What to know about Rose Lavelle, University of Wisconsin alumna in World Cup for USWNT

The United States Women's National Team will open group-stage play in the FIFA World Cup on Friday with an 8 p.m. CT battle against Vietnam, followed by matches against the Netherlands (8 p.m. Wednesday, July 26) and 2 a.m. against Portugal (Tuesday, Aug. 1).

The matches will begin Thursday from Auckland, New Zealand, and Sydney, Australia, with the event running through Aug. 20.

Rose Lavelle, a star for the U.S. in the last World Cup four years ago, will be once again in the mix. The Cincinnati native played college soccer at the University of Wisconsin.

Here's what to know about Rose Lavelle.

How old is Rose Lavelle, where is she from?

The native of Cincinnati (and alumna of the University of Wisconsin) turned 28 years old in May.

What is Rose Lavelle's position?

She's a midfielder for the U.S. national team.

What was Rose Lavelle's career like with the Wisconsin Badgers?

Lavelle was a four-time first team all-Big Ten selection (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016). She was the Big Ten midfielder of the year in 2016, the first player in the history of the award to earn the honor in two consecutive years. She had 22 goals in 84 matches.

At least one publication regarded her as the No. 1 player in the country in 2016.

What else has Rose Lavelle done in her soccer career?

Lavelle started in six games for the U.S. in the 2019 FIFA World Cup in France and scored three goals. She was awarded the Bronze Ball for the third-best player in the tournament. Her "nutmeg" against England went viral and came moments before a USA goal, but the biggest moment came in the final against Netherlands, where she scored to give her country a 2-0 lead.

She also scored twice in USA's 13-0 win over Thailand to open the tournament.

She was part of the U.S. team that won the 2022 CONCACAF Championship, which allowed the U.S. to officially clinch a berth in the 2023 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics. She notched a goal and assist and played in all five matches.

She played all six games in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, scoring one goal against New Zealand for the bronze-medal team.

Lavelle's goal in the second minute of the 2018 CONCACAF championship game against Canada also helped the U.S. to a 2-0 victory and a second straight title.

She was the No. 1 pick in the 2017 National Women's Soccer League Draft by the Boston Breakers and earned her first cap with the national team that same year. When the Breakers folded, she was taken with the first pick of the Dispersal Draft in 2018 by the Washington Spirit. In 2021, she was traded to the OL Reign (based in Seattle), where she plays now. Her team had the best regular-season record in 2022.

Rose Lavelle's dog, Wilma Jean, is famous

Now 10 years old, English bulldog Wilma Jean has been a well known personality for those who follow Lavelle or soccer in general. She has a healthy following on Instagram.

What did Rose Lavelle major in at UW-Madison? Who are Lavelle's family and what else should I know about her?

• She's the daughter of Marty and Janet Lavelle. Has one brother, John, and two sisters, Nora and Mary.

• She majored in sociology at UW.

• She's a huge Xavier basketball fan.

• In 2020, Lavelle was named a brand ambassador for FLIGHT by Yuengling, a premium light beer.

• She hasn't played a soccer match since mid-April as she battles back from a knee injury.

• She's one of nine players on the roster who appeared on the 2019 World Cup roster.

• She's on the cover of the July issue of Sports Illustrated with her teammates.

More: These are the instances of Wisconsin athletes on the cover of Sports Illustrated

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin alumna Rose Lavelle preparing for World Cup soccer