USWNT Olympic roster: Alex Morgan to miss first Olympics since 2008 as Emma Hayes names 18-player squad
Emma Hayes and her coaching staff have named the official 18-player roster for the upcoming Summer Olympics. The roster is for Hayes' first major international tournament as USWNT manager after being hired in December. She coached her first games on the sideline in June, two wins against South Korea, after winning a league title with Chelsea FC.
This group includes several players making their first-ever Olympic roster, and some shocking omissions -- there will be no Alex Morgan at the Olympics for the first time since 2008.
First time Olympians include goalkeeper Casey Murphy, defenders Emily Fox, Naomi Girma and Jenna Nighswonger, midfielders Korbin Albert and Sam Coffey and forwards Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Jaedyn Shaw. The 2024 Paris Olympics will be their first senior-level global tournament.
Washington Spirit rookies Croix Bethune and Hal Hershfelt will experience their first Olympics as alternates
"Making an Olympic roster is a huge privilege and an honor and there is no denying that it was an extremely competitive process among the players and that there were difficult choices, especially considering how hard everyone has worked over the past 10 months," said Hayes.
"Choosing an 18-player roster plus alternates involved many considerations, but I am excited for the group we have selected and I'm looking forward to building on the work from last camp as we head into the Send-Off matches and then onto France. These are great opportunities for us to continue to show the progress we are making."
Take a look at the squad who will compete for Olympic glory:
USWNT Olympic roster (club/caps)
Goalkeepers (2): Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage; 19), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 104)
Defenders (6): Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 58/3), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 49/1), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC; 32/0), Casey Krueger (Washington Spirit; 49/0), Jenna Nighswonger (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 9/2), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 91/2)
Midfielders(5): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 11/0), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 17/1), Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 148/35), Rose Lavelle (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 100/24), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 19/8)
Forwards (5): Crystal Dunn (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 147/25), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 38/7), Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave FC; 14/7), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC; 48/19), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars; 92/34)
Alternates: Goalkeeper Jane Campbell, midfielder Hal Hershfelt, midfielder Croix Bethune and forward Lynn
Williams.
No Alex Morgan
Morgan will not be part of the 2024 Olympic Games for the first time since 2008, ending a run of three Olympics in a row for the storied USWNT striker. Morgan was a crucial part of the gold medal winning team during the London Games when she was an emerging next-gen talent for the program, but time comes for us all, and the 34-year-old forward has had a dry spell in front of goal with her club, San Diego Wave FC, to start the 2024 NWSL regular season, despite a solid Gold Cup performance with two goals and one assist on the national team in February.
She has zero goals through eight games for her club and has been managing a lingering ankle injury throughout the first few months of Wave FC's current campaign. Morgan's omission from the roster will come as a shock to USWNT casuals, who find themselves rooting on the team during major international tournaments. There will likely be questions around veteran team leadership, but Alyssa Naeher, Crystal Dunn, and team captain Lindsey Horan all head to Paris as two-time Olympians, preparing for their third go-around at the games.
Recent form
The Olympic games will celebrate the opening ceremonies on July 26, though the women's football tournament is set to begin on July 25. Drawn into Group B, the USWNT will open group play against Zambia, followed by matches against Germany and Australia. The team is on the hunt for their first gold medal since 2012 after failing to reach the podium in 2016 and a bronze medal finish during the Tokyo Games.
The Stars and Stripes is in good form ahead of the Paris Games. They sustained one loss since their early exit from the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia. Former interim head coach Twila Kilgore went on an eight-game undefeated streak till a loss during the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup group stage against Mexico before winning the tournament. After winning the SheBelieves Cup Kilgore is now a full-time assistant on Hayes' staff, and the team is unbeaten in their last seven games.