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USWNT roster: Which NWSL stars deserve a look?

Tatumn Milazzo has started in all 21 matches this season for the Chicago Red Stars. (Jon Durr/USA TODAY Sports)

The U.S. women’s national soccer team is in transition ahead of the 2023 World Cup.

Seven members of the 2019 team feature on the roster for the squad’s October friendlies against England and Spain, and several more could return to the lineup in the coming months from injury and pregnancy absences.

Still, the team looks markedly different than the one that last wielded the World Cup trophy. And while we would love to see Alex Morgan stick around forever, the changing of the guard will continue as veterans take their final bows and new stars step into the spotlight.

We’re even getting a glimpse of that now, as a knee injury ruled Morgan out of the upcoming European trip and created space for younger players like Alyssa Thompson and Savannah DeMelo to make their marks.

USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski thinks highly of the NWSL as a barometer of talent. With plenty of rising stars on display as the league heads into its final weekend of the regular season, Just Women’s Sports offers a look at a few who deserve a shot on the USWNT roster.

Tatumn Milazzo – Defender, Chicago Red Stars

Milazzo is one player who has not yet earned a USWNT call-up but arguably should.

After going undrafted out of South Carolina in 2019, Milazzo earned a spot on the Red Stars’ preseason squad in 2021. First named as a supplemental roster player, Milazzo played in 14 games during the 2021 season for Chicago, starting in 10 of them.

This season, she’s been an instrumental part of the Red Stars’ defense, starting in all 21 games and playing a total of 1,861 minutes. She’s been a weapon and one of the best one-on-one defenders in the league all season long, with a 76.6 percent success rate on passes and making 68.5 percent of her tackles.

Milazzo leads the league with 47 interceptions and is tied for fifth in tackles won with 39.

There are a lot of questions about the USWNT’s defense in the lead-up to the World Cup, and Milazzo could be a versatile piece. She primarily has played at center back for the Red Stars but also has experience at right back in college.

Of course, Becky Sauerbrunn remains key down the middle of the field for the USWNT, and Tierna Davidson’s ACL tear has left Alana Cook in the other starting center-back role. Naomi Girma also has been impressive, swapping out with Sauerbrunn at times this year.

The return of Crystal Dunn from parental leave adds another layer to the piece of the defense pie. But as Milazzo continues to improve, she deserves a look from Andonovski.

Cece Kizer – Forward/Midfield, Kansas City Current

That Kizer hasn’t been called up yet is about as shocking as her trade from from Racing Louisville to the Current.

Upon her arrival in Kansas City, Kizer lit up the field for Kansas City. The club went on an 11-game unbeaten run, and Kizer has scored seven goals since her arrival in May, which puts her eighth in the league.

Teammate Lo’eau LaBonta has the same number, and together their 14 goals make up nearly half of the team’s 29 total on the season.

The Kansas City native has enjoyed being home and in doing so has helped the team that finished in last place last year clinch their first-ever playoff appearance.

But she’s not just good at scoring goals. Kizer is also skilled at setting up plays. She holds a 68.7 percent success rate on passes this season, making 24 key passes and putting up three assists. She’s directly had a hand in a third of her team’s goals.

While the USWNT’s top spots at midfield and forward appear to be locked in by the likes of Morgan, Sophia Smith, Mallory Pugh and Rose Lavelle, there have been a few players brought in for trial runs, including DeMelo and Sam Coffey in the midfield and now Thompson at forward. Kizer could be next.

Phallon Tullis-Joyce – Goalkeeper, OL Reign

Tullis-Joyce has been outstanding in net this season. Andonovski even has said she’s on his radar, along with Bella Bixby and Katie Lund.

Tullis-Joyce also has earned praise from the coaching staff in Seattle.

“She’s a huge talent. She’s got a lot of room for growth and today, she did her job,” said assistant coach Sam Laity following the team’s 2-1 win over North Carolina on Sept. 17. “She did the things that we knew she could do.

“As strange as it might seem, I think she’s actually a better goalkeeper and has more work to do. So, it’s a bit of a catch-22; the goalkeeper that doesn’t have a lot of work to do, sometimes loses their rhythm, but then when they’re called upon, they stand up and make big saves. I thought she showed some incredible character and courage today. She made some big saves for us.”

She’s earned Save of the Week honors multiple times this season, and also leads the NWSL in save percentage and ranks sixth in saves, all in her first season as the team’s starter. Tullis-Joyce has been so good, the club extended her through the 2024 season in July.

While the goalie lineup has remained relatively consistent under Andonovski, the NWSL’s pool is deep. Both Alyssa Naeher and Casey Murphy spent time in net at the Concacaf W Championship, and each got a start in the team’s September friendlies against Nigeria. But Tullis-Joyce deserves her shot.

Alex Morgan “week-to-week” with ankle injury

Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.

Brazil legend Marta to retire from international play after Olympics

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 16: Marta of Brazil during the 2023 SheBelieves Cup match between Japan and Brazil at Exploria Stadium on February 16, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images)

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

USWNT to face Costa Rica in final Olympic send-off

uswnt sophia smith and tierna davidson celebrate at shebeilves cup 2024
The USWNT will play their final pre-Olympic friendly against Costa Rica on July 16th. (Photo by Greg Bartram/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

Caitlin Clark’s WNBA start to serve as 2024 Olympic tryout

Clark of the Indiana Fever poses for a photo with Lin Dunn and Christie Sides during her introductory press conference on April 17, 2024
The talented Fever rookie is still in the running for a ticket to this summer's Paris Olympics. (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.

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