Naomi Girma’s Priceless Defense and Leadership for USWNT: ‘It’s an Art’

PARIS — This past summer, Naomi Girma introduced herself to the world at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Unlike the U.S., which stumbled in the round of 16, Girma’s first major tournament with the senior national team showed that she was not only the future of the program, but had already established herself as one of the team’s most important and trusted players — even though she won’t make her professional debut until 2022.

They’re not big on monarchs here in France, but the Paris Olympics have crowned Girma as one of the best defenders in the world. The 24-year-old has played every minute of all five USWNT victories to date and has been a steady defensive presence for the team. She was also the only outfield player to play every minute of last summer’s World Cup.

“She’s the best defender I’ve ever seen,” head coach Emma Hayes said after the semi-final shutout win over Germany.Ever.”

For Hayes, Girma is a complete defender: “She has everything: balance, calmness, she defends, she anticipates, she leads.”

U.S. forward Sophia Smith chimed in earlier this week, calling her former Stanford teammate “the best defender in the world.” Smith said the team always knows Girma is behind them, ready to make a clearance or an interception. “She’s the glue of our team.”

Naomi Girma is the best we’ve ever seen and defenders never get the attention they deserve, but she is absolutely HER.

—Sydney Leroux (@sydneyleroux) August 7, 2024

Girma has dodged jokes about her appointment as defense minister and questions about last year’s World Cup elimination. None of that matters to her. It’s outside the team’s control, outside their bubble. Girma, like many other players, has temporarily deleted social media. She’s more interested in talking about the team as a whole and their growth as a team.

“Last year, many of us were transitioning, and now we’re in the national team,” Girma said in Lyon. “We’ve been playing at international level for a long time and we know what it takes to win here. We have a special group in these Olympics. We have experience, we have people who are coming to the Olympics for the first time, like me, and we’ve all worked together, trusted each other, to get to this point.”

Despite all the talk about the USWNT’s new identity and the generational changes that have come during the cycle since the team’s bronze medal performance in Tokyo, Girma’s arrival has never been a surprise. Born a year after the 1999 World Cup, Girma has followed in the footsteps of quiet center backs from Carla Overbeck to Becky Sauerbrunn while forging her own path.

Flashback to February 2023, before Girma had truly cemented her starting role in the team’s defense, to the way now-retired forward Megan Rapinoe spoke about Girma’s play and presence. Rapinoe, who had seen a lot of incoming talent, said it was extremely rare for a player to enter the USWNT environment and immediately make his case for the starting XI every time. Girma was on that list.

“She’s just so good,” Rapinoe said last year. “Quiet, extremely smart. I don’t think her physicality is talked about enough, deceptively fast. If you’re even a little bit quick and smart, it’s a piece of cake. She can make plays with any ball. She’s a great leader. She’s just f***ing good.”

Girma is a leader on and off the field (Daniela Porcelli, Getty Images)

The offensive line of Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman has gotten a lot of attention so far at the Games, but Girma has been the one directing nearly every attack.

And it was Girma who set the tone against Germany in Lyon on Tuesday, once again delivering a great performance.

“She carried the ball 687 yards — 24 percent of the USWNT’s total dribbling distance,” Jeff Rueter wrote in The Athletics‘s takeaways from the game. “She completed 125 passes out of 132 attempts in a game where only one other player from either team attempted at least 100. She created two chances for her teammates, behind only Rodman and Swanson. Remember, defending is actually a vital part of her job despite this? Girma led the team in ball recoveries (13), clearances (5) and interceptions (3).”

Many players have pointed to Girma’s consistency over the past five games, perhaps the ultimate trait for a world-class center back — on both sides of the ball. On Tuesday, Swanson said Girma has been consistent in completing her passes and creating tempo in every game.

“She reminds me a lot of Becky (Sauerbrunn),” goalie Alyssa Naeher said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to play with Becky for so many years, and I think (Girma) reminds me a lot of her. Just her demeanor, and the way she carries herself and does her job. I have all the respect in the world for her.”

At 24, Girma is already second only to Lindsey Horan for the captain’s armband. She wore it for the entire extra time against Germany. It’s still just a symbol, but it’s already hard to imagine her not being the next player to receive it permanently. And her impact doesn’t stop at leadership on the pitch.

Last summer, Girma and Smith played their World Cup in memory of their Stanford teammate, Katie Meyer, who committed suicide. Girma has partnered with Common Goal to launch mental health programs, including a NWSL player retreat that debuted this offseason. Notably, the Wave’s pre-season training was run by Ethiopia’s Golden Boot Academy in San Diego — a connection to Girma’s roots. These are the details that can be easily overlooked, but matter to a first-generation American in the USWNT playing at the highest level.

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Back in Paris on Thursday for the gold medal game, Rodman was happy to talk about her “queens” Naeher and Girma — but said that with all the goal scoring in the news, she felt like the team’s defensive work sometimes went unnoticed. That changed with the performance against Germany, especially for Girma.

“She’s a brick wall. She’s not just a great defender, she’s not just athletic, she’s so smart. You can just see it in the way her feet move,” Rodman said. She brought up playing against her in the NWSL when she faced Girma in games against the San Diego Wave. Rodman will review video of times when Girma took the ball away from her, specifically looking at her footwork. She’s seen that level of skill consistently in France during their Olympic appearances — and expects to see it again this Saturday against Brazil in the final.

“It’s not just defense,” Rodman concluded. “It’s an art.”

(Top photo: John Todd/Getty Images; design: Dan Goldfarb)