Emma Hayes believes in Charlotte’s Claudia Dickey

SEATTLE REIGN

Charlotte Latin graduate Claudia Dickey, a goalkeeper with NWSL's Seattle Reign, has seven clean sheets in eight starts for the U.S. Women's National Team.

Argentina wasn’t the biggest test for the United States Women’s National Team in the She Believes Cup that kicked off Sunday, but the Americans still had to dominate. 

That U.S. coach Emma Hayes went again with Claudia Dickey between the posts shows her trust in the Charlotte Latin graduate who now plays for the NWSL Seattle Reign. The U.S. downed Argentina 2-0 in their first match and will face Canada, a 4-1 winner against Colombia Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio. 

Having only played in friendly matches so far, it was the first tournament start for Dickey, who was backed up by Phallon Tullis-Joyce, the Manchester United keeper who previously started ahead of Dickey in Seattle. 

In eight USWNT starts, Dickey, 26, earned her seventh clean sheet. She started the final four matches of 2025 before Mandy McGlynn got the nod to start 2026. McGlynn is the third keeper on the roster and did not dress for the Argentina match.

Goalkeeper is one of several that have been in flux as veterans have retired, and Hayes has been expansive in growing the pool of national team players. Over her first 32 matches in charge, Hayes has given 32 players their first caps.

Historically, four women have dominated the position, including Brianna Scurry, who earned 175 caps from 1994 to 2008; Hope Solo (202 caps from 2000 to 2016); and Alyssa Naeher, 115 caps from 2014 to 2024. The next highest is the 54 appearances made by Nicole Barnhart between 2004 and 2013.

Asked if Dickey or any of the athletes challenging for the starting spot might attain that dominance in the position, Hayes said, “That’s a great question, which of course I don't have the answer to. But what I do know is I’ve been really happy with Claudia Dickey and Mandy McGlynn from the last camp. I think with Phallon, we didn’t get the chance to select her because she was injured back in the back end of November, December. So I’m looking forward to having Pallon back with the group, and for now I'm happy with this group.

“I think, in terms of our game model and what we're looking to do, these players fit really well with that. And do I think those days of 100 caps will be there? I don't know. But I do think in general, are you going to see any player getting like 150 caps or plus, I think those days are gone in world football.”

Lindsay Heaps, who scored the first goal against Argentina on Sunday, just earned her 171st cap.

Go Heels

Dickey wasn’t the only North Carolina alumna on the roster for the She Believes Cup. Maddie Dahlien played for the Tar Heels from 2022-24.

Dahlien, who lined up at outside left back, earned her first start for the United States in her second camp and third cap. She had debuted on Jan. 24 in the 6-0 win over Paraguay.

Allie Sentnor scored 21 goals in 48 games at North Carolina over the 2022 and 2023 seasons. She has become a regular pick for Hayes and has scored six goals in 16 matches for the senior national team since 2024. A second-half substitute, Sentnor scored in the 66th minute, but it was called back for an offside violation.

After the matches in Columbus on Wednesday, the U.S. will face Colombia, and Canada will take on Argentina in the final round-robin matches in Harrison, New Jersey on March 7.

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