Thursday, Jul. 24, 2008
15. Heather O'Reilly
Soccer
United States
Age: 23
She wears the "Next Mia" label, and wears it well, thank you. She even dons Hamm's No. 9 jersey. In Athens, the then 19-year-old O'Reilly was the youngest player on the team, and scored a winning goal in the semifinals for the gold-medal winning team. She followed her Olympic run with a brilliant career at the University of North Carolina (just like you-know- who), where she scored 59 goals and won two national titles. O'Reilly is switching positions for the Olympics, from forward to midfield, to take advantage of her size and speed; after the U.S. women finished a disappointing third at the '07 World Cup, she is seeking redemption in Beijing.