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The NWSL is expanding rapidly, and with that expansion comes increasing recognition of individual players. Players on higher-performing teams tend to get more recognition because their teams are getting better results, so I’m starting a new series to highlight 5 players in each position from teams that didn’t make the playoffs in 2024 as players to watch in 2025. The first installment of this series looks at midfielders that the numbers say are worth keeping an eye on.

1. Ally Sentnor, Utah Royals FC

Okay, maybe you’re already watching Ally Sentnor. But her achievements as a 20-year old at an expansion team that was arguably the least put-together team for the first half of the season (and there’s some stiff competition there) were seriously so impressive and it would be a huge disservice not to include her on this list.

Goals added (g+) is a statistic created by American Soccer Analysis and explained here. Basically, it takes into account every action that a player took and calculates how much of a difference that action made in terms of their team’s likelihood of scoring on that play and conceding on that play. Ally Sentnor (with a black outline around her dot above) had the seventh-highest offensive goals added statistic of all midfielders in the league, as a rookie whose team was frankly not helping her out a lot.

The graph above shows Ally Sentnor’s percentile ranks in specific metrics compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers in the NWSL in 2024. This plot highlights her role in providing key passes to her teammates, as she ranks high in switches (passes going more than 40 yards from one side of the pitch to the other (i.e. left to right or right to left); 98th percentile), through balls (completed passes sent between back defenders into open space; 93rd percentile), and key passes in general (passes that lead directly to a shot; 87th percentile). With the Utah Royals adding new pieces to their attack like Aisha Solórzano, and with Cloé Lacasse expected to return from injury in the 2025 season, it will be really interesting to watch how Ally Sentnor’s unique passing abilities strengthen a much stronger forward line than she was working with the year before.

This last plot shows Ally Sentnor’s average percentile ranks in each of the eight categories that FBref sorts its statistics into. Overall, this visual just confirms that Ally Sentnor’s strengths lie in passing, pass types, and goal and shot creation.

2. Taylor Flint, Racing Louisville FC

It is absolutely criminal that Taylor Flint has not yet gotten a USWNT call-up in the past few months. As a Gotham fan, I love Nealy Martin, but the only explanation I can think of for her getting a call-up over Taylor Flint is her ability to play as goalkeeper in addition to defensive mid lol.

Taylor Flint was the best defensive midfielder in the league in 2024 in a league where Sam Coffey also plays. She had the highest g+ amount from defensive actions among all midfielders in the league in 2024.

Flint ranks in the 99th percentile in 3 measures pictured here (Tackles won, tackles in the defensive third of the pitch, and interceptions), and in the 98th percentile in one more (% of aerial duels won). She is an absolute defensive powerhouse who also makes significant contributions to her team’s attack–she is ranked in the 92nd percentile for shot on target percent, in the 89th percentile for passes into the attacking third, and in the 85th percentile for non-penalty xG per shot. The defensive capabilities she’s shown this year have obviously been very impressive, and it’s even more impressive that on top of that she’s found meaningful ways to contribute offensive, especially as a part of a bottom-tier team that doesn’t find itself with the opportunity to press forward as much as other teams do.

Taylor Flint is an exceptional defensive player, and is also unexpectedly an above-average shooter. If Katie Lund gets her groove back this season and rediscovers her old shot-stopping abilities, Racing Louisville’s defense will be in good hands this season.

3. Bárbara Olivieri, Houston Dash

All eyes have been on Houston Dash this offseason as they have brought in some very high-profile players following a season that was really quite bad with an aging team. The main bright spot of Houston’s last season for me was Bárbara Olivieri, who did her best to liven up a poorly performing team.

Olivieri is tied for third in expected goals + expected assists among central midfielders in 2024, as a part of a team that did not create many opportunities to produce meaningful shots.

Olivieri is a very well-rounded midfielder. She ranks high in defensive actions (tackles in the middle 3rd, 98th percentile; tackles won, 93rd percentile; and interceptions, 79th percentile), as well as in important offensive actions (switches, 94th percentile; crosses into the penalty area, 94th percentile; and fouls drawn, 88th percentile).

Olivieri shines in her defense and her passing, which is exactly what one would look for in a central midfielder. I do worry a little bit about her playing time in this upcoming season in a team with Delanie Sheehan, Yazmeen Ryan, and Messiah Bright, but I hope that the Dash recognize her starpower in the midfield and continue to give her chances to perform.

4. Claudia Zornoza, Utah Royals

Claudia Zornoza didn’t join the Utah Royals until July of 2024, and the Utah Royals didn’t start producing results until the second half of the season–in my opinion that is no coincidence.

I had such a hard time deciding which graph to feature for Claudia Zornoza because she is just such a powerhouse. This graph here shows the net goals per 90 mins scored by the team while the player was on the pitch minus net goals allowed per 90 mins by the team while the player was off the pitch (on/off), as well as that same statistic but with net xG per 90 instead (on/off xG). Claudia Zornoza’s dot is tiny, because her minutes only started in August, but her impact on the field by this metric is the single-highest across all midfielders in the NWSL in 2024.

Zornoza has great defensive abilities, and is also able to contribute significantly to her team’s offense as a defensive midfielder. She ranks in the 99th percentile for dribbles challenged, but also for progressive passing distance, key passes, and shot-creating actions. She also ranks in the 98th percentile for assists among all midfielders. As a defensive mid.

Zornoza is an excellent defensive player who has the versatility to contribute so meaningfully to her team’s offense. I am excited to see what the Utah Royals can pull off with Claudia Zornoza available for a full season.

5. Ji So-yun, Seattle Reign

Seattle Reign had a season of transition in 2024, and one of the most fruitful things to come out of that transition was the acquisition of Ji So-yun.

Ji So-yun is a passer. She ranks in the 99th percentile for touches, passes completed, and passes received, as well as in the 98th percentile for total passing distance and carries. In addition to keeping the ball moving among her team, she ranks high in recoveries (96th percentile) and is very unlikely to miscontrol the ball (87th percentile)–she brings the ball into possession and keeps it that way.

Ji So-yun is an exceptional passer. With the Reign adding some fast pieces to their attack such as Lynn Williams who can really capitalize on Ji So-yun’s ball-feeding abilities, the Reign are set to look much scarier this season than they did the last. That, combined with her set-piece abilities make her an important part of the Reign’s midfield, and an exciting player to watch.

Honorable Mention: Makenzy Doniak, San Diego Wave

My biggest surprise when looking at the data to come up with this list was Makenzy Doniak.

Makenzy Doniak was second to only Taylor Flint in offensive g+ among defensive midfielders, despite having around 700 fewer minutes on the pitch this past season.

She also ranked pretty high when looking at both attacking and defensive g+ and controlling for minutes played, amongst all midfielders.

Doniak also ranked third among defensive midfielders for expected goals and expected assists in the 2024 season.

Overall, Doniak is good at controlling the ball when moving forward.

She doesn’t stand out to the same extent that the other players on this list do, but I am very intrigued by what the numbers say about her. I’m interested to see if she stands out this year, though doing so might be difficult in what I’m anticipating will be a transition year for the Wave.

That’s it for the first installment of this series. Let me know if there are any other midfielders that you think deserve a close look at this upcoming season, whether it’s based on other data or just keen observation!

     

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