Rose Lavelle has gone from making her Olympic debut to being one of the veterans of the U.S. women’s national soccer team.
Lavelle made her Olympic debut during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where the USWNT finished with a disappointing bronze medal under then-coach Vlatko Andonovski. Likewise, the U.S. women are coming off a disappointing showing in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where it was knocked out of a Round of 16 match against Sweden.
Can Lavelle help the USWNT avoid a similar fate at the 2024 Paris Olympics?
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Nine of the 18 players on the roster will debut this Olympic cycle, and new coach Emma Hayes will take over the team after Andonovski resigned following the World Cup. Lavelle is one of six players marking their second Olympic experience.
“There was so much learning and growth in such a short time,” Lavelle said of working with Hayes in an interview with People.com. “She’s going to push this group in ways we didn’t even know were possible, but it’s going to be really, really great.”
Here’s what you need to know about Lavelle, including her international and domestic careers and where she went to college as the U.S. prepares for its first match against Zambia on Thursday.
Rose Lavelle USWNT career
Lavelle represented the United States at multiple youth levels before making her senior international debut against England on March 14, 2017 in Harrison, New Jersey. Her first goal on the international stage came over a month later, on April 9, 2017, vs. Russia in Houston.
On June 4, Lavelle became the 43rd woman to appear in 100 career matches for the USWNT. Lavelle made her Olympic debut for the U.S. during the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. She appeared in all six games in the women’s bronze medal finish. She scored a goal in a 6-1 victory over New Zealand.
REQUIRED READING: Paris Olympics 2024: USWNT soccer group and medal schedule
Rose Lavelle stats with USWNT
* Stats courtesy of USA Soccer prior to 2024 Paris Olympics
Rose Lavelle age
Rose Lavelle, born on May 14, 1995, is 29 years old heading into the 2024 Paris Olympics.
REQUIRED READING: Paris Olympics 2024: USWNT soccer group and medal schedule
Where is Rose Lavelle from?
Lavelle was born on May 14, 1995, in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was a four-year varsity player at Mount Notre Dame High School and finished as the school’s all-time leading goal scorer with 57. Lavelle was named the Cincinnati Player of the Year by The Cincinnati Enquirer following her senior year, in which she scored 15 goals and totaled 38 points. She also earned the Greater Cincinnati/Nother Kentucky Sports Woman of the Year award in 2013.
She was named to the U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team roster that competed in the Twelve Nations Tournament in La Manga, Spain. Lavelle was also invited to U.S. U-20 and U-18 Women’s National Team camps.
Where did Rose Lavelle go to college?
Lavelle was a four-year starter for the University of Wisconsin from 2013-16. She earned Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year honors as a freshman in 2023 after scoring six goals and seven assists across 19 appearances.
She won Big Ten Midfielder of the Year in 2015 and 2016. She was named a first-team All-America selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in 2015, becoming the first Badger since 1991 to do so.
Here are her year-by-year stats with the Badgers:
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2013: 19 matches (19 starts) | 6 goals | 7 assists | 13 points | 73 shots (28 on goal)
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2014: 24 matches (23 starts) | 10 assists | 16 points
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2015: 19 matches (19 starts) | 7 goals | 3 assists | 17 points | 78 shots (33 on goal)
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2016: 22 matches (22 starts) | 6 goals | 4 assists | 16 points | 74 shots (31 on goal)
Who does Rose Lavelle play for in the NWSL?
Lavelle was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NWSL Draft by the Boston Breakers. She scored two goals over eight games before suffering a hamstring injury. The Breakers folded before the 2018 season and, in a dispersal draft, the Washington Spirit selected Lavelle No. 1 overall. The Spirit traded her to the OL Reign for a 2022 first-round pick, knowing she would be signing out of the NWSL. Lavelle signed with Manchester City for the 2020-21 season.
Lavelle returned to the Reign on May 17, 2021, and played for the club from 2021-23. In January, she signed a three-year deal with NJ/NY Gotham FC and made her debut on April 28.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rose Lavelle stats, USWNT soccer career, more for 2024 Paris Olympics
