9 NWSL Players Stepping Up While the Olympians Are Gone
While the 2024 Paris Olympics are underway, NWSL clubs are participating in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. With many teams missing their regular starters, players who maybe don’t get as much playing time in the regular season can step up. We take a look at nine players who are taking advantage of the Summer Cup.
Marisa Bova – North Carolina Courage
Bova has been with the Courage since the club drafted her in 2022 but hasn’t seen much playing time as she has primarily been the backup. With Casey Murphy away at the Olympics, Bova has been taking advantage of her starts during the Summer Cup. In North Carolina’s first two Summer Cup group matches, they ended regulation 1-1, but Bova made two big saves in penalty kicks to earn the Courage the extra point in both matches.
McCall Zerboni – NJ/NY Gotham FC
Zerboni is a league veteran, and Gotham’s ability to have someone with her experience running the midfield during this tournament is huge. She’s a great defensive presence in the midfield, and she’s been able to slide in seamlessly with Gotham missing quite a few players. She’s returning from an ACL tear that ended her season last year.
Emeri Adames – Seattle Reign
Adames is a young player with a bright future and she’s been able to get more playing time during the Summer Cup. She made her NWSL debut for the Reign in March, but she scored her first goal in the Reign’s 3-2 loss to Club Tijuana.
Jenna Butler – Washington Spirit
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Butler was signed as a national team replacement player for the Spirit, but she’s played well on the Spirit’s backline. She started all three Summer Cup matches for the Spirit. Before joining the Spirit, Butler played at North Carolina State.
Kristen Hamilton – Kansas City Current
Hamilton has led the Current offense during the Summer Cup. She’s scored two goals and started two of the three games for Kansas City. She’s a proven goalscorer who hasn’t seen much playing time because Kansas City has a lot of attacking power, but she’s making the most of the Summer Cup. The Current won their Group and advanced to the semifinals.
Hannah Betfort – Utah Royals
Utah has shocked the league a bit with its play during the Summer Cup, and it’s been led in the attack by Betfort. She scored two goals for the Royals, who earned two wins through three games.
Izzy D’Aquila – Portland Thorns
D’Aquila started all three Summer Cup games for the Thorns at forward. She found the back of the net in Portland’s 5-0 win over Club Tijuana. D’Aquila has been with the Thorns since the club drafted her with the 12th pick in the 2023 NWSL College Draft.
Jordyn Bloomer – Racing Louisville
The Summer Cup allowed clubs to rotate their goalkeepers, and Bloomer is another keeper who took advantage of her recent playing time. Bloomer started two games for Racing during the tournament, earning a win and a draw. She made massive saves during the penalty kick shootout to help Louisville earn an extra point against the Orlando Pride.
Messiah Bright – Angel City
Bright joined Angel City during the offseason after an impressive rookie season with the Orlando Pride. She has yet to fully break into the starting XI for Angel City, but she made a big case for herself during the Summer Cup. She was a bright spot for their offense and helped to lead Angel City to the semifinals, finishing the group stage with two wins and a draw.
Makenzy Doniak – San Diego Wave
Doniak is a veteran in the league, and she’s got three goals on the season for the Wave, but she’s been getting more minutes in the Summer Cup. She’s creating chances and being a spark for a struggling San Diego offense.
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