Will Alex Morgan's Injury Affect Her Chances to Make U.S. Olympic Team?

Former Cal star Alex Morgan injured her ankle in a soccer match while playing for the San Diego Wave of the NWSL

Apr 19, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse (1) and San Diego Wave / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Former Cal standout and current San Diego Wave striker Alex Morgan sat out last Saturday’s National Women Soccer League game because of an ankle injury, which could be an issue in her bid to make the U.S. Olympic roster.

The Wave won Saturday’s game without Morgan, beating Bay FC 2-1, but the bigger issue for Morgan is whether she’ll be healthy enough to be named to the U.S. Women’s National Team for the two Olympic tuneups against South Korea on June 1 and June 4. Those will be the first two games in which the U.S. team will be coached by Emma Hayes and will influence Hayes’ choices for the Americans’ 18-player roster for the Paris Olympics in July.

Morgan, who turns 35 years old a few days before the Americans’ first group-stage game in the Olympics, has been considered a borderline case on whether she will be on the USWNT’s roster for this summer’s Olympic Games. Most experts predict Morgan will be on the U.S. Olympic roster, although the injury could have an impact on her chances.

The U.S. team is scheduled to gather in late May to prepare for the games against South Korea, and the roster for those two games will be announced at that time. After the two games against South Korea, the USWNT is scheduled to play a tuneup against Mexico on July 13 and final tuneup on July 16 against Costa Rica. The U.S. roster for the matches against Mexico and Costa Rica will be the Americans’ roster for the Olympics. The USWNT plays its first group-round match at the Olympics on July 25.

Morgan was injured in the closing moments of the Wave's 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride on April 19. She was challenging for a loose ball when she fell awkwardly, injuring her ankle. (Photo atop the story shows the moment she was injured.) She limped off the field.

Wave coach Casey Stone described Morgan’s status as week-to-week, so it is unclear whether she will be ready to return for

Friday’s match against Seattle.  That also suggests the injury is not likely to be a long-term problem.

Morgan was initially left off the USWNT's Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup roster in February, but was added as an injury replacement the day before the competition began.  She was in the starting lineup for all but the first game in that event and collected two goals, one of which was on a penalty kick.

Morgan subsequently started both games for the USWNT in the SheBelieves Cup, but did not score a goal in either game.

However, the U.S. roster for those two events included 23 players, five more than will be on the Americans’ Olympic roster.

In four games this season with the San Diego Wave, Morgan has no goals and one assist.

In 2022, Morgan scored 15 goals in 17 games for San Diego, and last season she had seven goals and five assists to help the Wave have the best regular-season record in the NWSL.

Morgan has scored 123 international goals for the USWNT, and that is by far the most of any active U.S. player and eighth most alltime among players from all countries.