USWNT Stock Up, Stock Down: Rose Lavelle Shows the Meaning of Clutch

A USWNT veteran has one of her best weeks in a Gotham shirt, while a sneaky MVP candidate continues her red-hot form in the Midwest.

Rose Lavelle scored two match-winning goals for Gotham last week. | 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.

There’s still a long way to go until the USWNT plays its next opponent, defending world champion Spain, in October. But that just means more opportunities for this group of American players to audition for roster spots. This column 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.

It was a double matchweek for some teams in the NWSL. For some players, like Rose Lavelle, that meant twice the reward. Let’s take a look at who saw their stock rise and fall this past weekend.

Stock Up

Rose Lavelle

In the space of four days, Lavelle produced two stunning game-winning goals for Gotham FC. First, she delivered the astounding lobbed finish that handed Gotham a narrow 1–0 win over the Washington Spirit on Wednesday night. Then, she throttled a trademark left-footed shot from just inside the box into the roof of the net to seal an incredible 3–2 comeback win for Gotham against the Seattle Reign.

IT HAD TO BE ROSE! 🌹

Rose Lavelle scores a late winner for Gotham!!! pic.twitter.com/5MM0QHJnra

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 18, 2026

If you’re looking up the word “clutch” in the dictionary, there’s a good chance you may just get a photo of Lavelle. The 31-year-old has put a slow start to 2026 well and truly behind her. After no goals in the opening five matches of the season, she has four in her last nine. Lavelle is truly a big-game player showing technique in big-game moments. A sensational week for Gotham and Lavelle.

Tara Rudd

The Washington Spirit vice-captain is building a strong case to retain her 2025 NWSL Defender of the Year award. Yet to miss a single minute of the season, Tara Rudd came up big in the Spirit’s 2–1 road win over the Boston Legacy.

Rudd opened the scoring with a looping header that wrong-footed Legacy goalkeeper Casey Murphy. The movement to get separated from her marker was impressive. The 27-year-old also only coughed up the ball twice all game, had more touches than any other player (125), completed 98 passes and went 4-for-6 in defensive duels.

A rock-solid outing this weekend from Rudd really put the narrow 1–0 midweek defeat to Gotham behind her.

Croix Bethune

One of the quiet stars of the first half of the season, Croix Bethune crept onto the midseason MVP shortlist. There have been no signs of her slowing down, and she added another goal and assist in a superb individual performance for the KC Current in their 2–2 draw against the San Diego Wave. Bethune also cracked the crossbar in the first half and could have added to her day.

JUST NEEDED ONE TOUCH! 🤯

Croix Bethune sends it into the back of the net to equalize for Kansas City! pic.twitter.com/Rv00cvjVWD

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 18, 2026

Bethune is showing she can do it all. The way she arrived late and crashed the box to score on the volley is exactly the sort of move that will get Emma Hayes and the USWNT excited. Then there’s the vision to slip through Temwa Chawinga into space on the through ball after a quick turnover. Technical but matched with perfect timing.

Stock Down

Olivia Moultrie

It’s hard to think of a more competitive spot on the USWNT right now than the attacking midfield spots that bleed into being a second striker or No. 10. Olivia Moultrie is one of those who is right in that race.

Since the NWSL returned from its summer break, Moultrie has one assist in three matches. She had five goals and four assists through the first 12 matches of the season, which is MVP shortlist form, but has gone cold over the last two games, with the Thorns losing 2–0 to the Seattle Reign two weeks ago and 2–1 to the Denver Summit last weekend.

The rivalry shutout to the Reign probably stung while losing on the road at the altitude in Denver was perhaps more expected. For Moultrie, the most frustrating thing about the Denver game will be the big miss on her only shot in the 67th minute, with the game tied at 1–1. If she scores that, it could have been three points.

It has been a slow start for Olivia Moultrie after the summer break. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jordyn Bugg

There is nothing worse than throwing away a lead late. However, Seattle Reign holding a 2–0 lead in the 81st minute and then losing the game 3–2 to Gotham has to be up there with some of the worst collapses we’ve ever seen in the NWSL.

Reign defender Jordyn Bugg buckled under pressure in this match that was played in torrential conditions and with bad air quality in New York City. The 19-year-old center back misjudged the flight of the ball for Gotham’s first goal, then couldn’t find the right market for the equalizer.

Seattle manager Laura Harvey switched her defensive shape to a back-five with wingbacks to try and lock down the result. But the change just made Bugg look uncomfortable knowing where she was meant to be, throwing off the spacing on the defensive line.

Ally Sentnor

Okay, it’s becoming a little bit too obvious that every week Ally Sentnor appears in this column. And yet, we have been waiting for the 22-year-old Angel City attacker to come alive in the NWSL for a while now, truly.

To be fair to Sentnor, this latest weekend was arguably her best in an Angel City shirt. The Los Angeles club made it a third consecutive 2–0 win by going on the road and beating the Chicago Stars. And while Sentnor wasn’t involved in the goals, she took eight shots, which was more than any other player in this game, and the most she’s ever had in an NWSL match. (Her previous best was a seven-shot performance in July 2024 when she was playing for the Utah Royals.)

The problem for Sentnor is that she turned high volume into not much else. Just one of her eight shots, a low, wobbly hit in the 76th minute, forced a save from Chicago goalkeeper Katie Atkinson. The rest? Well, they all fired over or wide of the post. Baby steps for Sentnor, who at least is getting into some positions to score.

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