23 Fun Facts About The USWNT

The twenty three women tasked with defending their World Cup title are a dynamic bunch. Many took very different paths to the national team.

This squad is full of players who have interesting nicknames, famous pets and awesome interests off the field. Below you’ll learn a thing or two about some of your favorite stars that perhaps the major news outlets will not tell you.

GOALKEEPERS

Alyssa Naeher
Club: Chicago Red Stars
Fun Fact: Naeher has a twin sister, Amanda, who was a standout at Division III powerhouse, Messiah College. Amanda won two national championships and two National Player of the Year awards.

Ashlyn Harris
Club: Orlando Pride
Fun Fact: Harris is Umbro’s first ever female brand ambassador, signing a multi-year endorsement deal in 2017.

Adrianna Franch
Club: Portland Thorns
Fun Fact: As a child, people used to call Franch, the “next Bri Scurry”. It may come as no surprise then that, when given choice of female hero to honor during the USWNT’s 2019 SheBelieves Cup Women’s History month game, Franch chose to don Scurry’s name on her jersey.

DEFENDERS

Becky Sauerbrunn
Club: Utah Royals
Fun Fact: She played the flute as a child (though she admits she wasn’t very good).

Kelley O’Hara
Club: Utah Royals
Fun Fact: O’Hara is an avid surfer.

Abby Dahlkemper
Club: North Carolina Courage
Fun Fact: Dahlkemper is addicted to winning, apparently. She has won a national championship with UCLA (their first ever), two USL-W Leagues with Pali Blues/LA Blues, and three championships in her first four seasons of the NWSL.

Ali Krieger
Club: Orlando Pride
Fun Fact: Krieger’s last name means “warrior” in German and during her time with FFC Frankfurt, her nickname was “Warrior Princess”. She is also fluent in German.

Tierna Davidson
Club: Chicago Red Stars
Fun Fact: At 20 years old, Davidson is the youngest on this year’s USWNT World Cup roster.

Emily Sonnett
Club: Portland Thorns
Fun Fact: Another twin…Her identical twin, Emma, played soccer at the University of Georgia. Also, Sonnett is known as the team jokester.

Crystal Dunn
Club: North Carolina Courage
Fun Fact: Dunn can play literally every position on the field and is the only player in history to have won both the ACC’s Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year awards.

MIDFIELDERS

Sam Mewis
Club: North Carolina Courage
Fun Fact: Mewis is 6 feet tall. Likely not going to win a 50/50 aerial challenge if she’s your opponent.

Morgan Brian
Club: Chicago Red Stars
Fun Fact: Brian grew up in Georgia on St. Simon’s Island, an island that is only 3 miles wide.

Julie Ertz
Club: Chicago Red Stars
Fun Fact: Ertz and her husband, NFL tight end, Zach Ertz, started the Ertz Family Foundation, a charity that creates opportunities for children in sports and education.

Lindsey Horan
Club: Portland Thorns
Fun Fact: Horan is the first American female soccer player in history to skip college and go straight to the pros.

Rose Lavelle
Club: Washington Spirit
Fun Fact: Wilma, Lavelle’s pet bulldog, has over 2,600 followers on Instagram

Allie Long
Club: Seattle Reign
Fun Fact: Long made a name for herself playing in futsal leagues in high school gyms around New York. The leagues, mostly made up of immigrant men, gave her the nickname “La Gringa”.

FORWARDS

Mallory Pugh
Club: Washington Spirit
Fun Fact: Pugh used to watch Telemundo soccer games on her Hello Kitty TV when she was four years old.

Carli Lloyd
Club: Sky Blue FC
Fun Fact: In 2017, President Obama named Lloyd a member and Co-Chair of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.

Alex Morgan
Club: Orlando Pride
Fun Fact: Morgan did not start playing club soccer until she was 14.

Megan Rapinoe
Club: Seattle Reign
Fun Fact: Rapinoe is the 3rd player with a twin on the team — her sister Rachael also played pro soccer.

Tobin Heath
Club: Portland Thorns
Fun Fact: Heath is starting a business with Christen Press, Megan Rapinoe and Meghan Klingenberg which launches in June.

Jessica McDonald
Club: North Carolina Courage
Fun Fact: McDonald got her college career started at Phoenix College, a community college in Arizona, before transferring to UNC.

Christen Press
Club: Utah Royals
Fun Fact: Press has been an outspoken advocate of meditation and speaks of how it has helped her achieve success on and off the field.

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