Rating the YNT: Top 5 women's defenders
At least historically, the U.S. has had very few problems producing upper echelon USWNT defenders. Recently, names like Johnston, Sauerbrunn and Klingenberg, three of the best in the world, prove the point as well as any.
And there’s more where that came from.
MORE: Top 5 women's GK prospects | Girls 2019 class turns heads | Recruiting news
Today’s continuation of my Rating the YNT series takes us through the top five current YNT-eligible defenders who haven’t yet gotten a full USWNT cap. Aside from that, I assessed both the current skill level and future pro prospects of every defender in the pool, and these five, in my estimation, have the best chance to break through as a major senior team contributor down the line.
The future is indeed bright.
Headlines
- Recruiting Roundup: June 15-21
- TDS Launches Video Highlight Service
- How Do I Get Scouted by TopDrawerSoccer?
- Women's Division I May Transfer Tracker
-
Commitments: Looking at Loyola Chicago
-
2026 Men's SoCon Breakout Candidates
-
Girls Academy Playoffs: U15 Key Players
-
2026 Women's OVC Breakout Candidates
-
Girls Academy Playoffs: U14s to Know
-
2026 Men's OVC Breakout Candidates
Top 200 Rankings