Lynn Williams: The Underrated Star Ready to Prove Herself at the Paris Olympics

The USWNT Olympic roster is officially here! There were some things we expected to see, and some were a bit surprising–like Alex Morgan’s absence. One player we are happy to see is Lynn Williams. Williams was severely underutilized in the last World Cup, despite the clamoring of fans and analysts alike, and completely snubbed from this latest training camp—yet she is breaking records in the NWSL. She’s going to Paris as an alternate, but she could easily prove herself to be a first-string in this tournament. Let’s talk about it! 

Emma Hayes Enters as Head Coach

Emma Hayes has already been shaking things up in her short time as head coach. She brought Crystal Dunn up from the backline into her natural position as a striker, debuted 16-year-old Lily Yohannes, and has already demonstrated a more aggressive attack style than we’ve seen from the USWNT in a while.

These are all amazing improvements to our lineup, but Williams could easily shift into that offensive line. Lynn has shown she’s ready time and time again on the NWSL and when she is given some USWNT spotlight. She is fast, smart, knows how to score, and knows how to play with this projected team.

Lynn Williams’ Rise to Stardom

Her stardom has been rising since 2016, when she started with the Flash. Even though the team didn’t have a stellar finish, Williams was tied for the league’s top scorer in her rookie season. Now, she has surpassed Sam Kerr as the top all-time scorer and is the only four-time champion in the NWSL after winning with Gotham last season. 

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So what’s the deal? In the last World Cup, we saw a lot of stagnation in our gameplay. But in this most recent camp, we’ve already seen that shift. We’ve put many more young and promising players on the line while blending in those steadfast leaders. Lynn isn’t as young as the new blood and doesn’t have the same level of leadership experience on the world stage as Horan or Lavelle do, but she does fit with the aggressive style of play we are shooting for now. Williams is the perfect blend of new and experienced. She’s been dominating the NWSL for years and has never disappointed when she gets the chance to wear the crest.

Lynn Williams with the USWNT

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We’ve got so much talent up front, even with Alex Morgan sitting this out. We have a quick, young front line and even more talent on the bench. Even though this will be Crystal Dunn’s return to the offense on the international stage, she is the most senior player among the forwards. Williams can bring a similar level of leadership to Dunn’s strike force. She has the speed to keep up with Rodman and the vision to serve Smith those deadly passes. She has the build to body people off the ball and make herself a threat in set-piece situations.

But maybe, most importantly, she has something to prove. Her name has been thrown around for so many years up to this point, but almost never with the praise she deserves. Now, she has her moment to show the USWNT training staff and the world that she is a force to be reckoned with. 

Featured image via Getty Images

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