With a storied history of providing talent to the United States pipeline, the Tar Heels hope to add another name to the list this year. Emily Fox was a defender and midfielder for Carolina from 2017-2019, appearing in 69 games. She was hampered by a torn ACL that sidelined her midway through her first year, and again during the postseason of her junior campaign, which caused her to miss the 2019 College Cup.

During her years as Tar Heel, head coach Anson Dorrance not only championed Fox’s speed, noting that she was one of the three fastest players on the 2019 team, but also her technical and tactical abilities, which allowed her the versatility of playing either on defense or in the midfield. According to the legendary coach, Fox had the ability to be a “game changer.”

Fox was a two-time first-team All-ACC selection, and during her time at Carolina, was the only college player at the time who had appearances with the Women’s National Team, receiving her first call-up to the senior team in November 2018.

Since beginning to appear for the Women’s National Team on a more regular basis post-college, Fox has amassed 45 caps, scoring her lone professional goal during a friendly against Ireland in 2023. She was a member of teams that won the CONCACAF women’s championship in 2022 and CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup in 2024, as well as the SheBelieves Cup Champions in 2022 and 2023.

She has the potential to be an Olympic starter on the back line in Paris. According to national soccer writer Ryan Tolmich, “Emily Fox can start on the left and she can start on the right. Odds are she’ll be starting somewhere once the Olympics come around!”

A four-time first-team All-ACC selection and the 2012 National Player of the Year, Crystal Dunn is tracking to be part of her third consecutive United States Olympic team in 2024. Playing in the midfield during her time as a Tar Heel from 2010-2013, she was the first player in conference history to win both offensive player of the year and defensive player of the year in her career. In total, she finished her time at Carolina with 31 goals over 80 games played.

While she had many memorable moments, including a hat trick against Miami during her senior season, Dunn’s signature game as a Tar Heel might be the 2012 NCAA quarterfinal against top-seeded BYU, where not only did she score both Tar Heels goals (including a “Golden Goal” game-winner), but also made a game-saving defensive stop in the first overtime against the Cougars.

Dunn is no stranger to the U.S. Women’s National Team, having competed for the youth national team as far back as 2008. She was a member of the runners-up at the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, as well as the champions of the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. As of this writing, she has appeared in 143 games for the senior national team since her first call-up in 2013, scoring 24 goals for the USWNT over the past decade.

During the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, where the United States earned a bronze medal, Dunn established herself as the starting left back for the USWNT, was the only American to start in all six matches and played in all but 16 minutes during the tournament. As it stands, Dunn appears to be the favorite to reprise that role in 2024 – but can also play in the midfield or attack, making her one of the most versatile players in the squad.

Four years before she was part of the 2012 national championship team during her first year at Carolina, Katie Bowen had her first taste of national team soccer, appearing for the New Zealand U-17 National Team on her 14th birthday in 2008. After a few years of junior team experience, she was later named captain of the New Zealand squad at the 2010 U-17 World Cup.

The national team appearances continued over the years, including while Bowen was a member of the women’s soccer team at Carolina. She was named an alternate for the 2012 London Games, and later competed for the Football Ferns in three Women’s World Cups (2015, 2019, and 2023) and is hopeful that 2024 will mark her third consecutive Summer Olympics.

In total, Bowen has appeared in a total of 105 games for the New Zealand national team, good for tenth most of any women to have ever played soccer for the country, and one of just over 400 women to ever have more than 100 caps for their home country.

Bowen credits her time as a Tar Heel in helping her keep the right mind set to continue to appear for the New Zealand national team.

“I think the biggest thing is that Carolina has given me the confidence that I needed,” Bowen said in a 2015 GoHeels article. “I would always go on to the national team frame kind of doubting myself, questioning every single move I made, afraid to make mistakes. But now I feel like it has matured me as a player, and now I know what I am capable of and what I aspire to.”