The World Cup is 27 days away, and if you can't tell, we are excited. The United States Women's National Team (USWNT) is the team to beat, as they have won four out of the eight Women's World Cups. They most recently won in 2019 with a star-studded team, and in 2015 at the World Cup before that. The team has some of the same veterans from past World Cups, but they also have lots of new talent, with many of the players being recent college athletes! Here is a list of some of the young players who recently made the World Cup roster and where they went to college:

1. Emily Fox: UNC

Emily Fox played for three seasons at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2017/18/19). During her freshman season, Fox was named third-team All-ACC and was also named to the ACC All-Freshman Team. She ended the season with four assists. In one of the last games of her freshman season, Fox tore her ACL. In her sophomore season, Fox was named first-team All-ACC and was an NCAA All-Tournament selection. She also recorded four assists this season. Finally, in her junior season, Fox was a first-team All-ACC selection and a Hermann Trophy semifinalist. She started all 22 games she played in for the Tar Heels until she tore the same ACL right before the NCAA tournament. She ended that season with two goals and eleven assists. Emily Fox was the first overall pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft by Racing Louisville FC. This will be Emily Fox's first World Cup with the USWNT. 

Related: Proud Alma Maters: USWNT Players and Their Colleges Competing in the 2023 Women's World Cup

2. Naomi Girma: Stanford

Naomi Girma played for four years at Stanford (2018/19/20/21). As a defender/midfielder, Girma scored two goals and had four assists as a freshman. She started in 22 games and was All-Pac-12 third-team and All-Pac-12 freshman team. As a sophomore, Girma and her team became NCAA champions. She was a team captain, United Soccer Coaches All-America first team, College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player, United Coaches All-West Region first team, Pac-12 Defender of the Year, All-Pac-12 first team, and started all 25 games. She ended that season with two goals and one assist. During her junior season, Girma was team captain and on the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll, but she redshirted this season due to an injury. In her senior season, Girma was the team captain, United Soccer Coaches All-America first team, Pac-12 Defender of the Year, Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, All-Pac-12 first team, and played a team-high 1,745 minutes. She scored four goals as a defender. In the 2022 NWSL draft, Girma was the first overall pick by San Diego Wave FC. This will be Naomi Girma's first World Cup with the USWNT.

3. Savannah DeMelo: USC

Savannah DeMelo played USC for five years (2017/18/19/20/21). As a freshman, DeMelo was on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team and an All-Pac-12 first-team honoree. She had 4 assists and five assists and started every game except for the season opener. As a sophomore, DeMelo USC third-team All-American, All-Pac-12 first-team, and All-Pacific Region first-team. She scored nine goals and had ten assists. DeMelo missed her junior season with an Achilles injury. As a senior, DeMelo started every game, was All-Pac-12 second-team, and had six assists. During her redshirt senior season, she had four goals and seven assists. She was awarded the All-Pacific Region second-team. DeMelo was the fourth pick in the 2022 NWSL draft by Racing Louisville. Savannah DeMelo will be playing with the USWNT in this World Cup as her first ever caps with the team!

Related: Women's History in the Making: Chronicling the USWNT's Fight for Fair Pay

4. Ashley Sanchez: UCLA

Ashley Sanchez played for three seasons at UCLA (2017/18/19). During her freshman season, Sanchez scored six goals and had 12 assists (UCLA freshman record). She was selected to Top Drawer Soccer's Best XI Third Team and was first-team All-West Region and All-Pac-12. In her sophomore year, Sanchez was First-team United Soccer Coaches All-American and All-West Region and All-Pac-12. She had 10 goals and 15 assists. Finally, in her junior season, Sanchez set a school record with 42 career assists in only three seasons. She finished her last season with 7 goals and 15 assists. In the 2020 NWSL draft, Sanchez was the fourth overall pick by the Washington Spirit. This will be Ashley Sanchez's first World Cup. 

5. Sophia Smith: Stanford

Sophia Smith only played for two years at Stanford (2018/19), but she quickly made a name for herself during these years. In her freshman year at Stanford, Smith ended with 7 goals, and two assists in 13 games played. She made the All-Pac-12 second team and All-Pac-12 freshman team. In 2019 as a sophomore, Smith and the Cardinal women's soccer team won the NCAA championship. Smith was the College Cup Most Outstanding Offensive Player, All-Pac-12 second team, and she finished with 17 goals and nine assists in her 21 appearances. After her sophomore year, Smith decided to enter the NWSL draft and ended up being the number one pick by the Portland Thorns. Sophia Smith will be playing with the USWNT in her first World Cup next month.

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* Originally published on June 23, 2023, by Bella Nevin