USWNT Stars Chasing Glory in the WSL

Emily Fox is not easing her way into this Women’s Super League season. She’s coming for the lot.

“I think you have to go for all of them,” the USWNT defender told ESPN before the campaign, laying out Arsenal’s expectations across domestic and European fronts. “If you want to be the best, you have to go for it and be all in.”

Arsenal learned last season how cruel the margins can be. One defeat in the WSL, but six draws. That was enough to hand the title to Manchester City and leave the Gunners staring at the fine print of a nearly perfect season.

So there was an edge to their final preseason outing on Wednesday, a 5-1 dismantling of Charlton Athletic. Arsenal looked sharp. Hungry. Fox started on the bench but came on at right back in the second half and wasted no time driving forward, forcing Charlton goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse into a save and reminding everyone why she is so valuable.

At 28, Fox is already one of the league’s standout one-on-one defenders. She shuts down wingers, then turns and tears down the right flank with the same intensity. That blend of lockdown defending and attacking thrust earned her a place in the PFA WSL Team of the Year.

She heads into this season with that status, that confidence and a clear message: Arsenal are not picking targets. They’re chasing every trophy on offer.

Coffey’s comeback powers City’s title defense

When Sam Coffey went down late in Manchester City’s title-winning campaign, the impact was felt most thousands of miles away.

The midfielder missed the USWNT’s June camp and two friendlies against Brazil in Brazil, her absence a reminder of how quickly an injury can disrupt both club and country plans.

The recovery has been steady. Coffey logged 45 minutes in a preseason match against Barcelona, a key step in her return and a strong sign she should be available when the WSL kicks off.

Last season was her first in England, and it took a moment to settle. Once she did, she became a reliable starter, making 10 league appearances after her January arrival and playing a significant role as City secured their first WSL crown in a decade.

Now she enters Year 2 with that experience behind her. No guessing, no acclimation period, just a clear brief: regain rhythm, stack consistent minutes, stay fit. With USWNT World Cup qualifying looming this fall, Coffey’s form over the next few months could shape both City’s title defense and the United States’ midfield picture.

Thompson becomes Chelsea’s cutting edge

At Chelsea, the landscape has shifted. Big names have moved on, the squad has been reshaped, and amid all that change, one constant stands out: Jaedyn Thompson will be central to everything the Blues do.

The winger wasted no time making her mark after arriving last season. She attacked defenders without hesitation, drifted intelligently around the box and finished with composure.

Nine goals in 32 appearances in all competitions. Chelsea’s second-highest scorer. Seven of those goals in the WSL, plus three assists. Those numbers, combined with her influence in big moments, earned her a nomination for WSL Player of the Season and a place in the league’s Team of the Season.

Her rise hasn’t been limited to club football. For the USWNT, Thompson has become a fixture on the wing. During a period when Mallory Swanson and Sophia Wilson were away on maternity leave, she climbed the depth chart quickly and grabbed a starting role. Four goals and four assists for the U.S. so far underline how quickly she has adapted to the international stage.

Now Chelsea need her more than ever. With the club in transition and the WSL title back in play, Thompson’s fearlessness in the final third could be the difference between a rebuild and a resurgence.

Girma’s make-or-break season at Chelsea

Naomi Girma has a rare gift: she makes defending look easy.

She reads danger early, glides into position before an attack fully forms and picks off passes as if she’s seen the move three times already. On the ball, she’s just as composed, threading accurate passes into midfield and setting the tempo from the back.

Those qualities are exactly what Chelsea want to lean on this season. For the club, the hope is simple: this is finally Girma’s year.

So far, her Chelsea career has stuttered rather than soared. Injuries and limited minutes have broken her rhythm, denied her continuity and delayed the chemistry she needs with the rest of the back line. No one doubts the talent. The problem has been availability.

Even last season, Chelsea had to carefully manage the minutes of Girma and Millie Bright, while Veerle Buurman shouldered more responsibility to keep the defensive unit stable.

If Girma can stay on the pitch and string together a long run of matches, the ceiling for both her and Chelsea jumps dramatically. A fit, in-form Girma changes the equation in the title race. The same is true for the USWNT, where, if she remains healthy and sharp, she should be a first-choice center back for the October matches against Spain and into World Cup qualifying.

One clean run of games could redefine her standing on both stages.

Tullis-Joyce and the fight for the No. 1 shirt

For Phallon Tullis-Joyce, this WSL season is about consolidation and elevation.

The Manchester United goalkeeper delivered another strong campaign last term, reinforcing her reputation as one of the league’s most dependable stoppers. She made 21 WSL appearances and kept seven clean sheets, and across all competitions she racked up 17 shutouts, anchoring United’s defensive structure.

Yet the USWNT’s No. 1 shirt remains unclaimed.

If she wants it, one area stands out: distribution. Emma Hayes demands a goalkeeper who can build from the back, act almost as an extra defender and help the U.S. keep the ball under pressure. Tullis-Joyce has improved with her feet, but United’s more direct style doesn’t always give her the platform to show that side of her game consistently.

This season, the competition around her has intensified. Janina Leitzig’s arrival from Leicester City hands United genuine depth and real pressure at the position. Every mistake will be expensive. Every performance will matter as United try to close the gap on the WSL’s leading contenders.

For Tullis-Joyce, it’s a simple equation: raise the level again, or risk being overtaken — at club and country.

Yohannes steps into the Lyon spotlight

OL Lyonnes have lost a calm in the storm.

The departure of captain Heaps to Denver Summit strips the midfield of one of its most experienced conductors, a player who could slow the game, knit phases together and sit reliably between the defensive and attacking lines.

Into that space steps Olivia Moultrie Yohannes, a 19-year-old with the technical quality to take on more responsibility. She already looks at home in Lyon’s midfield, blending sharp vision with the ability to keep the ball moving and hold it under pressure.

Her first season was more than promising: six goals in all competitions, two of them in the Champions League. She was named UEFA Women’s Champions League Revelation of the Season and often shone brightest when paired with Heaps.

Now, without the USWNT captain beside her, Yohannes may need to become more assertive. She has the passing range to dictate games, even if Lyon’s midfield depth — Melchie Dumornay, Korbin Albert, Damaris Egurrola, Ingrid Syrstad Engen — means she doesn’t have to morph into a classic all-action No. 8.

Her trajectory stretches beyond club football. Yohannes is firmly in the frame for the USWNT’s 2027 Women’s World Cup roster. She’s the type of midfielder who can lift a team’s ceiling while preserving its rhythm when she comes on.

As the new WSL season and European campaign unfold, one question hangs over all these American stars in England and France: who will turn promise and potential into the kind of dominance that defines an era?