USWNT, Kansas City forward Lynn Williams suffers season-ending injury

Lynn Williams will miss the rest of the 2022 NWSL season after sustaining an “acute injury to her right leg,” the Kansas City Current announced on Tuesday.

The injury occured on March 18 during Kansas City’s first game of the 2022 Challenge Cup. While Kansas City’s release did not include details of Williams’ injury, U.S. women’s national team coach Vlatko Andonovski said it is a hamstring injury.

Williams, who made her Olympic debut at last summer’s Tokyo Games, was expected to be a key member of the USWNT during this year’s CONCACAF W tournament, which will serve as the qualifier for both the 2023 Women’s World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympics.

The news comes just one day after the Chicago Red Stars announced that another USWNT player, Tierna Davidson, tore her ACL.

Andonovski addressed the back-to-back injury announcements during a media call on Tuesday.

“I had a chance to talk to them right after the injury happened,” Andonovski said. “Every day that goes by – whether that is PT or rehab or whatever they do – is just one day closer until they get back on the field. They’re both great players. We’re gonna miss them. They were very, very, valuable for our environment.”

Williams and Davidson aren’t the only standouts who will be missing from the USWNT’s upcoming friendlies against Uzbekistan. Other injuries include Becky Sauerbrunn (torn meniscus), Casey Murphy, Emily Sonnett, and Morgan Gautrat. Crystal Dunn is currently pregnant with her first child, while other veteran players Alex Morgan, Christen Press, Tobin Heath, and Megan Rapinoe weren’t included on the upcoming roster.

“They’re not out of the picture by any means, but for this particular camp, we felt like this is the group we want to move forward with and will