USWNT Stock Up, Stock Down: Emma Sears Makes Her Case in NWSL Action

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

For the run-up to the 2027 Women’s World Cup, this will be your go-to place to stay in the know on those who impressed USWNT manager Emma Hayes, those who raised their stock for the next roster call-up and those who could fall out of favor for roster selection due to poor form or injury.

With just eight months until World Cup qualifiers get underway for next summer’s tournament in Brazil, the battle to stay on the USWNT roster is heating up. First up, under the microscope is Matchweek 2 in the NWSL. This is likely the last matchweek before Hayes announces her USWNT roster for next month’s three friendlies against Japan on April 11, 14 and 17.

Here is the latest USWNT stock up, stock down analysis.

USWNT Stock Up

Emma Sears

The Racing Louisville winger scored the goal of the weekend and perhaps an early contender for goal of the year. With the score already at 1–0 just before halftime, Sears picked up the ball just outside the Louisville box and dribbled almost the entire length of the pitch before squeezing the ball past Sandy MacIver in the Washington Spirit goal.

The extraordinary, rougly 70-yard dribble ended with the 25-year-old galloping into the box past USWNT defender Tara Rudd (more on her later) as if she wasn’t there. Although Sears was unable to get Racing over the line for three points, with the Spirit sparking a comeback to make it 2–2 in the second half, she also picked up an assist this weekend for a simple pass into the middle that Kayla Fischer drilled home to open the scoring in Kentucky.

Sears is a huge speed option for Hayes, who has been experimenting with her forwards of late. The Louisville winger is direct and not as intricate as some others. But when it comes to sheer power and verticality, she may be the best option off the bench.

Emma Sears grabs the loose ball after Kayla Fischer gets a foot on it and she's GONE 🏎💨️@RacingLouFC's lead is doubled! pic.twitter.com/t8JxTfYn4q
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) March 21, 2026

Gisele Thompson

Another example of vertical excellence was Gisele Thompson racing up the field from the right back position to slam home Angel City’s second goal in a 3–1 road win over Bay FC. Angel City made mincemeat of Bay’s high defensive line with Thompson gambling on joining the attack with incredible results.

Even though the play is on the opposite wing to Thompson, the 20-year-old defender sees all the space opening up and reads the situation superbly. She knows she has her opposite number beat, and the timing of her movement will give Hayes huge belief should is ready to rack up another two starts for the USWNT.

There is a fierce competition developing at right back, with Emily Fox the clear favorite and Avery Patterson going head-to-head with Thompson for opportunities.

Gisele Thompson slots it home ‼️

🎥 @NWSL pic.twitter.com/jTNAoqgwqK
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) March 22, 2026

M. A. Vignola

While she didn’t get a goal or an assist to her name, M. A. Vignola has to be one of the stars of this past weekend. The Thorns left back was commanding as her team shut out the Seattle Reign in a 2–0 Cascadia Derby win at Providence Park.

What made it all the more defensively impressive was that the Thorns had to play from the ninth minute with 10 players and then from the 57th minute with nine players. Playing with two fewer players is no small task, but Vignola stepped up in a huge way to deliver composed challenges and organized communication along the backline.

Playing the full 90 minutes, Vignola finished the match winning 5 of 6 of her defensive duels, notching two tackles, two interceptions and four recoveries. Not much at all went down her left side of the field. Vignola hasn’t featured for the USWNT since 2023, but should still be on the bubble, looking at the fullback options.

USWNT Stock Down

Michelle Cooper

The good news: Michelle Cooper is starting matches again, after ending 2025 with an injury to her foot. The bad news: The 23-year-old Kansas City Current winger is clearly only about 45 minutes fit. Cooper has now gone back-to-back weeks to start the 2026 season where she started the game only to be removed at halftime.

Cooper notched one off-target shot (0.14 xG), four touches in the box and had zero chances created. When she left the game, the Current were trailing,1–0. The match would end with the Chicago Stars taking home a 2–1 win. Cooper’s replacement, Haley Hopkins, showcased the kind of diagonal run into the box that is needed in the Kansas City attack.

It feels like this next USWNT window is going to come a bit too soon for Cooper, who doesn’t seem to be quite up to her top levels from 2025 yet.

Tara Rudd

With Naomi Girma and Emily Sonnett the clear top choices at centerback for the USWNT, the debate is, who is first in line as their backups?

Right now, one of the answers to that question is probably the Spirit’s Rudd. However, the 26-year-old defender has had a rough start to 2026. In Kentucky, she was exposed on Matchweek 2 by Sears’s speed. The way Rudd is helping to organize the Spirit defense is also under question.

It’s early days in 2026 for both Rudd and the Spirit, but this is an interesting moment for a player who Hayes has started to lean on more.

Jameese Joseph

A breakout star of the last couple of USWNT camps, Jameese Joseph was not given the start in the Chicago Stars’ 2–1 win over the KC Current. Instead, she came on for the final 29 minutes with the score already at 2–1.

With Chicago locking things down for a tidy win, Joseph didn’t do any attacking whatsoever. She registered no shots, created zero chances and mostly touched the ball in the corners of the pitch. Although she only made one defensive contribution, the 23-year-old forward crucially didn’t turn the ball over in any dangerous places.

Joseph is a versatile forward, and Hayes likes the idea of using in the center of the pitch to force turnovers and keep the opposing defensive line honest. So far, Chicago’s style of soccer hasn’t given her the best platform to impress. She was quite anonymous in the Stars opening day 4–0 defeat to Angel City and has followed it up with another quiet showing.

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