Four years after debuting for the USA at age 22, Naomi Girma arrived at the USWNT camp in Nashville with 50 caps, and both World Cup and Olympic experience.
“You always remember what it was like to be new on the team,” Girma said before taking to the practice field, where she would join six teammates from the 2024 gold medal-winning team and a dozen players who debuted within the last 14 months.
“Now as a more experienced player, you want to make their transition as smooth as possible for them, because you realize it’s better for everyone,” Girma said. “You want them to feel like they’re up to speed quickly and feel confident so they’re playing like themselves.”
The perils of overrelying on veterans was on display by the USA’s historically poor performance at the 2023 World Cup, where a 23-year-old Girma emerged as one of the few bright spots. Since Emma Hayes took charge shortly before the 2024 Olympics, 32 players have made their debuts. A USWNT program record of 44 different players saw action in the year of 2025.
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