By OkayGoal 
There are some players whom you just know will soon be stars. These players have shown their quality in the games they played, making everyone talk about them in admiration. One such player is the Utah Royals’ Ally Sentnor. The number one overall draft pick in 2023 is a great player despite her young age. She shone in different stages of her career, including when she played in the SheBelieves Cup. Here are eight things that you need to know about Ally Sentnor.
1. She Can Play With Both Feet
Not many players can depend on both of their feet while playing. What is more common is to see players have a dominant foot that they prefer to use over the other. This isn’t the case for Ally Sentnor. She has the ability to use both feet, which only enhances her talent on the field. This quality is all thanks to Sentnor’s father, who trained her to use both feet, including her left one, which was the less dominant foot.
“And she’s the type of kid who would literally go out in the backyard, and shoot 500 balls with her left foot until her left foot is as good as her right,” said Sentnor’s father, Rich Sentnor, while talking to Boston.com.
2. 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year
Another thing to know about Ally Sentnor is that she was named the 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year earlier this year. This award recognizes promising talents in the U.S. Her rookie season in the NWSL and form with the USYNT and USWNT would explain why she was named the 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year in the first place. The NWSL official website wrote about this, saying, “The Young Female Player of the Year honors is a testament to her dedication and talent, as well as the growing legacy of the NWSL in nurturing world-class players.”
“The words that come to mind are grateful and humbled. To see the list of players who have won this before shows me the opportunities that are ahead. I know there is so much work to do for myself and my generation, but we’ve had amazing role models in the players from the past and the veteran players who are on the team now. I’m so excited about the next steps that (U.S. WNT head coach) Emma (Hayes) is taking with National Team and I’m going to work as hard as I can to try to earn more opportunities to be with this special group of players,” said Sentnor about the honor according to U.S. Soccer’s official website.
3. Started Every Match in her Rookie Year
Sentnor’s talent was very clear from the beginning. Everyone could see it, including the Utah Royals. This was enough reason for the club to make the youngster start in all 21 matches that the team played during Sentnor’s first season. In the 1,866 minutes that she recorded, Sentnor managed to score three goals and make four assists. Her excellent performance continued in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. She managed to score against both Tijuana and Portland.
4. Sentnor Has a Bright National Career So Far
Despite her young age, Sentnor is already making waves on the national level. U.S. Soccer’s official website described her as “One of the most decorated players in recent U.S. Women’s National Team history.” This is because the young star managed to score for the USA at almost every youth level. She was the team’s captain when they took third place at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Back then, Sentnor managed to score three goals during the tournament. In addition to this, she won the Bronze Ball as the third-best player in the tournament. Her success with the USYNT continued as she finished her time with the U-20 with 12 goals in 23 matches.
5. Ally Sentnor Used to Train with Sam Mewis
Ally Sentnor didn’t just train on her own or with her father, but she also got the chance to work with Sam and Kristie Mewis. Along with training with the two sisters, Sentnor also helped them out during their soccer camps.
“I remember training with her and also not really knowing what to expect. I was, like, ‘Oh, I’m so much older than this girl. Is this going be weird?’ And it was amazing. She was at such a high level, she was working so hard, she had kind of this, like, professional approach to her soccer a lot earlier than Kristie and I did. She must have been — I don’t know, 16? — at the time. And she was so committed and focused and clearly talented and sweet and humble and hard-working. I just loved her immediately,” said Sam Mewis about Sentnor, according to Boston.com.
6. Breaking a Rookie Record
Along with being named the 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year, Ally Sentnor made her mark on the NWSL quite early. She managed to become the second player in league history to be named the NWSL Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month during the same month. The first player to do this was Messiah Bright. Sentnor broke this record in July 2024, and it won’t be surprising if she breaks more records along the way.
7. Great Collegiate Career
Sentnor’s success didn’t begin with the NWSL or with the USWNT. She also had a great collegiate career. She played for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels (UNC), but was unlucky at the beginning. Unfortunately for Sentnor, she tore her ACL, which sidelined her for a while. However, her comeback was admirable. In her comeback season, Sentnor managed to score ten goals. The success continued as she signed a NIL Deal with Nike in 2022.
Sentnor continued to score and shine, even during the 2023 NCAA Tournament, as UNC advanced to the quarter-finals. During that season, she managed to score 11 goals and register seven assists. She was also named the AAC Midfielder of the Year.
8. Ally Sentnor Is From Massachusetts
In regards to her personal life, Ally Sentnor is a Hanson, Massachusetts native. She played back then for South Shore Select, which was the club where everything started; Sentnor joined the team when she was 6 years old. When coach Anson Dorrance got the chance to see her playing, he simply sai,d according to Boston.com, “She was a different player from the very first time I saw her.” This is the best description for Sentnor. She will only get better as time goes on.
Featured image via Getty Images
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