Round 2 for the USA women is about momentum.
The entire program, of course, has momentum, and not just because Ilona Maher did so well on Dancing with the Stars. Maher, of course, along with her Bronze-Medal-Winning teammates have sparked a renewed interest in the game among young women, and while that measurement is anecdotal, it’s consistent and we’re inclined to believe it.
Then, of course, there’s also the momentum garnered from a pretty solid showing in Dubai with a bunch of new players and new leadership.
Leading the way with the newer players Kaylen Thomas looked very exciting and Head Coach Emilie Bydwell knows she can get more from the flyer.
“Kaylen is a very exciting player with so much potential,” Bydwell told GRR. “She had the benefit of being in residency all last year as a 19-year-old learning from our senior group, and more specifically Naya Tapper who really took Kaylen under her wing and supported her development. She was able to get a taste of the series with some exposure to minutes in Hong Kong and Singapore last year, and now she will be playing a significant role as we grow through this next cycle.”
We at GRR World Headquarters were also impressed with Sarah Levy’s physicality. Not known much as a big hitter, Levy, the squads co-captain, produced some thundering tackles in Dubai.
“Sarah has come into training following the Olympics and just gone from strength to strength,” said Bydwell. “She is an incredibly dynamic attacking player and we will look to utilize that more in Cape Town but she absolutely stepped up defensively, having the highest tackle count on the team and highest turnover count.”
