The USA Women's Sevens program has announced its first residency group for the 2024-25 season.

Coming off winning the Olympic Bronze Medal in Paris, the Eagles received a donation of $1 million for each of the next four years. That has allowed them to expand their residency program, just as some players have left the program to, for example, concentrate on the 15s team and the upcoming World Cup.

Fourteen of the 24 players return from last year’s residency return for another year, including Paris Olympians and bronze medalists Kayla Canett, Ariana Ramsey, Sammy Sullivan, Sarah Levy, Alena Olsen, Spiff Sedrick, and Kristi Kirshe. They will join the team in Chula Vista next month, following the Team USA White House visit. Kirshe and Sedrick will take some extra time away from residency, returning after the new year. Mata Hingano will rejoin the team after the conclusion of WXV 1. 

Captains Naya Tapper and Lauren Doyle, as well as veterans Steph Rovetti and Jaz Gray, have announced their retirement. Meanwhile Alev Kelter, Kris Thomas, Cheta Emba, and Nana Fa’avesi are making a switch to 15s, with the hopes of competing for a spot in the Rugby World Cup 2025. Ilona Maher is competing in Dancing with the Stars and is then expected to go to 15s before returning for a shot at the 2028 Olympics.

 

 

 

 

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So about 40% of the players on the list were not in residency last season. Some players who have been with the USA Sevens team before, such as Eti Haungatau and Nia Toliver, are back. Haungatau is one of seven players who were MA Sorensen winners, finalists, or nominees.

Seven new residents earned placement to residency after attending the September High Performance Camp, including Central Washington University's Sorensen finalist Tessa Hann, who will be joining following the conclusion of WXV 1 in Vancouver. Belmont Shore star Sariah Ibarra, who earned her first cap with the 15s in Japan in August, was awarded a contract following camp involvement in the 2024 season. She will join residency after graduating high school in June. 

The quality of the incoming athletes is a testament to the importance of USA Rugby’s pathway programming, introducing athletes to international competition and the demands of the daily training environment as they work their way up the USA Sevens ladder. The program would like to acknowledge the philanthropic support from Danny Walker and Warren Speiker which ensured the ability to run this programming and the relentless work of Martha Daines, Irene Garder, and Kelly Griffin on planning and executing of the events. 

With the addition of pathways athletes is Jewel Boland, who attended the USA Rugby Talent Transfer camp in June, which included 17 top tier athletes from other sports recruited by USA Rugby’s Women’s 7s Talent Transfer Officer Kerri Heffernan. New to rugby, Boland’s athleticism from soccer caught the attention of the program’s coaching staff during the camp. 

On the naming of new players to this season’s roster, Head Coach Emilie Bydwell said, “It’s hard to believe we’re already stepping into a new season. This time of significant change will be anchored by the identity, culture, and values we’ve cultivated over the past three years. We look forward to welcoming our new players, who have been carefully selected for their unique qualities that will enhance our returning team. Our initial focus will be on establishing a solid foundation of physical capacity and technical skills. Ultimately, we aim to foster an environment where every player can express their strengths, allowing us to evolve our playing philosophy to best maximize our player group as a whole.”

Addressing the player turnover, USA Head Coach Emilie Bydwell said “transition is a natural part of the cycle at the end of a quad, and we are deeply grateful for the contributions of players who have announced their retirement or moved on to the 15s program to contribute to the Rugby World Cup 2025 campaign. We have a solid core returning, with a mix of Olympic and World Series experience, and we will rely on these athletes to guide us through this next phase, both on and off the field. Additionally, we have some dynamic younger players who pushed the training environment during our Paris campaign, and they are eager to showcase their talents on the international stage. This is an exciting time for the program as a whole, but we will remain focused on the process, building ‘brick by brick’ as we work toward LA 2028.”