With the NCAA Division 1 season set to kick off this week, United Soccer Coaches have unveiled its annual Players to Watch list. 25 W League athletes have been dubbed players to watch including SF Glens and U.S. Youth National Team standouts Jasmine Aikey and Elise Evans, four Midwest United players and Eagle FC’s Nia Christopher, who was named to the 2023 W League Team of the Year.  

Goalkeepers 

Samantha Castaneda – Racing Louisville FC, Purdue University Fort Wayne 

Leah Freeman – North Carolina Courage U23, Duke University  

Ainsley Leja – Midwest United FC, Liberty University  

Defenders  

Natalie Bain – Kings Hammer FC, Xaiver University  

Raegan Cox – Midwest United FC, Michigan State University 

Matea Diekema – Midwest United FC, Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville  

Elise Evans – San Francisco Glens SC, Stanford University  

Victoria Haugen – Northern Virginia FC, Virginia Tech 

Sade Heinrichs – South Georgia Tormenta FC, Georgia Southern University  

Julia Leas – McLean Soccer, Georgetown University  

Logan McFadden – Birmingham Legion WFC, Lipscomb University  

Brittany Munson – Long Island Rough Riders, James Madison University  

Katie Zailski – South Carolina United FC, University of Pittsburgh 

Midfielders  

Jasmine Aikey – SF Glens SC, Stanford University  

Meg Boade – Chicago City SC, Northwestern University  

Shelby Craft – Tennessee Soccer Club, Lipscomb University  

Maya Dean – Midwest United FC, Bowling Green State University  

Maya Doms – California Storm, Stanford University  

Justina Gaynor – Flint City AFC, Michigan State University  

Camber Hayes – Kings Hammer FC, Miami University  

Hal Hershfelt – Indy Eleven, Clemson University  

Forwards 

Nia Christopher – Eagle FC, Towson University  

Jasmine Greene – Birmingham Legion WFC, University of South Alabama  

Maya Hansen – Minnesota Aurora FC, South Dakota State University  

Faith Webber – Detroit City FC, Utah Valley University  

Kennedy White - Detroit City FC, Mississippi State University