In the United States of America, the county’s national female football team, the U.S. Women National Team (USWNT), is far more successful than the men’s (USMNT).
The USWNT is the most successful in international women’s soccer — winning 4 FIFA Women’s World Cup titles (1991, 1999, 2015, and 2019), 4 Olympic gold medals (1996, 2004, 2008, and 2012), and 9 CONCACAF Gold Cups.
They have also won a medal in every World Cup and Olympic tournament in women’s soccer from 1991 to 2015.
U.S. women’s soccer has produced some notable players over the years: the likes of Brandi Chastain, Carla Overbeck, Christie Rampone, Joy Fawcett, Kristine Lilly, Michelle Akers, Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe.
With few days to go to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup — scheduled to take place from 20th July to 20th August 2023 — defending champions, United States, will look to win the tournament for the 3rd consecutive time.
As the team heads to Australia/New Zealand in a few days’ time, TOP SOCCER BLOG presents you with the top 10 best U.S. Women’s Soccer Players in 2023.
1. Sophia Smith
Leading a generational shift within the U.S. women’s national team is exciting forward Sophia Smith, who plays for Portland Thorns F.C.
In 2022, Smith was recognized as the league’s MVP.
Her club won the NWSL Championship, with Smith scoring the first goal in the decider and was subsequently named Championship MVP.
Her biggest strength is her sheer confidence and audacity to drive at goal. She is also very efficient when taking on defenders and a ruthless finisher in front of goal.
Heading to the World Cup, Smith leads the NWSL goalscoring chart with 10 goals in 13 games, making her one of the top strikers in women’s soccer now.
Moreso, she scored 11 goals in 17 appearances for the USWNT last year — including strikes against England and Germany.
2. Alex Morgan
Playing in her 4th World Cup this summer, Alex Morgan still remains one of the USWNT’s most important players.
She is regarded as one of the greatest women’s soccer players of all time.
She is still firing on all cylinders; she led the NWSL in scoring last season with 15 goals in 17 games. She has already netted 5 goals in 11 games so far this term.
Furthermore, Morgan has the highest share of a team’s goals in the NWSL from any single player, scoring a whopping 42% of San Diego Wave F.C.’s goals over the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons and NWSL Challenge Cups.
If the USWNT is to claim its third straight FIFA Women’s World Cup title, you can be sure that Alex Morgan will be at the center of the action.
3. Trinity Rodman
Trinity Rodman is the daughter of NBA great Dennis Rodman. In her two-and-a-half seasons in the NWSL so far, she has clearly made her own name.
In 2021, she became the youngest player drafted in the NWSL at that time, and she finished that season as the Rookie of the Year.
On February 2 2022, Rodman signed a contract extension with the Washington Spirit, running until after the 2024 season, with an option for 2025.
The new contract was worth $1.1 million — making Rodman the highest-paid player in NWSL history.
On August 13, 2022, she was nominated for the Ballon d’or Féminine.
Trinity has it all; she is direct in attack and a goal threat, but she can also create chances with her excellent passing.
Moreover, she can also impact matches even when she is not on the ball, opening space with her brilliant movements for fellow attackers to drift into.
Trinity Rodman has notched 3 goals in 7 NWSL matches this season so far.
With all these, she’s definitely one or Watch at the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand because she has the potential to become one of the best women’s soccer players in the world.
4. Rose Lavelle
Rose Lavelle is one of the most dangerous attacking midfielders in women’s soccer, capable of scoring wonderful solo goals or perfectly-placed strikes from range.
She showed that game-winning ability at the last World Cup, shining in the final as the USWNT cruised to victory.
Lavelle started 6 games for the USWNT at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, scored 3 goals, and was awarded the Bronze Ball as the third-best player of the tournament.
5. Lindsey Horan
A perfect midfielder, Lindsey Horan is one of the best footballers of the last decade. She has shone at every club she has played for, whether in the top flight in the United States or France.
Horan is a serial winner who was one of the outstanding players of the last World Cup tournament. Her experience, athleticism, and technical quality will be vital to the USWNT at the 2023 World Cup.
This past European season, she scored five goals and provided two assists from midfield for Lyon.
Furthermore, Horan now has the honor of wearing the iconic No. 10 USWNT jersey after Carli Lloyd retired.
Lindsey Horan is also the official penalty taker for the national team.
With a well-rounded set of skills, Lindsey Horan is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world.
She is a very good ball winner, tough tackler, play breaker, chance creator, and goal scorer.
6. Mallory Swanson
At 17, Mallory Swanson became the youngest player to debut for the national team since Heather O’Reilly in 2002 — and scored on her debut!
She is the youngest player in USWNT history to reach 10 career assists; she equally holds the record for most assists in USWNT history before the age of 20.
Swanson was the team’s leading scorer this year with seven goals and a six-game scoring streak, tied for 4th longest in the team’s history.
The 25-year-old forward had formed a solid front line with Sophia Smith and Alex Morgan. But she tore her patella tendon in her left knee during the April friendlies against Ireland, which has unfortunately ruled her out of the 2023 World Cup.
7. Lynn Williams
Since returning from injury on January 17, Lynn Williams has been in red-hot form.
The Gotham FC forward is tied for third in the NWSL Golden Boot race with Washington Spirit’s Ashley Hatch. She has 6 goals in 11 games.
In her 7 seasons in the league, Williams has been an MVP and a Golden Boot winner, and she has 3 NWSL championships to her name.
Moreso, she recently passed Canadian superstar Christine Sinclair on the all-time goalscoring list. She is now only four tallies short of becoming the NWSL’s all-time leader in goals scored.
Lynn Williams is also the only player in league history to surpass combined goal contributions of 60 career goals (63) and 25 career assists (26).
8. Alyssa Thompson
In 2022, Alyssa Thompson helped lead the under-20 U.S. Women’s National Team to win gold at the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship — playing in 5 matches and scoring 3 goals.
In January this year, Angel City F.C. selected Thompson as the first overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.
As part of a three-team trade, Angel City had sent a total of $450,000 to Portland Thorns and Gotham FC to secure the No. 1 pick.
At the time, this trade made her the most expensive player in league history, a record previously set by Alex Morgan.
Thompson scored within just five minutes into her professional debut with Angel City. She also scored a goal just 11 minutes into her NWSL regular-season debut!!!
In addition, she was named NWSL Rookie of the Month for her performance during March and April 2023.
At just 18 years, 7 months, and 15 days when the tournament starts, Alyssa Thompson is the youngest player on the USWNT’s World Cup roster.
She will be the second-youngest player to represent the U.S. in a Women’s World Cup after Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak made the 1995 World Cup at 18 years, 1 month, and 1 day.
Thompson has already shown in her first few months in the NWSL for Angel City that she is ready to impact games, and she could be the USWNT’s joker in the pack this summer.
9. Naomi Girma
Naomi Girma was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2022 NWSL Draft when San Diego Wave F.C. selected her.
She hit the ground running immediately and was named to the NWSL Best XI of the Month in May and June 2022, and also NWSL Rookie of the Month in June.
At the end of the season, she was named both NWSL Defender of the Year and NWSL Rookie of the Year.
Girma made her USWNT debut in April 2022 in an international friendly against Uzbekistan.
She also appeared in the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s Championship and registered an assist for a goal by Sophia Smith against Jamaica during the tournament.
She has been selected as part of the USWNT squad for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
10. Crystal Dunn
Crystal Dunn is a veteran of the USWNT and one of the most outstanding players.
In 2015, she won the NWSL Most Valuable Player and the Golden Boot awards, becoming the youngest player to win both awards at age 23.
She gave birth in 2022 and took time to recover, but returned to soccer last fall.
Dunn will likely end her career as one one of the greatest US women’s soccer players ever.
She has been exceptional since her return and looks to be back to the form that made her such an integral part of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad.
Honourable Mentions:
Here are some of the notable top USWNT soccer players that deserve a notable mention:
- Savannah DeMelo
- Midge Purce
- Megan Rapinoe
- Alyssa Naeher
- Sofia Huerta
- Sam Mewis
- Christen Press.
