Imagine yourself as a soccer player. You work hard for years. But you still doubt whether Emma Hayes will pick you up for the Paris Olympics squad. You think what you worked hard for so long slowly fades away from your control. This is probably what went through Lynn Williams‘ mind when the time for the national call-up arrived. She suffered from an injury and couldn’t attend the USWNT national camp before the Olympics.

“We all know that the roster’s going to be named and I’m like shoot. I am probably not going. I’m not even in this camp,” mentioned Williams on The Women’s Game podcast.

Normally, players who attend the camp get selected for the national team before a major tournament. These camps focused on the tactical intricacies, game briefing, and other fitness monitoring ahead of the event. Even though Lynn Williams earned 70 caps for the USWNT, her place was in jeopardy.

Without any official introduction, she asked Emma Hayes to consider her for the Olympics with all the baggage of experience. She mentioned, “I kind of just went out on a limb and called Emma and said, look, I know you haven’t seen me. I know you are probably evaluating people now, cause this is post-camp. I didn’t want to bother them when they were in camp and make it seem like it was all about me,” approaching the coach to understand her stand.

With the player representing the nation multiple times, Williams confidently, cited, “You haven’t seen me there and you can’t see me now because I am still injured. But don’t write me off because I will be ready come the Olympics.“

When Emma Hayes dramatically selects Lynn Williams

The NJ/NY Gotham FC soccer player mentioned how Hayes would look at her film and take a call. But the call-up seemed surprising. She would never have imagined getting a passage to the national team after getting injured. But Hayes, in her style, had interesting plans for Williams.

During the day of the national team call-up, Williams pondered over planning a trip for the week break. With no hope of getting picked, she and her fiance met her friend’s baby. At that time, she gets a call from her friend asking for information about the call-up. Williams remembered the players who didn’t make it to the team during the World Cup had received calls earlier.

She thought to herself, “Am I getting called up?”

Later, she received a call from an unknown number and had U.S. Soccer on the top of the phone number. Drum roll…

Emma Hayes called her up to mention she made it to the team. Lynn Williams booked a ticket to Paris to compete in the Olympics. She finally received the call-up after waiting anxiously for weeks. Hence, her plans changed, and mentally, she could prepare for the Olympics. And guess what?

The player scored a goal and appeared as a substitute in the final, delivering for her manager.

Lynn Williams is a surprising addition to this year’s USWNT team and aims to continue building on the momentum. Do you think she deserved the call-up to the national team?