Per Soccer America, "Former Penn State All-American goalkeeper Emily Oleksiuk, who saw no action as a Carolina Courage rookie last season, has retired." What a shame. I realize we're supposed to respect players' personal decisions, but it's hard not to wonder if Emily might have stuck with the league had she landed on a team where she got some playing time. This is in no way a knock on Luckenbill, who certainly earned the Courage starter's spot. I'd still have loved to see Emily go to a team like the Power rather than bow out before her career ever really started.
Question: How can she "retire" given that she never played a single minute? That said, I really am sad that she was never given a chance. Some reporters who covered the team practices were predicting before the season started that she would finish the season as the starter. I personally never saw her in action, so I can't tell. It's too bad, but I think it probably says a lot about how much (or little) these players make. I wish her success whatever she ends up doing next.
This is really sad news. Emily was one of my favorite players on the Courage and I'm going to really miss not seeing her with the team this year. It must have been extremely frustrating for Emily to sit on the bench as Kristin Luckenbill's back-up this past season especially since during her career at Penn State, Oleksiuk set the all-time NCAA record for the most minutes played. If she had been drafted by New York, San Diego, or Boston, Emily probably would have had a much better chance to actually get some playing time. In any event, I respect her decision and wish her all the best with whatever she decides to do in the future.