Karaoke and 'Triple Espresso': How the USWNT rebuilt for 2024 Olympics

The United States Women's National team was in trouble one year ago. It had crashed out of the 2023 World Cup early following a disappointing group-stage performance. Its legends were retiring, its coach was on the verge of dismissal, and its players faced near-constant scrutiny from the media that used to deify them.

What a difference twelve months can make. The team has found new life and is preparing for an utterly deserved gold medal final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It's the USWNT's first appearance in a gold medal game since the 2012 London Games.

What's behind that change? Investment in key USWNT personnel. Here are the three biggest difference makers for this new-look Olympic USWNT:

The unique approach of coach Emma Hayes: The USWNT always felt slightly stifled under the previous coach, Vlatko Andonovski. It struggled under the weight of its massive expectations, and Andonovski did little to help his team manage the burden.

New coach Emma Hayes, though, is a true revolutionary. She's brought a wildly different energy to the USWNT. She's a big proponent of off-field silliness and has encouraged her players to let loose to help ease the pressure they face.

"We feel very privileged to be here, but at the same time, you don't get to be at this level on just talent alone," Hayes told The Athletic. "I want to build the relationships, build the trust, build a lightness, and hopefully that shows in our play."

The rise of Naomi Girma: USWNT fans don't like reflecting on the 2023 World Cup, and it's hard to blame them for that: the tournament was a mess for the team from start to finish. But there was one bright spot amid the darkness: Naomi Girma. The 23-year-old joined a defensive line featuring legends like Crystal Dunn and Kelly O'Hara and immediately became the best player in it.

Hayes built her Olympic team around Girma, using her as a fulcrum: wherever Girma went, the game would follow, tipping the balance of play in her chosen direction. It turned out to be a tactical masterstroke. "She's the best defender I've ever seen," Hayes said after the USWNT beat Germany in the Olympic semifinals. " Ever. She's got everything: poise, composure, she defends, she anticipates, she leads."

There are many standouts on Hayes's USWNT, but none stand taller than Girma. She isn't always the flashiest athlete on the field, but make no mistake: she's one of the best players in the world. Hayes was right to throw her weight behind her.

The "Triple Espresso" attack: A few months before the 2023 World Cup began, the USWNT received terrible news: striker Mallory Swanson had torn her patella tendon and would miss the tournament altogether.

The news soon went from bad to worse. Multiple surgeries and an unexpected infection complicated Swanson's recovery, and she missed over a year of competitive play.

When Swanson returned, Hayes's vision was to match her — a true center forward — with Sophia Smith on the left and Trinity Rodman on the right, forming a three-pronged attack that could overwhelm opposition defenses. The three entered the Olympics without much experience working as a unit but quickly became inseparable. They've christened themselves the "Triple Espresso" attack and have obliterated the USWNT's previous goalscoring problems: the team has managed 11 goals in just five games in Paris.

The USWNT caps off its Olympic journey in the gold medal match against Brazil on Saturday, Aug. 10.