USWNT prospect Catarina Macario will skip her senior season at Stanford, turning pro

U.S. Women’s National Team prospect and Stanford University star Catarina Macario has announced that she will forgo her senior NCAA season in order to begin her professional career.

Macario’s decision comes ahead of the 2021 NWSL Draft, which takes place on Wednesday, January 13. The 2019 MAC Hermann Trophy winner is widely considered as the NCAA’s top overall prospect. If she enters the NWSL Draft, she will likely be selected No. 1 overall.

However, it remains possible that Macario could head to Europe in lieu of the NWSL, according to the Equalizer’s Jeff Kassouf:

Hearing that Catarina Macario has not been at Stanford training this week ahead of USWNT camp. Not a huge surprise there, but something to watch: multiple sources tell me she has offers from some top European clubs. That would be a big loss for the NWSL.

— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) January 8, 2021

The 21-year-old Brazilian-born forward scored a remarkable 63 goals over the course of just 68 games during her college career at Stanford. She helped lead the Cardinal to NCAA Division I National Championship victories in both 2017 and 2019.

Macario, earned her first call-up to the senior U.S. Women’s National Team in October 2020, shared her decision today on social media:

From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Stanford! pic.twitter.com/4gmOu0OPF2

— Catarina Macario (@catarinamacario) January 8, 2021