National Women’s Soccer League experts and fans predicted Texas duo Lexi Missimo and Trinity Byars would be top prospects in the 2024 draft, had they declared for it. But the two stars weren’t done with collegiate soccer yet.
Missimo and Byars added their names to the Texas record books in 2023. In the NCAA tournament first-round matchup against Lamar, then-junior forward Byars surpassed Kelly McDonald Freeman’s record of 46 career goals. Missimo wrapped up the season leading the country in total points with 72.
Texas ended its season after a third round in the NCAA tournament with a 5-0 loss against Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida. Returning for their senior years, the duo aims to make it further in the bracket.
“I think we had a lot of unfinished business,” Byars said. “Coming into a new conference, I think we have a lot to prove. As we return our starting 11, we have some really good chances of winning some titles.”
The rest of the team knew they weren’t finished either, as all 11 starters from 2023 are back in for the inaugural season at the SEC.
Byars and Missimo’s friendship goes back to when they were five, and the pair have been committed to working with head coach Angela Kelly since the eighth grade.
“This is a 12-year relationship that I have with both of them,” Kelly said. “There is no combination of players in this country that have set themselves up for more points, whether that be assists or goals. (Missimo) and (Byars) led the country last year with goals and assists, that’s something they’ve done their whole lives. Above the importance of us keeping the ball, is putting the ball in the back of the net. The hardest thing to do in our sport is to score a goal, and those two make it look really easy.”
The Longhorn senior class includes some of the most elite names on the roster and, along with graduate students, makes up eight of the starters.
“When breakaways become commonplace, and your goalkeepers are doing breakaway saves, (it) feels like we’re doing breakaway finishing,” Kelly said. “It’s very uncommon around the country but it seems like it’s very common here.”
Kelly was not surprised when her players announced they were coming back for another season.
“Everyone in thew country was telling me they weren’t (coming back),” Kelly said. “I would always giggle and say, ‘Well, as their college coach, we haven’t had that conversation yet.’ But that’s been going on since they’ve been in eighth grade, people wanted them to go pro every year. This is the first year that they didn’t go into that draft.The truth of the matter is — they want to finish what they started.”
The goal for the season? Make it further in the NCAA tournament and come home with some hardware.
“The job’s not finished,” Missimo said. “We’re hoping to get to the Final Four and win a national championship.”
