downright stingy 9.5 percent dribble-past rate and an 86.4 percent ‘true’ tackle win rate.

It’s easy to envision Davidson and Naomi Girma anchoring the back line for years to come.

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Emily Fox 

Club: Arsenal

Age: 26

Caps: 51

Full-backs are perennially among a team’s most unsung members, but Fox has made herself irreplaceable. Strong play in the NWSL for North Carolina Courage led to a January move to Arsenal, where she swiftly became a starter as her new club finished third in the WSL.

Her defensive prowess translates anywhere along the flank, and her tidiness in possession allows her to bypass opponents with refreshing ease. Her 1.7 chances created per 90 minutes ranked third among all WSL defenders (to have played a minimum 720 minutes), while her 12.5 ball recoveries per 1,000 opponent touches was fifth. She used some of her measured creativity in the USWNT’s standout 3-0 win against Colombia in March, showing a strong partnership with Trinity Rodman that is likely to be vital throughout the Olympics.

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Naomi Girma 

Club: San Diego Wave

Age: 24 

Caps: 34

Although much of the USWNT defense has changed over the past three years, Girma has been perhaps its most consistent member. She checks all the boxes for a modern center-back: capable recovery pace, savvy distribution to minimize turnovers, and stingy defending on the ground and in the air. She has swiftly become the program’s bedrock, a worthy heir apparent to Sauerbrunn in that regard and with similarly vital leadership chops.

She’s played just two complete professional seasons, but won the NWSL Defender of the Year in both and is already in the conversation for best defenders on the planet. Time will tell whether or not she’ll stick around San Diego given her quality, but she’s possibly the first name on the USWNT team sheet.

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Casey Krueger 

Club: Washington Spirit

Age: 33 

Caps: 50

A tough omission from both the 2019 and 2023 World Cup rosters, Krueger is on the squad for a second consecutive Olympics. Part of that may be a symptom of squad limitations. Krueger is capable of playing anywhere along the back line, a vital trait for an 18-player roster, but can often be overlooked when coaches can choose more specialized options for other tournaments (they can pick 23 players for the World Cup, for example).

Make no mistake, though, Krueger is not a mere multi-role stopgap. She seldom looks out of position and is also highly skilled at the tactical foul: only two NWSL defenders exceed her average of 10 fouls committed per yellow card shown. That gamesmanship is vital to limiting opponents.

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Jenna Nighswonger 

Club: NJ/NY Gotham FC

Age: 23 

Caps: 10

The oft-unspoken rationale as to why Crystal Dunn spent nearly two full cycles playing out of position was simple: Jill Ellis and successor Andonovski didn’t see a full-time left-back who could play up to the USWNT’s high standard. For the first time in eight years, that compromise on Dunn’s part seems unnecessary.

Nighswonger is poised to be the program’s mainstay in the role thanks to her precocious all-around play.

The reigning NWSL rookie of the year has emerged for the national team in 2024 with dependable and effective performances at the W Gold Cup and SheBelieves Cup. With her carrying prowess and knack for finding space off the ball, Nighswonger gives the USWNT width — vital given Mallory Swanson’s frequent cuts toward the box. Nighswonger ranks fifth among all NWSL full-backs in chances created per 90 minutes (1.16), fourth in duel win rate (61.1 percent) and is a proactive and effective tackler.

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Emily Sonnett

Club: NJ/NY Gotham FC

Age: 30 

Caps: 93

The Olympics’ 18-player cap requires a coach to find multiple recalibrations of their lineups and the rapid turnaround between games (if they reach the gold medal match, the USWNT will play six times in 17 days) requires good physical conditioning and even sharper mental strength.

Sonnett checks all those boxes. Something of a throwback with her tenacity in all phases, she can do a job at center-back or in defensive midfield, and can deputize at either full-back spot in a pinch. She isn’t the most technical but someone needs to do the thankless work to free up those specialists. With two NWSL titles, an equivalent Damallsvenskan championship in Sweden and a 2019 World Cup winner’s medal, Sonnett has the experience to help this young team through tough spots.

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Midfielders

Korbin Albert 

Club: Paris Saint-Germain

Age: 20 

Caps: 13

We haven’t talked much about Albert as a soccer player in recent months, and for reasons she fully brought onto herself. There have been and will be plenty of alternative places to continue working through her social media controversies, but Hayes has picked Albert on the back of her on-field performances.

The second-youngest member of this squad, Albert’s form for PSG suggests she may not just be an alternative to Horan as previously projected. Instead, she’s performing up to the standard of a promising defensive midfielder.

Albert is a fairly risk-averse passer, sending the overwhelming majority of her distribution to short- and middle-range targets. Her best work is done between the boxes, boasting an impressive take-on success rate for high-level club players as well as top-tier tackling metrics. She’ll be familiar with the venues too, after a year and a half in France, and will hope to further cement a place in Hayes’ plans.

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Sam Coffey 

Club: Portland Thorns 

Age: 25

Caps: 19

Another tough omission from last summer’s World Cup squad, Coffey was putting together a campaign worthy of an NWSL MVP award. As is often the case with defensive midfielders, she instead settled for Best XI status (for the second straight season). Under Kilgore and now Hayes, she has gone from a fringe squad option to a mainstay in the starting lineup, operating in her preferred role.

Often, her play is as tidy as her trademark tucked-in jersey. Coffey is stingy whether opponents try to bypass her on the dribble or by slinging passes. She has improved her aerial defending and has shown an eagerness for often unexpected shots from deep for club and country alike. She’s more prone to passing wide than trying to send balls into the box, lower-risk attempts that retain possession and shift a defense.

For the USWNT, like many of us, no shift is complete without the presence of Coffey.

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Lindsey Horan 

Club: Lyon

Age: 30 

Caps: 150

As captain and occupant of the No 10 shirt, Horan has become one of this program’s most important members. The only question is how Hayes will utilize her. An ex-striker, Horan hasn’t been shy about affirming that her favorite part of her game is the stuff in the final third. With Hayes leaning increasingly toward a 4-2-3-1 with Rose Lavelle as the No 10 nestled between the wingers, Horan may have to remain further from the danger zone.

When she does play in attacking midfield, Horan functions more as a second striker than a true playmaker. She’s tidy in possession and makes smart decisions, but doesn’t offer the on-ball unpredictability of Lavelle or Jaedyn Shaw. An approach demanding short passing and recirculation isn’t exactly glamorous work, but her composure on the ball and eagerness to get teammates involved may resign her to that role this summer.

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Rose Lavelle 

Club: NJ/NY Gotham FC

Age: 29 

Caps: 101 

As Rose goes, so goes the USWNT. Lavelle has struggled to stay off the injury report throughout her career, and the national team often suffers if it can’t rely on her unpredictable and nimble mastery over a ball. Lavelle doubles as the set-piece specialist, able to precisely pick out teammates with seemingly effortless execution.

Look no further than the most recent friendlies to contrast this team’s outlook with and without Lavelle. When she started as the No 10 against Mexico, the United States was difficult to contain and set up a wide array of chances. She missed the Costa Rica match three days later due to groin tightness, and the team struggled to produce anything in the central channel with Horan fixated on shooting instead of creating.

The team would be wise to give Lavelle the seat with the most legroom on their transatlantic flight. Their hopes of medaling may depend on it.

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Crystal Dunn 

Club: NJ/NY Gotham FC

Age: 32 

Caps: 149

It’s anybody’s guess where Dunn will predominantly feature at the Olympics. With her clubs (first Portland, now Gotham), she functions predominantly as a midfielder. In Hayes’ first internationals in charge in early June, Dunn was listed as a forward and started on the right wing, scoring her first goal in 75 caps. Against Costa Rica last week, however, Hayes opted to utilize her in her former makeshift home at left-back — understandably leaning on her experience there as Nighswonger was rotated.

In time, we’ll be able to reflect upon Dunn for her quality instead of her location on the pitch. She has long been among the most well-rounded players in program history, a cool finisher whenever in the box, a capable dribbler, and a player with an eye for line-breaking distribution. For now, however, we’re doomed to wonder where she would perform best in a Hayes system…and if she’ll even be given a chance there, wherever it may be.

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Forwards

Trinity Rodman 

Club: Washington Spirit

Age: 22

Caps: 40 

Last summer, Rodman caught the eye for her ability to shoot from her dribbles and her pace when running behind defenses. A coaching change with the Spirit and their January trading of Ashley Sanchez has resulted in Rodman refining another aspect of her game: chance creation, whether on the break or in slower phases. Encouragingly for the USWNT, she’s already quite good at it.

Like Lavelle, Rodman’s willingness to do selfless work and set up teammates’ shots makes her invaluable. She has also displayed a knack for drawing fouls and remaining impactful when she’s consistently targeted, which can ease pressure on others as she bears the brunt of opponents’ ire.

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Jaedyn Shaw

Club: San Diego Wave

Age: 19

Caps: 16 

At the start of 2024, it seemed inevitable that this would be the summer of Shaw. The only teenager on the squad, Shaw was among the standout players of any age at the W Gold Cup in February and March, pulling the strings while displaying a cool first-time finish when rushing onto the ball. While most young players go to ground when they feel a defender attempt a challenge, Shaw rides contact and keeps going. In total, it’s a skill set that seems ideal for a player who can log plenty of minutes in multiple roles.

For whatever reason, however, Hayes hasn’t yet unleashed Shaw in any of her first four games as the coach. Particularly notable was the decision to start Horan in Lavelle’s absence against Costa Rica last Tuesday, a like-for-like option in attacking midfield. One has to think that her best is yet to come under Hayes — it’s just a matter of whether that will begin at the 2024 Olympics or in windows to follow.

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Sophia Smith 

Club: Portland Thorns

Age: 23 

Caps: 50

Although an already-dated commercial claims you don’t have to choose between Alex Morgan and Smith, Hayes opted to do exactly that when picking this roster. After spending last summer shunted to the left wing, this will be Smith’s first major international tournament as the USWNT’s projected striker. Her misdeployment in 2023 helps explain what was a poor World Cup for Smith, although she did enter in some worrisome form with her club.

Since her bounce-back performance in the Gold Cup knockouts, Smith has looked more like her usual self. She’s smiling a bit easier, and is in a race with Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride) and Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current) for her second straight NWSL Golden Boot.

This summer, she’ll need to be equally decisive with her finishing, especially as the USWNT still struggles to consistently create chances that aren’t looping crosses. Those don’t cater to Smith’s skill set — she’s used her head for just one of her 146 non-penalty shots in NWSL since the start of the 2023 season.

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Mallory Swanson 

Club: Chicago Red Stars

Age: 26 

Caps: 94

Although a torn patellar tendon kept Swanson from participating in the 2023 World Cup, she has stayed off the trainer’s table throughout this return campaign. Her movement is as savvy as ever, finding pockets to exploit beyond the opposition back line and her dribbling in open field and congested areas alike is typically incisive. Seemingly, her shooting power hasn’t quite come back to full strength, but well-placed shots have helped her score seven goals in 1,331 NWSL minutes — 0.47 per 90.

At this stage, Swanson is more eager to take a shot than dish to others, often leaving her in an off-center strike partnership to Smith’s left.

One of a few holdovers from the 2019 World Cup winners, Swanson knows what it’ll take to outperform a competitive field of medal challengers. To make that happen, Hayes will need a player she once wanted to bring to Chelsea to be at her best.

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Lynn Williams 

Club: NJ/NY Gotham FC

Age: 31 

Caps: 65 

Williams’ international career has been one of imperfect timing, with injuries and Ellis’ preferences keeping her off the 2019 World Cup roster and having her scoring peak come while Morgan was still the de facto starter — only to see Smith emerge in time to take up the role as Morgan’s production fell off. Originally an alternate for this roster, she’s now among the 18 after Catarina Macario had to miss out due to injury.

The newly-minted NWSL record goalscorer, Williams doesn’t knock home as many as she did five years ago. That said, she offers plenty of value in other ways.

She’s among the best dribblers in the player pool — 5.1 progressive carries and 3.2 take-ons per 90 minutes in the NWSL since the start of 2023 — and is able to help the USWNT work upfield as her teammates get into dangerous areas. Off the ball, she’s a relentless presser who can create chances with savvy front-line engagement. One of three squad members who also scored at the previous Olympics in Japan three years ago, Williams’ cool resolve may be vital this summer.

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Alternates

Croix Bethune 

Club: Washington Spirit (midfielder)

Age: 23 

Caps: 2

Taken third overall in the 2024 NWSL Draft, Bethune is already among the most dynamic attackers in the league and the USWNT pool. She has a deep bag of tricks and a knack for making swift decisions in the final third that make her tough to contain.

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Jane Campbell 

Club: Houston Dash (goalkeeper) 

Age: 29 

Caps: 8

Arguably the best goalkeeper in the NWSL, having taken home the league’s goalkeeper of the year award in 2023. Campbell has continued to perform well under constant duress for the Dash. She’s less commanding of her box as a whole when looking at defensive and cross-claiming actions but few stop shots better than her.

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Hal Hershfelt

Club: Washington Spirit (midfielder) 

Age: 21 

Caps: 0

Another NWSL rookie, Hershfelt has made the leap in more ways than one. Her 51.5 percent aerial win rate is in around the 70th percentile (only 30 percent are doing better) for regular midfielders in the league, an encouraging sign for a player who’s still acclimating. Most of her distribution has been recirculatory rather than going upfield, but that meshes well with a Hayesian possession-based system.

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Emily Sams 

Club: Orlando Pride (defender)  

Age: 25

Caps: 0 

Only two defenders on this roster complete over half of their pass attempts ranging 35 yards or further: Girma (57.6 percent), and Sams (53.8 percent). Sams was a late addition to this reserve group, entering as Williams was brought from the alternates list to the main roster. It’s a deserved honor for a defender who is finally getting her due now the Pride have turned the corner and become title contenders.

(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)