USWNT Stock Up, Stock Down: Is Angelina Anderson in the Goalkeeper Conversation?

A young goalkeeper is staking her claim in Los Angeles, while a rocket in Denver puts the forward line on notice.

Goalkeeper Angelina Anderson has impressed of late for Angel City. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Welcome back to your weekly feature from Sports Illustrated that analyzes the women’s soccer weekend from a U.S. women’s national team perspective.

Although the next women’s FIFA international window isn’t until October, this is the best way to keep up with the prospective squad as it evolves in real time—which players are trending in, and which are trending out.

With European leagues still on an offseason break, the spotlight remains fully on the NWSL. Let’s take a look at who saw their stock rise and fall this past weekend.

Stock Up

Angelina Anderson

It has been over a year since Angelina Anderson was called up to the USWNT, but it looks like a window of opportunity could be about to open if she can keep her form. The 25-year-old Angel City goalkeeper was at her best in the Los Angeles team’s 2–0 derby win over the San Diego Wave.

Anderson made six saves in the SoCal Derby, including a game-changing one-handed stop low to the right side that looked certain to be a goal. The match finished with Anderson preventing 1.78 expected goals on target from finding the back of the net, on a day when San Diego had 18 shots and generated 2.56 in total expected goals. A clean sheet against the NWSL leaders is a big boost for Anderson’s USWNT credentials. She now has back-to-back clean sheets since the NWSL returned from its summer break.

Here is Angelina Anderson's Save of the Match for #SDvLA!@GetSpectrum | Save of the Match pic.twitter.com/1CSaRIx5R8

— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) July 12, 2026

With Seattle Reign’s Claudia Dickey injured and Mandy McGlynn struggling for form, there’s potential for a spot for a goalkeeper to open up on the USWNT. Of course, Anderson will be competing with the likes of Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC) and maybe even a renewed Casey Murphy (Boston Legacy).

Tara Rudd

After a professional 2–0 road win over the North Carolina Courage, the Washington Spirit have now won nine of their last 10 matches. At the heart of their defense has been Tara Rudd. The center back has played every minute of the 2026 season and was crucial to the team earning a first clean sheet in four matches this weekend.

Rudd had 15 defensive contributions in this win, had seven clearances, five interceptions, and won 4/6 of her duels. Going forward, she had the assist for Trinity Rodman’s goal just before halftime that made it 2–0. But it was the second-half defensive performance that will impress Emma Hayes the most. The Spirit sat on their 2–0 lead and needed Rudd to organize this team as it absorbed 13 shots and gave up just 0.78 expected goals. Bonus points for Rudd not conceding a foul during the match either.

Yazmeen Ryan

Need a big performance from Yazmeen Ryan? Just book the Denver Summit to play her former club. After a screamer from outside the box this past weekend, Ryan now has a goal and two assists in two matches against the Dash in 2026.

TAKE A BOW, YAZ. 👏 pic.twitter.com/AIqCAFb5x0

— Denver Summit FC (@denversummitfc) July 12, 2026

Ryan, who had already created a huge chance for Delanie Sheehan in the opening minutes of this one, swiveled on the edge of the box, looked up and hit a rocket that whizzed past Jane Campbell in the Houston goal with no remorse. The forward then dutifully clutched the Summit crest as she celebrated in front of her home fans in Colorado.

It’s a crowded field for Ryan to get back in the USWNT. Her glut of minutes in 2025 were partialy due to the absence of “Triple Espresso” (Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson and Mal Swanson). But with that forward trio now back, Ryan will have to keep up the great work we saw in this 2–2 tie between Denver and Houston.

Stock Down

Emma Sears

Racing Louisville’s troubled 2026 season doesn’t seem to be improving anytime soon. The past weekend saw the NWSL’s last-place team lose 2–0 at home to Bay FC, and the clouds surrounding the future of star winger Emma Sears are darkening. Racing have now lost five consecutive games.

Last week, ESPN reported that Sears is requesting a trade out of Louisville. The 25-year-old U.S. international signed an extension through the end of the 2028 NWSL season during this past offseason.

Emma Sears has reportedly asked to be traded from Racing Louisville. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sears was the highest-scoring American in the NWSL last season, with 10 goals. Known for her speed and directness, she has been called up to the USWNT consistently since 2024 and has scored six goals for her country across 21 caps. The relationship and form with Racing is clearly hurting her prospects. Sears now has just one goal in her last 10 matches and will see her place on the USWNT under threat.

Mandy McGlynn

Another player who will be feeling the pressure of competition for places is Mandy McGlynn. The 27-year-old Utah Royals goalkeeper had another poor outing in her team’s 3–1 home loss to Gotham. Although she has been a favorite of Emma Hayes, it feels like other options between the posts are developing.

McGlynn finished with two saves from five total shots on target and could easily have conceded five goals were it not for poor finishing by Gotham. McGlynn had a sloppy turnover on the edge of the box in the opening moments of the match that resulted in Esther blasting over. Then Jaedyn Shaw hit the post 10 minutes after that. McGlynn ranks 11th in the NWSL for goals prevented with 0.8.

Ally Sentnor

Another week, another question mark regarding how to get the best out of Ally Sentnor and how she keeps her place on the USWNT. The good news is that Angel City has won both its games since Sentnor signed for the team in June. However, the bad news is that she has yet to contribute to any of the four goals the team has scored.

In this past weekend’s 2–0 derby win over the San Diego Wave, Sentnor once again showcased great ball-carrying skills, completing three dribbles, the most of any player. But the 22-year-old forward’s 90-minute performance only generated one chance created and one shot on target, which was a long-range effort that bounced easily into the hands of the Wave goalkeeper.

Is Sentnor a true winger? Is Sentnor more of a No. 10, false nine or a central attacking threat between the lines? The answer isn’t clear. She thrives when there’s more space and can carry the ball well, but she doesn’t offer enough as a passer to capitalize on the space she gets into. Meanwhile, in the central areas, her out-of-the-box shooting doesn’t translate into enough goals. The conundrum continues.

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