2024 has been a brilliant year for rookies. The top three NWSL draft picks Croix Bethune, Ally Senator and Savannah King have excelled in their breakout season, but what about lower down the order? How about the 28th draft pick? Well, Emma Sears can count herself among those rookies outperforming expectations. Sears, picked from Ohio State University, has impressed for Racing Louisville in their race for a playoff berth, so much so that she has been called up to Emma Hayes’ USWNT squad.
Emma Sears: A first call up to the USWNT
It seems bizarre to describe a 23-year-old as a late bloomer but having never represented the USWNT at any underage level before her first senior call-up this week, it seems an appropriate description for Sears. Sears herself was surprised while also grateful for the opportunity, she told Racing Louisville’s media team
“It’s definitely come as a shock for sure, I feel extremely honoured for the opportunity.”
Sears laughed when recalling how she found out about her callup. After being told to wait by her phone for news, she began receiving USA flag emojis from friends and family when the final squad had been made public. She is a likeable character, admitting that she’d checked with friends who had already been on international duty about what to pack before she traveled.