Team USA's water polo stars to watch at Paris 2024
The rosters are set, and Team USA is ready to rock the water polo world at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Find out more about team captains Maggie Steffens and Ben Hallock, as well as goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson and top US goal scorer Alex Bowen.
Read on to get to know the key players who will be driving Team USA's quests for gold this summer.
Ay ay, captain!
Maggie Steffens: seeking to make history with fourth gold
Triple Olympic champion Maggie Steffens is widely regarded as one of the greatest water polo players in history. Together with her sister Jessica, Maggie won her first Olympic gold at London 2012, a feat she repeated at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. In 2021, Steffens set a new record for the most goals scored by an individual player in women's water polo, cementing her legacy as the sport's highest-scoring woman with 56 Olympic goals.
Entering her collegiate career as an Olympic champion, Steffens helped Stanford clinch three National Championship titles in 2014, 2015, and 2017. Her stellar performances earned her multiple NCAA Tournament MVP honors, along with MSPF Player of the Year and ACPWC Player of the Year awards.
In addition to her three Olympic titles, the American captain has also claimed five world championship titles in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2024. If Team USA wins gold in Paris, Steffens will become the first water polo player to win four consecutive Olympic gold medals. A fourth medal of any color would also tie the record tally of Olympic medals for a woman in water polo.
Steffens is a leader both in and out of the pool, set to guide the team once again in Paris. But her influence extends beyond the water, as she also recently helped secure sponsorship for the team from rap legend Flavor Flav.
Ben Hallock: Team USA’s titan
Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 245 pounds, Ben Hallock is a commanding force in the center of the pool. Hallock first made a splash in high school, where he became California state champion, and began training with the national team shortly after. Like Steffens, he also played for Stanford, and led the Cardinal to an NCAA Men’s Water Polo Championship, winning back-to-back Cutino Awards in 2018 and 2019 as the nation's top college player. Hallock debuted for the United States men's national team in Rio and the squad in Tokyo four years later.
Now playing for Italy's Pro Recco, one of the best teams in Europe, Hallock has competed alongside some of the best players in the world and helped the elite team secure two consecutive Champions League titles. The 26-year-old is poised to be a key player for Team USA at Paris 2024, where he will play alongside his college roommate and fellow national team member, Dylan Woodhead.
Goal scorers and goalkeepers
Alex Bowen: Sharpshooter
Alex Bowen, one of Team USA’s top goal scorers, is set to make his third Olympic appearance at Paris 2024. Known for his deadly accuracy and ability to balance the right side of the pool, Bowen has been an indispensable member of the national team throughout the past two Olympic cycles. His journey to the Olympics includes stints with top clubs in Serbia, Greece, Hungary, and Croatia, where he became the 2019 Adriatic League Champion, scoring 49 goals for Mladost Zagreb.
Bowen's collegiate career was equally impressive. He scored over 200 goals and became the Stanford Cardinal's first four-time ACWPC First Team All-American since 2004.
At Tokyo 2020, Bowen scored a team-high 18 goals and led all scorers at the FINA World Championships in Budapest 2022 with 21 goals, helping Team USA achieve its best finish (sixth) at a world championship in over a decade.
Bowen’s versatility is a huge asset to Team USA. As he explained, "I get to really try and help the offense as much as I can. And then defensively, picking up post-ups and trying to pick up field blocks as much as I can.”
At 29, Bowen's experience and sharpshooting will be crucial for the team's success at the upcoming Games.
Ashleigh Johnson: USA's Impenetrable Wall
Trying to keep out the Alex Bowens on the women’s side is USA goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson. And keep them out she does.
Johnson is a double Olympic champion, having protected both the goal and the US title at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. In Tokyo, she made 80 saves, the most of any goalkeeper at the Games.
The Florida native earned multiple All-American honors during her time at Princeton University, and her professional career has seen her play for top clubs in Italy and Greece, including winning the Women's LEN Trophy with Ethnikos Piraeus. At 29, Johnson continues to be a vital player for Team USA, aiming to help Steffens and the team bring home an unprecedented fourth gold medal.
Follow USA Water Polo at Paris 2024
The US women aim to continue their gold medal streak at Paris 2024. They've been drawn in Group B, alongside Greece, Italy, Spain and hosts France. Their opening match is against Greece on 27 July.
The American men are in Pool A, where they will compete against major teams like the reigning world champions Croatia and the Tokyo 2020 silver medallists Greece. They are set to face Italy in their opening match on 28 July.