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USWNT 2022 player grades: Emily Fox makes case at outside back

Emily Fox made a case to start at left back for the USWNT in 2023, but she’ll have to compete with Crystal Dunn. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

It’s the end of the calendar year for the U.S. women’s national team, with 2022 performances all wrapped up in a bow. Naturally, that also means it’s time for end-of-year report cards to evaluate how each player did in the run-up to the 2023 World Cup.

Again, a quick set of criteria: Despite the team’s first three-game losing streak in decades, the U.S. lost only three games total in 2022. A failing grade would indicate a player is wildly unprepared for the game at this level, which is not something we saw from the group playing the lion’s share of minutes this year. Likewise, an A+ indicates a player with all-star, team-on-their-back, best-in-the-world status.

Throughout this series, which will grade players by position, I’m going to avoid those who didn’t get minutes in 2022 and those who have missed significant time due to injury. In this installment, that includes Crystal Dunn, who missed most of the year after giving birth to her son, returning to appear in three games at the very end.

So far, we’ve graded the goalkeepers. Today, let’s take a look at the outside backs.

Emily Fox – B+

Fox quickly became one of the cornerstones of the USWNT’s new young core, tallying almost 1,000 minutes in 2022 despite dealing with a bout of COVID-19 and a number of injuries. Fox is naturally suited for the way Vlatko Andonovski likes his outside backs to play. She can confidently cut inside to overlap with the attacker in front of her when the team is progressing the ball, and she has the recovery speed to get back in transition.

Fox’s impressive 2022 actually makes for an interesting conflict on the left side of the pitch between the 24-year-old and left-back mainstay Crystal Dunn, whose minutes progressed in the last few international matches. Fox has starting capabilities, and clearly so does Dunn (though she could be used elsewhere). If they’re both healthy, the U.S. has a choice to make on whether to rotate between them or give one player the reins.

Sofia Huerta – B

Huerta’s performances can be broken down into two different evaluations: attacking and defending. In the attack, Huerta suits the USWNT formation perfectly, with a cross-first attitude that paid major dividends throughout the year. When the U.S. has to unlock a stout defense, Huerta’s ability to find her teammates can be an essential asset.

But she’s not a natural defender, and teams that are confident in transition have begun to overload her side of the pitch. Against Canada in the Concacaf W Championship, Huerta experienced trial by fire, bending but not breaking in 1v1 defending situations. Later in the year, the winger in front of her (often Sophia Smith) had to compensate at times for her spacing. Huerta has an intriguingly high ceiling if she can continue to raise her defensive floor.

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(Joseph Maiorana/USA TODAY Sports)

Kelley O’Hara – B

O’Hara didn’t play for the USWNT again in 2022 after the Concacaf W group stage in July, but she still made it into the top half of minutes played for the USWNT in the calendar year. Her consistency in the first half of 2022 and absence later encapsulates the O’Hara paradox: The 34-year-old is reliable, experienced and strong on both sides of the ball when she is healthy. And she is possibly still the first-choice option on the right, even with Huerta carrying heavy minutes in the same position.

But O’Hara followed up one of her best years in 2021 with a less consistently healthy 2022. Her durability is the main question hanging over her potential in 2023.

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(Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

Hailie Mace – B-

Mace came into the team under difficult circumstances, as further roster attrition caused her last-minute call-up for the USWNT’s European road trip in October. She then was thrown onto the pitch against England when Emily Fox exited early with a concussion. While adjusting to her quick substitution, Mace gave up a crucial penalty that ended up being the deciding goal in a 2-1 loss.

When she’s given time to compete, Mace’s versatility is an obvious asset. She played on both the left and right flank against England and Spain, and her willingness to impose herself physically on a match showed the basis of how she can help the U.S. in the future. That versatility, however, can be a detriment, when high-level specificity at the international level might actually be what helps her solidify a roster spot.

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(Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Carson Pickett – Incomplete

Pickett played only slightly fewer minutes than Mace but in three fewer games — the Courage left-back got just two looks for the USWNT in 2022. Her first start came in a 2-0 win over Colombia right before the USWNT left for the Concacaf W Championship, and the 29-year-old did not look out of place in her role.

Pickett’s second game came against Spain, with a heavily depleted U.S. playing against a similarly depleted Spanish side. No U.S. player wrapped themselves in glory in that 2-0 loss, but Pickett wasn’t set up to succeed either. She’s a classic outside back with a good sense for goal that should be considered if Fox or Dunn is unavailable.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

Indiana Fever Shoots for Redemption Against Seattle Storm

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark waits for an inbound pass during a 2025 WNBA game.
The Fever are looking to end a two-game losing streak. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The WNBA is back in action on Tuesday night, as the Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm headline a series of games that could make or break the current trajectories of several 2025 title contenders.

Seeking an especially strong Tuesday performance is the Fever, as Indiana tries to snap a two-game losing streak against the increasingly confident Storm.

"There are going to be stretches that are really good and there's going to be stretches that aren't as good," Fever guard Caitlin Clark said on Sunday, addressing her recent shooting slump.

While the Indiana and Seattle clash will lead the Tuesday charge, the night will also see young squads sizing up WNBA juggernauts as bottom-table teams look for a leg up:

  • No. 8 Indiana Fever vs. No. 5 Seattle Storm, 10 PM ET (NBA TV): The Fever need a win against a Storm side that can't seem to lose, as both teams eye the postseason.
  • No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 9 Washington Mystics, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The up-and-coming Mystics will attempt to hand the Lynx a second season loss, as Minnesota star Napheesa Collier remains day-to-day with lower back stiffness.
  • No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 12 Dallas Wings, 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The Dream are on a tear, surging up the standings as the struggling Wings attempt to take flight.
  • No. 10 LA Sparks vs. No. 11 Chicago Sky, 8 PM ET (NBA TV): The Sparks have cooled after a hot start while the Sky has yet to rev up, with both teams aiming to end a three-game losing streak on Tuesday night.

Teams across the league are hoping to make the most of every minute while also managing injury concerns and absences as the WNBA All-Star break looms.

WNBA Rookie of the Year Odds Shift as 2025 Draft Picks Heat Up

Washington Mystics rookie Sonia Citron guards Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers during a 2025 WNBA game.
Washington rookie Sonia Citron and first-year Dallas star Paige Bueckers are both off to hot starts in their WNBA careers. (Stephen Goslings/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA Class of 2025 is already making its mark on the league, with first-year players stepping up and showing out while the Rookie of the Year race — and betting odds — heat up.

No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers has been just as good as advertised, with the Dallas Wings guard leading her class in both minutes played and points per game while also charting league-wide in assists per game, steals per game, and mid-range shots made.

DraftKings currently has Bueckers as the clear WNBA Rookie of the Year race frontrunner at -1,000, though the dynamic DC duo of guard Sonia Citron (+1,500) and forward Kiki Iriafen (+1,000) are quickly gaining traction.

Iriafen won May's WNBA Rookie of the Month award after a series of career-opening double-doubles, while her Washington Mystics teammate Citron has continued to execute in the clutch — most recently posting a career-high double-double performance of 27 points and 11 rebounds in last Sunday's 91-88 overtime win over Dallas.

"Not only is [Iriafen] holding her own, she's excelling," Citron told JWS earlier this month. "And seeing that is just incredible."

"Soni just does all the little things," Iriafen added. "She doesn't shortcut anything, she's doing the fundamentals, she doesn't cheat the game at all."

International Signings Ramp Up as Soccer Teams Break for Women’s Euro 2025

San Diego Wave forward María Sánchez dribbles the ball during a 2025 NWSL match.
San Diego forward María Sánchez is transferring to Liga MX side UANL Tigres. (John Matthew Harrison/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Though the NWSL hit the pause button this week, players worldwide are still on the move, as both European and US soccer teams use the midseason break to sharpen their lineups with international signings.

The NWSL has already seen one major departure, with the San Diego Wave announcing Monday that forward María Sánchez will return to her former Liga MX club UANL Tigres after nearly five years in the NWSL, with the Wave set to receive an undisclosed transfer fee in return.

"When the opportunity came to return to Tigres, I had to do a lot of inner searching, and I ultimately decided that returning to Liga MX Femenil and Tigres specifically was the best course of action for my career," the 29-year-old dual citizen and Mexico international player said in the Wave's release.

NWSL clubs are also setting their sights on European free agents, with the Washington Spirit bringing in Juventus forward Sofia Cantore last week — the first Italian signing in league history.

Also hopping aboard the player transaction carousel is new WSL side London City, with the top-flight debutantes inking OL Lyonnes midfielder and Dutch international Daniëlle van de Donk on Friday.

Meanwhile, van de Donk's wife and club teammate Ellie Carpenter is also potentially WSL-bound, with the defender reportedly nearing a deal that would see the Australian join Chelsea FC in return for the Blues sending Canadian international Ashley Lawrence to OL Lyonnes.

For their part, OL Lyonnes picked up defender Ingrid Engen from Barcelona as a free agent last week, adding the Norwegian international after snagging French forward and PSG's all-time leading scorer Marie-Antoinette Katoto earlier this month.

With the most recent NWSL CBA abolishing traditional trade windows, expect even more international signings and roster reshufflings before the league resumes play on August 1st.

San Diego Wave Honors Alex Morgan with Jersey Retirement

San Diego Wave players applaud Alex Morgan as she exits the pitch during her final NWSL game in 2024.
Morgan won the NWSL Shield with San Diego in 2023. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

San Diego is paying tribute to one of their own, with the Wave announcing plans to retire the No. 13 jersey of NWSL and USWNT legend Alex Morgan on September 7th.

Still topping the team's all-time scoring leaderboard with 23 goals in just over two seasons with San Diego, the retired club captain will be the first-ever Wave player to receive the prestigious honor.

Morgan also led San Diego to the 2023 NWSL Shield as well as postseason appearances in the 2022 expansion club's first two seasons.

"Alex's legacy goes far beyond goals and accolades. She helped lay the foundation for this club and elevated the standard for what women's soccer is today," said Wave FC governor Lauren Leichtman in the team's Tuesday announcement.

"She made this city her home, inspired our fans and community, and helped define who we are," Leichtman continued. "Her impact will be felt for generations, and it's only fitting that her number becomes a permanent part of Wave FC history." 

Morgan joined the Southern California squad's ownership group just last month, saying "San Diego is where I've built my home, where I am raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career."

How to attend the San Diego jersey retirement of Alex Morgan

San Diego will officially retire Morgan's No. 13 jersey during their home match against the Houston Dash at 8 PM ET on September 7th.

Tickets to the game will go on sale to the general public online at 6 PM ET on Tuesday.

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