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Lauren Flynn
Lauren Elizabeth Flynn (born May 22, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for the Utah Royals of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the Florida State Seminoles, where she won NCAA championships in 2021 and 2023. She has represented the United States at the under-20 level. Early lifeFlynn was raised in Arlington County, Virginia, one of three daughters born to Chris and Debby Flynn. Her older sister, Meghan, played college soccer at Tennessee, and her younger sister, Moira, plays for Miami.[2][3] Flynn played high school soccer as a forward at Yorktown High School, where she scored 66 goals in three years and won state championships in 2017 and 2019, being named first-team all-state in 2019.[2][4] She played club soccer for ECNL team McLean Youth Soccer.[4] College careerNot highly recruited out of high school, Flynn signed with the Florida State Seminoles. She saw limited playing time as a winger in the fall of 2020 before being converted to center back for the 2020 NCAA tournament and started in that position for the rest of her college career.[2][4] She won the ACC tournament all four years she was at Florida State.[5] After being national runners-up to Santa Clara, Flynn helped Florida State return to the final of the 2021 NCAA tournament and win the championship. Flynn was second on the team in minutes played behind center back partner Emily Madril and was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI third team.[4][6] Before the 2022 season, Flynn chose to stay at Florida State after head coach Mark Krikorian left and was replaced by Brian Pensky, who had coached Flynn's older sister at Tennessee.[7] She helped the Seminoles make it to the semifinals of the 2022 NCAA tournament and was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI second team.[8][9] During the 2023 season, Flynn played in the attack for her senior night game versus NC State, scoring a hat trick to double her career goal total.[10] She anchored the back line to allow only one goal at the 2023 NCAA tournament as Florida State became undefeated national champions, being named the most outstanding defensive player of the tournament and first-team TopDrawerSoccer Best XI.[7][11] Club careerUtah Royals, 2024–Flynn was drafted by the expansion team Utah Royals with the 16th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NWSL Draft.[5] She was signed to a one-year contract with an option to extend for an additional year.[12] She debuted for the Royals in the starting lineup against Racing Louisville FC on April 20.[13] A month later, she won the vote for NWSL Save of the Week for her header to block a shot on goal from Temwa Chawinga in an eventual 1–0 loss to the Kansas City Current on May 25.[14] However, her rookie season ended prematurely on August 28, when she was placed on the season-ending injury list after being diagnosed with bilateral compartment syndrome in her lower legs, for which her club said she would undergo surgery. She led her team in combined tackles and interceptions at that point in the season, having made twelve starts.[15] International careerFlynn was first called up to the United States national under-20 team in December 2021, arriving at training camp just after winning her first NCAA championship. She appeared in six of seven games for the team at the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, where they shut out all their opponents to win the tournament.[4][16] She was selected to the roster for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, where they lost in the group stage.[17] She played friendlies with the national under-23 team in 2023.[18] References
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