Who Will Be the New Guard of the USWNT?
Every season brings new players and new opportunities. With the USWNT going through significant changes over the last few years, we may have seen the last of players like Tobin Heath, Julie Ertz, and Christen Press on the national team. Currently, players like Rose Lavelle, Lindsey Horan, and Kelley O’Hara have stepped up as leaders. But let’s look at some of the newer players who will one day be the leaders of this team and follow in the footsteps of giants.
Mallory Swanson
Top of the list has to be Mallory Swanson (née Pugh). Her stardom has been on the rise for a while, and we’ve always known that she is one to watch. Although she was left off the USWNT roster for a time, she returned with a mission: to score goals.
Swanson really showed the world what she’s about in the opening game of the SheBelieves Cup. The USWNT came out on top with a 2-0 victory over Canada, both goals scored by Swanson. Swanson is also on a hot streak; the cup opener marked the fourth consecutive game where she put a ball in the back of the net.
Midge Purce
Purce has been involved with USWNT since 2011 but only came up to the senior level in 2019. She’s one we’ve had our eyes on because of her speed and smarts and how she can read a play.
One thing I want to highlight about Purce is her passion off the pitch. We all know that the power of the USWNT doesn’t end on the field, these women fight for social change and justice, and few do it like Purce.
While at Harvard, she founded a nonprofit, Black Women’s Players Collective, which is geared toward creating opportunities for Black girls on and off the pitch. She was also one of the players to meet with President Joe Biden about the constant battle for wage equality.
Her skills on the field and work off the pitch position Purce as a born leader and game-changer.
Naomi Girma
Every Soccerista knows that the front line can’t get all the credit. Naomi Girma has been making waves at the junior level for years, captain of the U-20 team and 2020’s U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. She’s only been a senior USWNT player since 2022 after her call-up was delayed due to injury, but she looks perfectly at home on that back line.
She has the patience and sight to be deadly on the backline and the personality and leadership qualities to be a team role model.
Sophia Smith
This list would be absolutely incomplete if we didn’t mention the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. At just 22 years old, Smith’s career is following a similar trajectory to that of Mia Hamm.
A member of the USWNT for only two full years, Smith already has 12 goals under her belt, 11 of those coming just from last year. From what we’ve seen, there is no stopping Smith. She’s bound to be around for many years and become a staple to the USWNT front line.
Taylor Kornieck
Kornieck is a very fresh face to the USWNT, but she’s impossible to miss. At 6’1, she is the tallest player in USWNT history, and she uses that advantage expertly. She can always be counted on in a set piece to find that edge, much like our midfield queen Julie Ertz.
With just nine appearances with the senior team, Kornieck already has two goals. For her club, she shows versatility and a fighting edge necessary to succeed at the national team level. We’ll keep an eye on her as she gets more playing time for the USWNT.
Featured image via @USWNT on Twitter
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