Naomi Girma: The unheralded defender tapped to lead the USWNT's rebuild
There aren't many positive stories coming out of the USWNT's 2023 World Cup run. With three underwhelming performances, a maelstrom of politically driven headlines and the earliest elimination in USWNT history, it's hard to find the light out there.
But despite all the negativity, there were exciting, eyebrow-raising highlights for the USWNT during its four-game World Cup run. Perhaps none shone brighter than Naomi Girma, the 23-year-old defender from the San Diego Wave. She played every minute of the tournament and won the respect and adoration of many, including her own captain Lindsey Horan.
"Look how incredible Naomi was this entire tournament," Horan gushed to Fox Sports after the USWNT's elimination. "She plays like she's 30. I don't understand. First World Cup and she's one of the best players on the team."
Girma plays as a center back for the USWNT, which means she's often tasked with marshaling the troops to prevent opposition attacks and plan goalscoring opportunities of their own. It's an unheralded role and one that's rarely flashy, but don't be fooled: it's one of the most important jobs on the field. You can see that reflected in the USWNT's post-Cup statistics: while the team had many problems at the World Cup, the defense really wasn't one of them. It conceded just one goal across nearly 400 minutes of play.
There's a lot to fix within the USWNT, but Girma is one of the foundational elements that will survive the shake-up. She's a generational talent who is mature beyond her years--despite being a World Cup rookie, she used her press time to highlight the importance of mental health in sports. She dedicated her performances to her best friend and Stanford teammate Katie Meyer, who passed away just a few short years ago, and convinced Fox Sports to commit 1% of its World Cup broadcasting time toward de-stigmatizing mental health in sports.
"We don't want this to end simply at awareness," Girma wrote in the Players' Tribune. "We want to make sure that young people have the tools to cope with depression, anxiety, stress, and the very bad days, when it feels like the weight of the world is on their shoulders."
As the USWNT struggles through an avalanche of bad press, much of it well beyond the pale of traditional criticism, Girma's mission is as urgent as ever.
Much still needs to happen within U.S. Soccer to unpack the USWNT's early exit. Postmortems will be held, leaders will be dismissed and players will be reshuffled as the team attempts to regain its former glory. But with Girma now transitioning from World Cup rookie to thoughtful leader, the future of the USWNT is in excellent hands.
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