OKLAHOMA CITY (July 3, 2024) — The U.S. Women’s Elite Team has arrived in Nagoya, Japan ahead of the 2024 Japan All-Star Series scheduled to take place July 4-8. The world-ranked No. 1 Team USA will compete against No. 2 Japan in a three-game series held at different softball venues across three Japanese cities. Thanks to the hospitality and efforts made by the Japan All-Star Series Organizing Staff, the U.S. will have the opportunity to participate in a series of training sessions ahead of the event while experiencing the culture and traditions of the three Japanese cities off the field.
The highly anticipated annual event featuring Japan and the U.S. showcases the best talent from across the globe, while providing both countries with opportunities to continue growing and developing the game at the highest level.
- Game 1: Thursday, July 4 at 7 p.m. JST (5 a.m. CT) – Nagoya, Japan
- Game 2: Saturday, July 6 at 2 p.m. JST (12 a.m. CT) – Mt. Fuji, Japan
- Game 3: Monday, July 8 at 7 p.m. (5 a.m. CT) – Yokohama, Japan
The Japan All-Star Series has consistently provided an exciting experience for fans since its inception in 2016 where the inaugural series at the Tokyo Dome attracted over 31,000 fans. The event continues to prove popular across Japan, with last year’s three-game series drawing over 15,000 fans over the three-day event. The U.S. Women’s Elite Team aims to improve on their performance from the 2023 Japan All-Star Series, where they suffered a hard-fought 1-2 series loss to Team Japan. Due to live streaming restrictions in Japan, USA Softball is unable to provide streaming of this event at this time. To follow along via live stats, please follow the 2024 U.S. Women’s Elite Team on GameChanger.
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Five current student-athletes, six 2024 graduates and three former student-athletes have been selected to represent the U.S. in the 2024 Japan All-Star Series. Among them, two athletes (Ciara Briggs and Taryn Kern) will be representing the U.S. for the first time in their careers, while six athletes will return to the international stage after competing in the 2023 Japan All-Star Series. The roster includes athletes from four different athletic conferences: SEC (seven athletes), Big 12 (four athletes), Pac-12 (four athletes), and ACC (one athlete), who collectively represent ten NCAA Division I universities. Oklahoma has the highest number of athletes on the roster with three, followed by Florida, Kentucky, LSU, and Stanford with two each. Clemson, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, UCLA, and Washington are also represented with one athlete each.
Click here to view the 2024 Japan All-Star Series roster »
The Japan All-Star Series roster will be led by two-time Olympian, Kelly Kretschman, who enters her first season as head coach for the Women’s Elite Team. Kretschman has been involved with USA Softball as both an athlete and coach since 2003, participating in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, while also assisting with training for the 2021 Olympic team. Alisa Goler (Western Illinois) and Rachel Lawson (Kentucky) will be joining Kretschman for their first stint on a WNT program coaching staff, while Cody Thomson (Utah Valley) returns after spending the 2023 season with the WNT.
To learn more about the U.S. Women’s National Team Program, visit USASoftball.com.