Twenty-four athletes named to 2024-24 USA Women’s Sevens Residency Roster

Exactly two months after capturing their first medal at the Olympic Games in Paris, the USA Women’s Sevens are back training in Chula Vista, focused on building toward the LA 2028 Games. 

The 2024-25 residency roster continues to build off a legacy built by Eagles past, while being the biggest injection of new players since Rio 2016. Eight athletes will be joining the program for the first time, with Eti Haungatau making a return to sevens after several seasons and a World Cup with the 15s and 2020 Olympian Nia Toliver returning after some time playing professionally in Japan. 

Seven new residents earned placement to residency after attending the September High Performance Camp, including Tessa Hann, who will be joining following the conclusion of WXV 1 in Vancouver. 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.”

Fourteen Eagles 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. 

While captains Naya Tapper and Lauren Doyle and impactful veterans Steph Rovetti and Jaz Gray announced their retirement from the sport, other notable players 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 taking some time off to pursue other opportunities, but will be back to rugby soon with hopes of turning her attention to 15s for the upcoming season. She plans to be back to sevens to join USA Rugby in preparation for the LA 2028 Olympics.

Bydwell said on the return of key players, “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.”