Rating the YNT: Top 5 women's forwards
The last stop on the road to the USWNT. It’s the forwards’ turn.
The U.S. forward pool has perhaps the most difficult road to the top of the USWNT food chain of any position. There are fewer first team positions there, obviously, but the ones that exist are currently occupied by international names like Alex Morgan, Crystal Dunn, Mallory Pugh and Christen Press. There aren’t many minutes to be had in between those players, so prospects currently coming up through the USYNT and college systems need to make a startlingly loud case to earn minutes.
These five have done just that.
MORE: Top 5 women's GK prospects | Top 5 defenders | Top 5 midfielders | Girls 2019 class turns heads
This episode ends our four-part journey through the top five youth-eligible players at every position with USWNT aspirations. The rating system takes into account both present and future prospects and only includes players who’ve yet to appear for the USWNT in a competitive non-friendly and who are currently eligible for a YNT (U23 and down). After working our way through both the men’s and now women’s side, it’s time to push off into the sunset for now.
But first, the top five forwards currently flowing up through the USWNT pipeline.
Headlines
- Recruiting Roundup: December 15-21
- How Do I Get Scouted by TopDrawerSoccer?
- 2026 Women's Division I Transfer Tracker
- 2026 Major League Soccer Mock Draft
- Women's College Postseason Top 100 Players
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Top MLS Academy Alumni Performances
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MLS NEXT Fest: U15/16 Goal-Scoring Stars
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Commitments: HS Star heads to Portland
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Player Rankings Spotlight: 2026 Girls
- 2025 Women's DI Postseason Awards