WNT Named 2014-15 USOC Team of the Year Finalist

CHICAGO (Nov. 5, 2015) – The United States Olympic Committee announced the 2014-15 finalists for the Team USA Awards which recognizes the outstanding achievements of Team USA athletes year-round and to no one’s surprise, the 2015 United States Women’s World Cup Team is among the finalists for Team of the Year.

The U.S. WNT has picked up a slew of awards, honors and recognitions both as a team and for the individual players after finishing up a historic run on July 5 with a 5-2 victory against Japan in the World Cup Final played in Vancouver, B.C. The tournament drew more than 64million U.S. viewers on Fox and 27 million Americans tuned into the World Cup Final, making it the most watched soccer game in U.S. history.

Formerly known as the USOC SportsMan, SportsWoman and Team of the Year awards, the honors began in 1974. The impressive and diverse collection of past winners represent nearly 30 sports on the summer and winter Olympic and Paralympic programs. Their collective accomplishments tell the inspiring story of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements throughout history.  

Athletes and teams considered for the Best of the Year were finalists for Best of the Month honors, dating back to the fall of the previous year and coinciding with the sport calendar. A USOC nominating committee then selected the top-five finalists in the individual categories and top three in the team categories to advance to the voting round.

Online fan voting at TeamUSA.org/Awards accounts for 50 percent of the final tally, while members of the Olympic and Paralympic family – including an esteemed panel of Olympic and Paralympic journalists – account for the other 50 percent.

The Team USA Awards, Best of the Year, are to be held Dec. 10 at the University of Pennsylvania’s Houston Hall in Philadelphia. The awards show will be televised on NBCSN on Dec. 27 from 3-4 p.m. ET.

The year-end celebration will also recognize the Building Dreams Award, presented by USG, which honors an individual, group or community that has gone above and beyond in its support of Team USA.

Olympic Team of the Year finalists:

Women’s USA-1, Bobsled
Elana Meyers Taylor and Cherrelle Garrett became the first women’s bobsled team to win a world championship, as driver Meyers Taylor claimed the overall 2014-15 world cup title with six gold medals.

U.S. Women’s World Cup Team, Soccer
Became the first nation to win three FIFA Women’s World Cup titles, setting the record for most goals scored in a World Cup Final in 5-2 win over Japan and surpassing Germany as the top-scoring team in Women’s World Cup history with 112 goals.

Women’s Senior National Team, Water Polo
Won an unprecedented fourth FINA World Championship and ninth World League Super Final, becoming the first women’s team to hold current Olympic, world championship, world cup and World League titles. 

U.S. Soccer fans are invited to vote for the U.S. Women’s World Cup Team at TeamUSA.org/Awards through Friday, Nov. 20.