Lynn Williams found out Thursday night that she’d been elevated to the U.S. women’s Olympic squad of 18 players.
With midfielder Cat Macario sidelined with ongoing right knee soreness, head coach Emma Hayes has added Williams to the forward line-up that travels to France following two send-off friendlies this week. Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams will be one of four reserve players, along with goalkeeper Jane Campbell and midfielders Hal Hirschfeld and Cloix Bethune.
While the replacement of Williams and Macario wasn’t an equal replacement, Hayes said it didn’t change her approach to the roster. “I always looked at it as 22 (18 players plus four substitutes), taking into account rule changes and stuff. Nothing changes,” she said. “What changes is that with Cat gone, we have to think about some different combinations of teams. We’ve looked at this already. For us, it’s just a work in progress now.”
Williams, 31, had to balance his empathy for Macario with his excitement at being part of the team.
“Obviously I’m sad for Kat,” the Gotham forward told reporters on Friday. “As a player, you never want to see that happen. We’ve all been in similar situations with injuries, but we’ve also been through the unique situation of being demoted. So I feel bad for her, but two things could be true: I’m sad for her, I empathize with her and I’m very excited.”
According to the head coach, the two were having such a “fun conversation” that it took Hayes a full 30 minutes to tell Williams.
“We had a really lovely chat about the differences between millennials and Gen Z and how we use heart emojis,” Hayes said, gesturing. “I don’t understand it, but it was a really lovely conversation.”
“We had a 30-minute pre-conversation before she told us the news, and then she told us the news, and then we spent another 30 minutes just talking and getting to know her,” Williams said, laughing as he explained that it was about two different generations using their hands to represent hearts.
They both agreed on the simple fact that they get on very well together.
“I’m an honest person and she’s an honest person,” Hayes said. “We’ve been really honest from the beginning. I enjoy being around her. I told her last night, she seems really calm… She’s been here before, so I think she’s calm and able to handle whatever happens.”
Williams appreciates that Hayes, now one of the veteran players on the U.S. Women’s National Team and in the National Warriors League, tries to find the little things to challenge and inspire her, but she also appreciates that Hayes makes an effort to get to know her players on a more personal level, to understand what motivates them and why they want to be on this team.
While the news was unexpected and perhaps unavoidable due to an injury, it’s not unusual for Williams to be promoted to the Olympic team. She was originally an alternate for the Tokyo Olympics, but was eligible to compete when the tournament’s rules were changed due to the coronavirus pandemic, expanding the field to 22 players.
“I’ve been in this role before,” Williams said, “for the majority of my career, so I’m excited for the opportunity if called upon and I’ll be ready and willing to do whatever this team needs.”
Here’s a look at her first Olympic experience: Williams played just 16 minutes in the group stage before appearing in the quarterfinals against the Netherlands, where she contributed an assist and a goal to help the team win before the match was decided on penalties.
At least this summer, she’ll finally get to experience the Olympics with fans in the stands. “Tokyo was weird. It was an amazing experience,” she said, then paused. “I don’t even know how to sum it up in one interview. I’m just excited for the fans and excited to see what the whole Olympics is all about.”
Williams offers Hayes a fresh look at the forward position. Macario is likely to start as the team’s No. 10, but Crystal Dunn or Jaydyn Shaw could slot into the role as additional options behind Rose Lavelle, giving Hayes some cover to bring in another attacker. Williams is highly regarded as a defensive-minded forward, but is also adept at dribbling past defenders. That, along with previous tournament experience, solidifies the decision.
Williams has always been prepared for a call like this and has embraced her role with the U.S. women’s national team, even if it’s quite bizarre at times.
“I’m a veteran now. I’ve been through this a few times,” she said. “I want to contribute to the team in any way I can with my veteran qualities and experience, and I know the team has confidence in me that I’ll be ready if called upon.”
“There’s a message there for people who aren’t necessarily going to be superstars. You can’t have 22 superstars. You need people with different values, different attributes. That’s one of my thoughts.”
Williams missed out on a call-up this spring but has still been busy in the NWSL. She was speaking to reporters in a hallway about 100 yards from where she broke the NWSL’s all-time scoring record this spring.
“I told Emma last night, ‘I’m a very stubborn person,'” Williams said.
Her journey to this moment was a combination of not refusing to accept no and a willingness to not put herself first when the call came in. “That’s why I’m always okay with whatever position I’m in on this team,” she said.
Hayes hopes and hopes that Coach Williams will remind her that he’s there to make her life difficult as a head coach. “I have a 6-year-old,” Hayes joked. “There’s no way she can make it harder than he can. I’m looking forward to the challenge, but I’m also challenging her to use (her experience) to make sure she raises the bar. We’re both really looking forward to working with them.”
(Top photo: John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
