NWSL Season Preview 2024: 10 newcomers to watch
Whether it is rookies or experienced veterans, the NWSL is set to include numerous compelling fresh faces. Here are the ones you should know.
As each offseason passes, the talent and quality that enter into this league continue to get taken to another level. This year especially considering the 2024 College Draft class was defined by the depth. The growth of the league as a whole has made it a more desirable destination for some of the world's best in the middle of their professional careers. International standouts from all over the globe packed their bags to join an NWSL outfit throughout the last few months. The role this league has in the growth of this game as a whole is at an all-time high.
No matter the age, it doesn't take long to make an impression in this league. Just look at Jenna Nighswonger. Here is a look at some of the NWSL newcomers you'll need to know before you hear that opening whistle this weekend.
10 newcomers to watch throughout the 2024 NWSL season:
10. Ally Sentnor
North Carolina knows how to mold a footballer into a top-class professional. Ally Sentnor seeks to be the next Tar Heel to star in this league after being selected No. 1 overall in the college draft. The other two are Crystal Dunn and Emily Fox. We'd say things have gone pretty well for both of them since their draft nights. The 2023 ACC Midfielder of the Year joins the project that is Utah Royals FC, coming off a campaign in which she led UNC in points with 29. Her versatility is what makes her such an intriguing prospect. If I were the Royals, I'd deploy her either as a false nine or a No. 10 behind someone like Ify Onumonu.
Sentnor is set to be a critical part of what Amy Rodriguez aims to create in her first campaign as a professional club's sideline leader. North Carolina's ex-No. 21 who recently turned 20 in late February is as versatile of a midfielder as they come. Due to the lack of firepower up top compared to its fellow expansion rival, the Massachusetts native may be relied on to do a lot of the creation in the final third.
Ally Sentnor got the watch party HYPED 🥳 pic.twitter.com/xFjj7YGOrC
— Utah Royals (@UtahRoyalsFC) January 13, 2024
At the end of February, Sentnor competed with the U20 USYNT, serving mostly as the No. 9 against the 2024 FIFA U20 World Cup hosts, Colombia. Her 13' finish in the second fixture of the international window pushed the Red, White, and Blue to successive triumphs against the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup quarterfinalists. At this past summer's CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, Sentnor tied three others for the second most goals in the tournament. One of them was Olivia Smith, the recipient of the Young Player Award at the recent CONCACAF W Gold Cup.