The USWNT is filled with great talent who can carry the team for years to come. One such player is Ally Sentnor. She shined during the SheBelieves Cup and looks to be a star in the making. Here’s what you need to know about Sentnor for the USWNT and the Utah Royals.
Why Is Ally Sentnor A Star in The Making?
Ally Sentnor’s playing style makes her feel like a complete player who can do anything. The first overall pick in the 2024 draft can easily go past defenders and players marking her. Another thing that makes Sentnor unique is her through passes. Her vision is exceptional and this is why her through passes usually find their target.
Her defensive skills are also top-tier. She finished her rookie season in the NWSL with 15 interceptions. Not to mention that she has enough speed and agility to make her quite dangerous. Sentnor can also play with both feet. This is thanks to her father, who made her shoot with her left foot, the less dominant foot, just because she was depending on her right foot. Now, Sentnor can comfortably use both.
Scoring Her First International Goal
Perhaps the thing that is very noticeable about Sentnor is her shooting abilities from outside the box. Her first goal with the USWNT was during the match against Colombia in the SheBelieves Cup. She managed to score a screamer, and what is a better way to score your first goal with the national team?
Sentnor talked about how her first international goal felt. “It means the world. I am playing beside people I’ve grown up idolizing and watching on the field, so being out here playing is a full circle moment,” she said, according to The Associated Press.
Her Talent Was Always Clear
From a very young age, anyone who saw Ally Sentnor could see she had something special, including Sam Mewis whom Sentnor trained with before.
“I remember training with her and also not really knowing what to expect. I was, like, ‘Oh, I’m so much older than this girl. Is this going be weird?’ And it was amazing. She was at such a high level, she was working so hard, she had kind of this, like, professional approach to her soccer a lot earlier than Kristie and I did. She must have been — I don’t know, 16? — at the time. And she was so committed and focused and clearly talented and sweet and humble and hard-working. I just loved her immediately,” Mewis said, according to Boston.com.
The Beginning of Her Career
The beginning of Sentnor’s career was with South Shore Select, where she played for ten years. After committing to the University of North Carolina, Sentnor won the Sports Illustrated award for SportsKid of the Year in 2019. Her collegiate career was put on pause when she tore her ACL. However, her comeback was more than extraordinary.
She managed to score ten goals after her return. She also signed a NIL Deal with Nike in 2022. When UNC reached the quarter-finals in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Sentnor had managed to score 11 goals and had seven assists during that season. She was also named AAC Midfielder of the Year.
Early Success with the USYNT
In addition to competing at an elite level in youth and college soccer, she performed well with the U-20 team. It wasn’t just the U-20 team where Sentnor shined. She scored at almost every youth level for the USA. During the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, Sentnor was the captain, leading the team to a third-place finish.
She found the back of the net three times during the competition, plus scored a penalty against Germany. Sentnor ended the competition by winning the Bronze Ball as the third-best player in the tournament. In addition to this, she also scored in the 2022 FIFA U-20 WWC. During her U-20 career, Sentnor scored 12 goals in 23 matches.
U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year
Earlier this year, Sentnor was named the 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year. The Hanson, Massachusetts native shared her excitement about earning this title.
“The words that come to mind are grateful and humbled. To see the list of players who have won this before shows me the opportunities that are ahead. I know there is so much work to do for myself and my generation, but we’ve had amazing role models in the players from the past and the veteran players who are on the team now. I’m so excited about the next steps that (U.S. WNT head coach) Emma (Hayes) is taking with National Team and I’m going to work as hard as I can to try to earn more opportunities to be with this special group of players,” she said according to U.S. Soccer’s official website.
A Great Rookie NWSL Season
In addition to her rise in the U.S. Soccer system, she’s made a name for herself in the NWSL with Utah Royals. In her first NWSL season with the Utah Royals, Sentnor played 1,866 minutes in 21 matches. She managed to find the back of the net three times, and she made four assists. The young star also performed well in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, where she played two games. She managed to score in both.
Her performance throughout the season earned her a nomination for NWSL Rookie of the Year. While she didn’t win it, being recognized is an achievement in itself. She was, however, named the NWSL Rookie of the Month and Player of the Month for July 2024. This made her the second player to win both awards in the same month. She was also named by the Utah Royals as the club’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Her Future With The USWNT
Now that she has proved herself on the club level and with the national team, the future is bright. Ally Sentnor is a star in the making, and her talent is evident. During the SheBelieves Cup, she scored two goals and had one assist. This made her the sixth player to contribute in all three matches of the SheBelieves Cup. Her performance would surely grant her more caps, and this is precisely what Sentnor wants.
“I would have never believed I’d be in this position this early in my career, and the players around me have just helped me so much, so I’m hoping for more caps with this team and more opportunities, but I’m just so grateful for the ones I got this tournament,” she said according to The Athletic.
Just like Emma Hayes said, “our future is exciting, regardless of the result.”
“Ally has demonstrated in her rise through the youth national teams and in her first pro year (with the Royals) that she’s got qualities that can decide a game. She certainly finishes the very minimal chances she might get, and that’s what top players possess. I think she’s got that, and it will build her confidence to have had this tournament and be given a couple of starts,” Hayes said after the team’s loss to Japan, according to The Athletic.
This is Just The Beginning
The SheBelieves Cup was just the beginning for Ally Sentnor. She proved how lethal she can be, which might book her a place on the USWNT for years to come. There is tough competition for her place, especially against the “Triple Espresso”–Sophia Wilson, Trinity Rodman, and Mallory Swanson–but Sentnor proved she is up to the challenge.
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