Approximately 8,300 players compete in NCAA Division I women’s soccer.
After the first week of transfer portal entries, 10.7% of those players are now searching for new opportunities.
While many of those players do not have statistics to their name, there are a number of players who are prepared to move to a higher level of play.
As transfer season commences, we've taken a look at the players in the portal to find some of our favorite under-the-radar players.
Using The Win Factory’s player search function, we looked for athletes whose playing style bears a statistical similarity to top players in the professional game. In theory, we could double down on fit by incorporating a team similarity score, but since this is a generic search looking for quality players, the emphasis is strictly on individuals who can make an impact at their next school.
Here are sseven players with intriguing data profiles.
Larkin Thomason, Mercer, Forward, Sophomore
Mercer’s Conference Player of the Year is primed for a big move. Whether playing as a striker or an attacking midfielder, Thomason was a constant threat. She's the kind of player who can get on the end of a service or create her own shot.
While she offers little help defensively, her attacking impact rates near the top of D1 women's soccer. Her data profile ranks not just among the best in the transfer portal but across all of NCAA women's soccer.
Thomason started 18 games while appearing in 19 overall. Her 16 goals led the team and she finished second in assists with six. She’s primed for a big move.
Senah Hanes, Green Bay, Forward, Freshman
Another impressive forward, Hanes was a key player along the Green Bay front line. She can play centrally or move into the wings. Like Thomason, there's not much of a defensive contribution, but this is also common to see among players who carry more of the attacking load.
Her percentile rank in losses p90 combined with her exceptional attacking output gives us a sense that she was the focal point in the Green Bay attack. Hanes is fantastic on the dribble and has a lot of success getting on the end of services. She’s a fairly complete attacker whose biggest adjustment at a higher level will be simplifying her approach.
With nine goals and an assist, Hanes appeared in 17 games, starting 16 of them. It was a fantastic first year, leading to her portal entry.
Erin Bailey, BYU, Forward, Junior
Bailey is a player who's looking for additional minutes. When she has stepped on to the pitch, she typically put in a strong shift, but for a #9 to find the rhythm, they simply need to play. Bailey very much fits the categorization.
She could make a lateral move for a team that needs a central forward, but a slight step downwards could also see her thrive as the focal point in attack.
Another consideration for her next coach is which position to play her. While she has predominantly played as a striker, her data profile would also suggest that right-wing might be her best fit. She did get some time at BYU in the wing, so there's not a full positional transition. She’s certainly a player for teams that need help along the forward line to consider.
Bailey hauled in ten goals in 2023 despite not starting a game. She picked up eight starts in 2024 and 15 appearances, but her goal production fell to five. Bailey’s looking for a rebound year, but not with BYU.
Logan Heausler, Oklahoma St., Forward, Junior
One last center forward for you, and this player is a true striker. Oklahoma State's Heausler has a solid profile across the board. Whether in or out of possession, she's someone who will contribute.
If there is a knock on Heausler, it's that she’s good across the board, but not exceptional in any one specific aspect of her game. Playing in the Big 12 for a strong team can certainly require a greater commitment to carrying out a role, thus giving the stars on the team more freedom.
As Hustler makes her next move, her role within the team will be an important one. If Heausler is given a leading role in the attack, can she elevate her goal-scoring numbers from good to great? While she grabbed eight goals in 21 games (16 starts), she struggled to produce against the top teams on the schedule.
Regardless of the answer to that question, what her next team does get is a very solid overall player. Heausler can step into the starting XI and contribute both in and out of possession.
Marcia Ojo, Columbia, Outside-back, Senior
“Show me similarities to Giulia Gwinnin NCAA D1 women's soccer.” That was a search parameter that produced Ojo.
The senior from Columbia University is on the portal and should be the top outside-back on most lists. She earned 1074 minutes during the 2024 season and offers one of the more robust wheel charts in this year's transfer class. A strong contributor on both sides of the ball, Ojo will be a valuable contributor wherever she happens to land.
She’s a great signing for a possession-dominant team that likes to get their #2 and #3 forward in attack. Link-up play is one of her key strengths and she's one of the top-rated outside-backs in the nation in terms of retaining possession of the ball.
A three-year starter with a goal and two assists on the season, Ojo will use her final season of eligibility as a grad student.
Emelia Warta, Gonzaga, Midfielder, Sophomore
Warta was a product of a search based on Rose Lavelle's statistical profile. While there are some gaps on her radar chart, Warta is a strong attacking player who is well suited to step into the #10 role at a P4 school.
She's not afraid to take a chance playing forward and find that low-risk-high-reward opportunity. There's a directness to her play that certainly fits a niche at a larger school. She may be better suited to a team that has slightly less of the ball but needs a creative 10 with a more direct approach.
Warta started all 19 games while contributing three goals and six assists. She played 1554 out of the 1710 total minutes available, showing how important she was to this Gonzaga squad.
Sydney Japic, Alabama, Defender/Midfielder, Junior
Our final inclusion is the most controversial on the list. Japic has the lowest overall impact score and is a player with some defensive holes in her game. Wherever she ends up, the coaching staff will have to acknowledge that development is needed in this part of our game and, even still, she will likely need some coverage.
What she does bring to the team is a strong and reliable presence in possession. There's that risk-reward aspect to her game. Her skill set is less suited to covering large areas or engaging in open-field duels.
A team that is perhaps in the 48 to 55% possession range and defaults to a mid-block out of possession would be her best fit. She made 20 appearances this season, starting 14 games, so Japic is a player who brings high-level NCAA experience to the table.
There is talent here, but it's very much a case where the talent has to find the right tactical fit.
Data Analytics and the Player Identification Process
To reiterate, these searches identified players whose statistical profiles align with those of top professional players. We haven't even brought team style similarity into this search, which is certainly an angle college coaches would want to incorporate.
Using The Win Factory’s player and team similarity filters, coaches can streamline their identification process to find the players that best suit their team's positional and tactical needs. Finding these players was a simple process.
With the right tools, college coaches can quickly identify players who best suit their systems and act decisively while their competition slowly sifts through names on the transfer portal and film.
Harnessing the power of data has become a game-changer in player recruitment.