NWSL news: Sentnor sweeps July league honors, Bosselmann moves to SEI list, and more

NWSL news: Utah Royals star rookie Ally Sentnor was named the NWSL Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month for July

Utah's Stargirl has finally received the acclaim she rightly deserved. On Thursday, the National Women's Soccer League announced Ally Sentnor as the winner of not only the league's Player of the Month, presented by EA SPORTS but also the Rookie of the Month, presented by Ally for the month of July. The honors were voted on by the NWSL Media Association and the NWSL’s on-air broadcast talent.

The former University of North Carolina standout joined only now Angel City forward Messiah Bright as the only two players secure both the NWSL’s Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month in the same month. Bright, who was on the Orlando Pride when she was became the first, did it last August after she tallied three goals and 11 shot-creating actions in four matches.

Sentnor is the second Royal to obtain this honor. The other was the two-time World Cup-winning attacker Christen Press. The rookie has quietly emerged as the face of the Royals' second iteration along with Kate Del Fava. She recorded three goals and one assist across 265 minutes in both the regular season and NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.

Alvin, as she is affectionately known at the club, led Utah to a top-of-the-table finish in Group A with three goal contributions in two matches. Most recently, in the 5-1 thrashing of Club Tijuana Femenil, Sentnor collected a goal and an assist in addition to creating four chances. Let us not forget that just before leading her club side in a cup competition, she converted two goals for the U-20 USWYNT in a 3-0 triumph against Mexico in Athens, Georgia.

There is no denying it. This gal is the straight-up truth. Because of her and elite youngsters like Croix Bethune, this league is in good hands. Sentnor is fearless, versatile, and part of the promising future at the senior level of the USWNT. Amid a disappointing return to the NWSL for Utah, No. 9 in gold has pieced together a rookie campaign we'll surely remember as her progression at this level continues.

It'll unquestionably be a fight to the end for the Rookie of the Year award, with Bethune tearing it up in the nation's capital. She may be 20, but as we know in this league, age is simply a number. The talent and quality speaks for itself.

NWSL news: Lyza Bosselmann, a goalkeeper for the Washington Spirit, will miss the remainder of the campaign due to a wrist injury

One of the Washington Spirit's three fully contracted goalkeepers for this season, Lyza Bosselmann, has been placed on the season-ending injury list because of a wrist injury. The club announced the news on Thursday, just 10 days prior to its international friendly against Arsenal FC at Audi Field.

The Spirit also stated: "Bosselmann will remain with the team throughout her recovery, working closely with the Spirit Performance, Medical and Innovation department."

The Arizona native was drafted with the 28th overall selection in the 2023 NWSL Draft after four standout campaigns at Gonzaga University. Bosselmann sat behind Aubrey Kingsbury this season, coming on for the final stages for her NWSL debut in the opening weekend defeat to Seattle Reign FC due to Kingsbury's red card.

Nicole Barnhart, who stood between the sticks in Washington's Summer Cup defeat to the Chicago Red Stars, will continue to be the first-choice reverse goalkeeper. The last time Bosselmann was in the match day squad was in Louisville on May 10 — a 2-1 victory for the Spirit. Kaylie Collins, another one of Jonatan Giráldez's shot-stoppers, penned a national team replacement contract in July. The former Orlando Pride player's deal will expire upon the conclusion of this summer’s FIFA international window. We could see the club extend her deal for the rest of the campaign in lieu of the news.

NWSL news: Tracey Kevins names eight NWSL players to the USWYNT roster for the upcoming U-20 Women's World Cup, including Sentnor, Hutton, and Jackson

With the U-20 Women's World Cup on the horizon, the U.S. U-20 WYNT announced its 21-player roster which will don the red, white, and blue down in Colombia. Eight of the 21 named to Tracey Kevins' team currently compete in the NWSL. It is the largest number of professional players the United States has ever called in for a U-20 Women's World Cup.

The NWSL participants include: Bay FC defender Savy King, KC Current's rock-solid defensive midfielder Claire Hutton, and the Royals' dynamic, attack-minded rookie Sentnor leading the charge. The lineup is rounded out by Gisele Thompson, Riley Jackson, Ally Lemos, and Emeri Adames, all showcasing the depth of talent in the league.

The tournament will run from Aug. 31 to Sept. 22, with the United States beginning play in Group C against the reigning champions Spain on September 1. This means these eight young talents will likely miss five regular season games, half of the matches left before the league's postseason. In the past two U-20 Women's World Cups, the Stars and Stripes have failed to get out of the group stages. It has been 12 years since the U.S. left the victors of this competition. That triumphant team boasted a roster featuring Julie Ertz, Crystal Dunn, Sam Mewis, and Cari Roccaro.