There’s a reason why the Paris Olympics triumph means a lot to the USWNT. Even though they’ve secured gold four times before, it’s the timing of this victory and the challenging past they’ve overcome that make their fifth historic triumph special. For Tobin Heath, it’s also a strong rebuttal to critics who doubted Emma Hayes and Co. would not be “able to do anything.”

The 2023 World Cup exit was a shock to everyone. It seemed unlikely that they would recover in such a short span. Yet, within a year, the Stars and Stripes did the impossible. But even if they hadn’t, the group would have earned similar respect to what they are receiving today, at least in Heath’s eyes.

“I said this around the quarterfinals, if the USWNT team was to lose now, I still think it would have been a massive success,” she said, in the latest episode of her own podcast, RE—INC, co-hosted alongside partner and ex-teammate, Christen Press. “Just seeing the way that the players played, the team played collectively with joy, enthusiasm, and freedom, I think they’ve represented our country to the utmost.”

Heath is proud of each player and empathizes with the immense pressure and scrutiny they face. She acknowledges the ‘huge weight’ they carried from the previous year’s failure and how they bore the burden of ever-increasing expectations. “They did the job and kind of upheld everything that we love about the USWNT team and I feel like the world was saying….everything was against them with the World Cup,” she added.

The biggest factor behind their Summer Games triumph is how they were able to silence their critics by directly winning the gold medal. “Everybody was saying, ‘Oh, this team is not going to be able to do anything’ and they come out and just win it. That is the USWNT team! Keep it coming,” concluded Tobin.

If you’re still not convinced why USWNT’s Olympics triumph stands out, consider the managerial transition they underwent. In less than two months, they played as if Emma Hayes had been with them for quite some time. Also, the former Chelsea boss—who made her own international debut—won the gold in her 10th game in charge. No wonder Tobin calls their Paris achievement better than any of their previous accolades.

Previous achievements ‘mean nothing’ compared to what USWNT won with Emma Hayes

Given the challenging years the Stars and Stripes recently endured, securing their fifth medal was the perfect breakthrough. However, what makes this victory particularly special, even more so than previous ones, is the way the current team drew inspiration like no other generation before them. “I felt like our World Cups and gold medals mean nothing unless we’ve given to the next generation the opportunity to do the same,” she said in a similar podcast.  

“Them winning that gold medal almost felt more important than any other gold medal that I’ve ever gotten.” Despite not playing for over two years due to a cartilage injury that required two surgeries, Heath reflected on how she found motivation from past successes. She further emphasized that drawing inspiration from previous achievements is one of the key elements of winning. No wonder it stands as one impressive achievement of the USWNT.