By OkayGoal 
As we prepare for the next set of friendlies for the USWNT against China and Jamaica, we have a few new faces on the team. Emma Hayes has taken an approach of bringing in younger players to recent USWNT camps. Finally, some of the veterans from the NWSL are getting their chance with the senior team. Three new players are seeing their dreams realized with this new roster. Let’s take a closer look at the USWNT May and June team members.
USWNT Players for May and June Friendlies
GOALKEEPERS (3): Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 0), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 3), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United, ENG; 1)
DEFENDERS (8): Kerry Abello (Orlando Pride; 0/0), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 159/25), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 66/1), Naomi Girma (Chelsea FC, ENG; 44/2), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit; 5/0), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash; 2/0), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 3/0), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 107/2)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 33/1), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes, FRA; 165/37), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 2/0), Lo’eau LaBonta (Kansas City Current; 0/0), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 5/2), Lily Yohannes (Ajax, NED; 6/1)
FORWARDS (7): Lynn Biyendolo (Seattle Reign FC; 78/22), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 4/1), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 23/10), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville; 4/1), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals; 7/2), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 17/1), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 3/0)
Claudia Dickey
Claudia Dickey has earned her spot after a long road to get here. Dickey was initially slated to be Seattle’s number one goalkeeper before Phallon Tullis-Joyce came out of nowhere and earned the starting spot over Dickey. Dickey had to wait her turn until the next season when Tullis-Joyce left for Manchester United.
Let’s just say the former North Carolina Tar Heel was ready. Dickey kept three clean sheets in the final six games of the 2023 season and kept two shutouts in the playoffs to help get the Reign to the NWSL Championship. Now she has emerged as one of the best in the league as part of the Reign team, which has a defense-first mentality. It’s a great thing to see Claudia Dickey get her chance with the senior team.
Kerry Abello
If you’re a fan of the Give n’ Go podcast we do on GSN with Sam Cary and me, then you’ll know that we are very happy to see Kerry Abello get this opportunity. Like we said on the podcast, the best defender on the defending champion team in the NWSL should be getting a call for the USWNT. Emma Hayes likely isn’t a fan, but maybe she saw the clip of us begging for it? A guy can hope, can’t he?
Anyway, Abello is another veteran who came from Penn State, a school that churns out pro defenders like it’s nothing. All she’s done with Orlando is make 20 appearances or more over the last three seasons. A reliable defender who has been amazing for Orlando, and finally Emma Hayes is bringing her into the USWNT camp.
Lo’eau LaBonta
This is easily the best story of them all because LaBonta has been in the NWSL for a decade. LaBonta was in the league before the NWSL entered the mainstream; she’s one of the stars who helped build the NWSL into what it is today. There are numerous interviews of her online talking about her dream of getting a call-up to the national team. She’s done everything else that she’s wanted to do in her career and now at age 32, it’s about time she got her chance with the USWNT. No one deserves this chance more than Lo’eau LaBonta, what she’s done for the game in the United States deserves to be recognized. Who knows, a player with her experience might just get some extended playing time in one of those friendlies.
Featured image via Getty Images
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