8 Underrated Players On the Rise in the FA WSL This Season
The Womenโs Super League, or FA WSL, is underway! There are some names everyone knows, and there are some that everyone should. Here are some of the players that should be getting more attention this season.ย
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Ashleigh Neville
Neville has been with Tottenham Hotspur since 2017, when the club was promoted to the FA Womenโs Super League 2. This is Nevilleโs 11th year of playing professional ball, but weโve still got our eye on her. The Spurs wouldnโt have signed her on for an additional three-year contract if she werenโt an absolutely solid player.
2022 was a brilliant season for the fullback, during which she earned the FA WSL Player of the Month for February. Head coach Rehanne Skinner has praised Neville for being everything a Spur should be and always working on her game.
Demi Stokes
Stokes has bounced around between a few teams throughout the beginning of her pro career but has been settled with Manchester City since 2015. So what began as a three-year contract has lasted twice as long. Though she didnโt see play time over the summer, Stokes is a tried and true defender.
Man City knows they can rely on Stokes to track down a stray ball and defend the box off a set piece. As a member of the England National Team since she was 19, we know Stokes has the stuff.
Magdalena Eriksson
Chelseaโs Magdalena Eriksson is probably one of the best defenders in the league. Eriksson is known to be a powerhouse for Chelsea and her home nation, Sweden.ย
Eriksson switches between center and left defense and hasnโt gone a single season at Chelsea without scoring at least one goal. She really is a player who can do it all.ย
Chelsea took the FA WSL title back in 2020-21 and runner-up in 21-22. This season weโre sure to see everything Eriksson has got.
Lotte Wubben-Moy
Wubben-Moy is one of the youngest players on this list and certainly has a lot of promise. A former North Carolina Tar Heel, Lotte Wubben-Moy now plays defense for Arsenal.
Arsenal is the only pro team she has known so far in her career, going from Arsenal at 16 to college in the states and right back to the WSL. Wubben-Moy went from being a sub in the 90th minute to starting every game for Arsenal during Spring Series.
During the 2021-22 season, Wubben-Moy was named player of the match against Manchester City and Barclays WSL Player of the Month in March.
Lia Waฬlti
2018, Waฬltiโs first season with Arsenal was a winning one for the club. Waฬlti suffered an LCL injury during her debut season but came back strong the next, signing a multi-year contract. Waฬlti is incredibly versatile, a key trait to have as a midfielder.
Before her FA WSL debut, Waฬlti spent plenty of time in the Bundesliga and has played for the Swiss National team since 2011. She will reach her 100th cap with Arsenal this season, and we are excited to see what she has in store.
Maren Mjelde
Before this season even began, it was announced that Chelsea would extend Mjeldeโs contract by another year. A switch defensive and midfield player, Mjelde got her start in the Bundesliga but has created a legacy at Chelsea. She was the one who scored the penalty kick in the 2019 match-up against Manchester Cityโbringing the team back into WSL status.
This season sheโll be coming off of a knee injury, so though her play might look different, Mjelde will still deliver.
Claudia Walker
Walker is no stranger to the FA WSL. Before finding herself at West Ham United, Walker was a member of Liverpool, Everton, and Birmingham City, making her mark on each team. While with Liverpool, the team finished first, Everton was promoted back to WSL 1, and she scored several pivotal game winners for Birmingham.
Walker has come back from injury over the years, and with much hard work in a short time, she has begun to shine at Birmingham. She scored five in their opener against Billericay last season and assisted three. This upcoming season is sure to be even bigger.ย
Mackenzie Arnold
Arnold has been with West Ham since 2020 and has been a clutch player. As we all know, being a keeper can be a thankless job, but weโre giving Arnold all the credit she deserves. From her time with Perth Glory, Brisbane Roar, and now West Ham United, she has been a top stopper.
Arnold won Goalkeeper of the Year from the W-League three times and has actually put some points on the board for West Ham. The WSL is brimming with talent, so weโre sure that Arnold will have her hands full, literally.
Featured image via Getty Images
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