FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Utah Royals forward Ally Sentnor has been voted the 2024 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year, it was announced on Friday.
The 20-year-old striker, who made her senior international debut in November in the USWNT’s scoreless draw against England, captained the Americans to a third-place finish at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Colombia, where she scored three goals and won the Bronze Ball as the tournament’s third-best player.
The Hanson, Massachusetts native was also the top pick in the NWSL draft following a stellar career at the University of North Carolina, and was nominated for the league’s rookie of the year award.
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Sentnor, who is here training with the USWNT this week, said in U.S. Soccer’s news release that she’s “grateful and humbled.”
“To see the list of players who have won this before,” she added, “shows me the opportunities that are ahead.”
Sentnor joins a who’s who of all-time USWNT greats who have taken home the award. Seven members of the American squad that won the program’s record fifth Olympic gold medal at last summer’s Games in Paris are previous recipients, including captain Lindsey Horan, star defender Naomi Girma and the “Triple Espresso” forward line of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson.
Sentnor earned her second senior cap in December, in a 2-1 win in the Netherlands against the hosts. She scored three goals and added four assists in 21 games during her maiden pro season with the Royals. Sentnor also became the ninth UNC alum to claim the Young Player of the Year award. Former Tar Heel and current U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone was the inaugural winner, in 1998.
Sentnor received almost 56-percent of the vote, with ballots cast by fans, national team coaches and players, members of U.S. Soccer’s board and Athletes’ Council, NWSL head coaches and “select media members and administrators,” according to U.S. Soccer. Kansas City Current midfielder Claire Hutton finished second.
Sentnor was among the 26 players called up on Jan. 7 by USWNT coach Emma Hayes for the Americans’ first training camp of 2025. The squad is currently working out in Fort Lauderdale ahead of next month’s SheBeleives Cup.
Doug McIntyre is a soccer writer for FOX Sports who has covered the United States men’s and women’s national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him at @ByDougMcIntyre.
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