USWNT World Cup players by state and college: Where are USA stars from and where did they go to school?

Sam Jarden

USWNT World Cup players by state and college: Where are USA stars from and where did they go to school? image

A total of 23 USWNT players will hope to contribute to a third straight FIFA Women's World Cup title in Australia and New Zealand.

Representing your country is one of the highest honors any athlete can experience. It takes years of sacrifice, hard work and dedication to reach the elite level required to earn a selection. Many, many talented players came up short of a spot on the roster, and they won't get another shot for another four years.

But long before they reached the pinnacle of the sport, each of this year's 23 team members — including the likes of Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz and more — were young soccer players with big dreams of reaching this stage. Here's a look at where they all came from, and which college program they attended:

MORE: Ranking top 10 players at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

USWNT roster by state

11 states are represented in this year's squad. California has by far the most players with eight, while five states (Colorado, Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio and Virginia) are tied for second with two players each.

Below is a rundown of the state-by-state representation on the USWNT, in alphabetical order:

Arizona

  • MID Julie Ertz (Mesa, Ariz.)

California

  • DEF Naomi Girma (San Jose, Calif.)
  • MID Savannah Demelo (Bellflower, Calif.)
  • MID Ashley Sanchez (Monrovia, Calif.)
  • FWD Alex Morgan (Diamond Bar, Calif.)
  • FWD Megan Rapinoe (Redding, Calif.)
  • FWD Trinity Rodman (Laguna Niguel, Calif.)
  • FWD Alyssa Thompson (Studio City, Calif.)
  • FWD Lynn Williams (Fresno, Calif.)

Colorado

  • MID Lindsey Horan (Golden, Colo.)
  • FWD Sophia Smith (Windsor, Colo.)

Connecticut

  • GK Alyssa Naeher (Stratford, Conn.)

Georgia

  • DEF Kelley O'Hara (Fayetteville, Ga.)
  • DEF Emily Sonnett (Marietta, Ga.)

Idaho

  • DEF Sofia Huerta (Boise, Idaho)

Massachusetts

  • MID Kristie Mewis (Hanson, Mass.)

New Jersey

  • GK Casey Murphy (Bridgewater, N.J.)
  • DEF Alana Cook (Far Hills, N.J.)

New York

  • DEF Crystal Dunn (Rockville Centre, N.Y.)

Ohio

  • GK Aubrey Kingsbury (Cincinnati)
  • MID Rose Lavelle (Cincinnati)

Virginia

  • DEF Emily Fox (Ashburn, Va.)
  • MID Andi Sullivan (Lorton, Va.)

MORE: Meet all the USWNT players at 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup

USWNT roster by college

Stanford has the most former players on the squad, with five — three more than any other program. North Carolina and Santa Clara are tied for the second-most represented colleges, with two former players each.

In total, 15 schools will be represented on this year's roster:

Wake Forest

  • GK Aubrey Kingsbury (2010-2013)

Rutgers

  • GK Casey Murphy (2014-2017)

Penn State

  • GK Alyssa Naeher (2006-2009)

Stanford

  • DEF Alana Cook (2015-2018)
  • DEF Naomi Girma (2018-2021)
  • DEF Kelley O'Hara (2006-2009)
  • MID Andi Sullivan (2014-2017)
  • FWD Sophia Smith (2018-2019)

North Carolina

  • DEF Emily Fox (2017-2020)
  • DEF Crystal Dunn (2010-2013)

Santa Clara

  • DEF Sofia Huerta (2011-2014)
  • MID Julie Ertz (2010-2013)

Virginia

  • DEF Emily Sonnett (2012-2015)

Southern California

  • MID Savannah Demelo (2016-2021)

Wisconsin

  • MID Rose Lavelle (2013-2016)

Boston College

  • MID Kristie Mewis (2009-2012)

UCLA

  • MID Ashley Sanchez (2017-2019)

California

  • FWD Alex Morgan (2007-2010)

Portland

  • FWD Megan Rapinoe (2005-2008)

Washington State

  • FWD Trinity Rodman (2020)

Rodman attended Washington State for one year but never played a game for the program. The Cougars' 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pepperdine

  • FWD Lynn Williams (2011-2014)

MORE: Julie Ertz may be 'indispensable' USWNT World Cup attempt

How many USWNT players skipped college?

Just two players on the squad — Lindsey Horan and Alyssa Thompson — opted to forgo college to begin their professional careers early.

Horan initially committed to play at North Carolina, but ultimately decided to skip college after being offered a lucrative deal to join French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain in 2012.

Thompson — the youngest player on the team at just 18 years of age — originally committed to play for Stanford, but she too decided to skip college and turn pro early. She was taken with the No. 1 overall pick by Angel City FC in this year's NWSL Draft.

Sam Jarden

Sam Jarden Photo

Sam Jarden joined Sporting News as an intern in 2020 and returned as a content producer in 2022. In between, he spent a year and a half at Turner Sports, managing the social media accounts for Bleacher Report, NBA on TNT, NBA TV and others. A proud UNC alumnus, he spends his free time following the Tar Heels, Buffalo Bills and Newcastle United FC, and has been known to occasionally hit the links.