USWNT's Rose Lavelle Talks 'Pressure,' New Coach, And 2024 Olympics

After the USWNT roster was released for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Rose Lavelle, 29, is speaking out about the "pressure" from the Games and the "exciting chapter" under new coach Emma Hayes.

The veteran midfielder was one of 18 who made the cut, but one name was noticeably missing—Alex Morgan. Following the news, Rose Lavelle broke her silence and praised Morgan for her talent and her influence on the sport.

While playing in the Olympic Games is a dream come true for so many, there is no denying the "pressure" that comes with it. “I think when you’re playing on the national team, there’s always pressure,” Lavelle told Us Weekly. “It’s just a different kind of pressure.”

Following their underwhelming performance in the 2023 FIFA World Cup, which saw them eliminated by Sweden, the USWNT slipped to 5th place in the FIFA world rankings. Lavelle addressed the elephant in the room, noting the team's recent highs and lows.

“We’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but it’s something to learn from,” Lavelle said. “I think that’s the reality of sports and it’s how you respond to that. The older players that were on the team before really helped teach me how to grow and learn through that. I can use that experience to help the next group of younger players do the same thing.”

Emma Hayes, the national team coach, announced the 18-woman roster, but star athlete Alex Morgan was notably absent.

“Making an Olympic roster is a huge privilege and an honor and there is no denying that it was an extremely competitive process among the players and that there were difficult choices, especially considering how hard everyone has worked over the past ten months,” Hayes shared in a statement, per Us Weekly.

“Choosing an 18-player roster plus alternates involved many considerations, but I am excited for the group we have selected and I’m looking forward to building on the work from last camp as we head into the Send-Off matches and then onto France," the team coach added.

Morgan broke her silence, expressing her " disappointment " after hearing the tough news."Today, I’m disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent our country on the Olympic stage," she said in a statement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride any time I put on the crest."

It is disappointing to fans and players, including Rose Lavelle, that Alex Morgan won't be part of Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Morgan “really helped me and my age cohort grow into this role and prepare us to lead the next group of players in," she told Us, adding that it felt strange to find herself a veteran on the national team.

“It feels like it’s gone so fast,” LaVelle said of her entire playing career. “I think it’s weird to find myself in this position now, but I had such great people to learn from. I had the privilege of being on the team when so many amazing veteran players were on the team.”

In 2023, the women's soccer team added new head coach Emma Hayes, 47, on a four-year contract.

“She’s been great,” Lavelle said of Hayes. “I think it was amazing. There was so much learning and growth done in that small week. We took big steps in such a short amount of time, which was really exciting. Then you think about having even more time to onboard all this stuff.”

She continued, “I just think it’s really exciting where she’s going to take this group. It’s a really exciting chapter for this team and something that is going to push us to be better than we even knew we could be.”

Athletes like Lebron James, Alyssa Naeher, Steph Curry, Abby Dahlkemper, Jordan Chiles, Kayla DiCello, Shilese Jones, Suni Lee, and other renowned stars are anticipated to participate in the event.

One of the most anticipated athletes for fans is Simone Biles, who withdrew from the 2016 Olympics due to mental health reasons and experiencing "the twisties."

“I would literally tell the team, my teammates, like, ‘I’m fighting demons. I’m fighting demons right now, but I’m going to do it for you guys.’ I literally felt like I was fighting my body and my mind to do these tricks," she said on the Call Her Daddypodcast. She has since gotten the help she needed and is ready for her big Olympics comeback.

The 2024 Paris Olympics kick off on July 26.