USWNT Stars Under the Microscope in WSL Season

Chelsea walked off the pitch with the ball, the chances, the control – and only a point to show for it. Aston Villa’s late equalizer turned what should have been a statement opening-day win into a 1-1 reminder that dominance means nothing without a ruthless edge.

Alyssa Thompson lived that lesson in real time.

Given the start, she popped up in the right pockets, stretched Villa’s back line and found herself in the kind of positions coaches diagram all week. The finish never came. For a first weekend, the movement and intent were encouraging. For a Chelsea side stripped of Millie Bright, Guro Reiten and Sam Kerr, it wasn’t enough.

This season, Thompson doesn’t just have an opportunity; she has a responsibility. Seven league goals in her debut campaign led the team and laid a solid base. That was the introduction. Now she’s being asked to become one of the faces of a reshaped attack.

The timing of her rise matters beyond club level. On the right wing for the USWNT, Thompson has already made her mark, scoring four times and forcing her way into the conversation for upcoming qualifiers. She’s shown she can trouble defenses in American colors. The next step in London is simple and unforgiving: turn those dangerous runs into the cold numbers on the scoreboard that win titles and secure national-team starting spots.

Coffey’s quiet comeback in City blue

For Sam Coffey, the opening weekend wasn’t about headlines. It was about minutes.

Back from the knee injury that wrecked her last WSL campaign and kept her out of the USWNT’s June friendlies, the midfielder finally stepped back into the rhythm of competitive football in Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Birmingham City.

She replaced Laura Blindkilde Brown in the 73rd minute, a short but important outing after months of frustration. Coffey arrived from the Portland Thorns midway through last season and steadily grew into her role as City mounted their title push. Then the injury hit, halting her momentum just as she was starting to look at home in England.

Now she has her platform again.

Her return also eases a headache for Emma Hayes. Without Coffey, the USWNT lacked a trusted holding midfielder in the heart of the pitch against Brazil, a gap that was obvious in both balance and control. Getting back on the field is the baseline. Regaining sharpness, tempo and presence could push Coffey straight back into the center of Hayes’ plans for the national team.

Emily Fox, same standard, new season

Some players swing between brilliance and anonymity. Emily Fox is not one of them.

Whether she’s in an Arsenal kit or lining up for the USWNT, Fox brings the same thing every week: reliability. Sunday’s season opener fit the pattern. No drama, no chaos, just a clean 1-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion built on structure and discipline.

Starting in her usual outside back role, Fox helped Arsenal hold a high line, squeeze the pitch and pounce in transition when Brighton coughed up possession. It’s a risky way to play if your full-backs switch off. Fox didn’t. She balanced her defensive duties with calculated forays forward, offering width without losing shape.

Since arriving in 2024, she has become one of Arsenal’s constants, a player coaches can trust to manage both ends of the field without needing tactical babysitting. It wasn’t the kind of performance that lights up highlight reels. That’s exactly why it matters. Fox’s value lies in making sure everyone else can take the spotlight while the result feels secure.

Tullis-Joyce learns the hard way at United

Phallon Tullis-Joyce’s first WSL outing of the season turned complicated almost immediately.

She produced a couple of early stops for Manchester United, then came the eighth minute and a harsh reminder of the margins at this level. Alanna Kennedy rose to meet a corner for London City Lionesses, and with Tullis-Joyce caught out of position, the header found its way in.

United never really settled defensively. With the game hanging in the balance late on, more slack marking in the 82nd minute gave Daniëlle van de Donk the space to improvise a clever, back-heeled finish. A 2-1 defeat, and a long list of corrections to make before next weekend.

For Tullis-Joyce, the stakes stretch beyond Carrington and Old Trafford. She is firmly in the mix for the USWNT’s No. 1 shirt, but the criteria at that level go beyond shot-stopping. Her footwork and distribution remain under the microscope as Emma Hayes looks for a goalkeeper who can start attacks as confidently as she ends them.

The path is clear. If Tullis-Joyce can pair her shot-saving instincts with composure and precision at her feet over the course of this WSL season, she strengthens her claim to the starting job. If not, she risks watching the next chapter of the national team from the bench.