McCool, U.S. Teammates Can't Help But Marvel at Chloe Humphrey

CHENGDU, China — As the seconds counted down on the field-level scoreboard at Chengdu No. 7 High School Eastern Campus, Taylor Moreno scooped the ball from her defensive endline and launched it upfield. 

Moreno’s pass met a cutting Marie McCool, who dodged toward the cage with four seconds left in the third quarter of Saturday’s matchup with Czechia, until she heard the voice of Chloe Humphrey calling her name. She turned her head and saw the youngest player on the U.S. Women’s Sixes roster at the crease, eager to receive a feed.

McCool didn’t have to think twice about allowing Humphrey the chance to score.

“The great thing about Chloe is there’s a difference between a pass to anyone or a Chloe pass,” McCool said. “You know she’s going to catch it and make some sort of play.”

Humphrey snagged the pass from McCool, lowered her arms and fired a shot between her legs past Czech goalie Katerina Najemikova. The goal was another reminder to the lacrosse world about the potential of the 20-year-old who is in the midst of one of the best calendar years in the history of the sport.

Humphrey’s statement goal was the exclamation point for a six-goal, five-assist performance in the U.S. Women’s Sixes National Team’s 32-8 victory over Czechia on a scorching hot morning in Chengdu. She had two goals and two assists in an 11-goal third quarter that helped the U.S. pull away after a cold start to win Pool B with a trip to The World Games 2025 semifinals on tap.

Just one year ago, Humphrey watched as the U.S. U20 National Team — a roster she competed to make before an injury ended her hopes — won gold in Hong Kong, China. In the months that followed, she announced her presence to the American lacrosse community, leading North Carolina to a national championship and winning the Tewaaraton Award as a redshirt freshman.

In Chengdu this summer, she is on her way to announcing her presence to the world.

“I didn’t have China on my summer bucket list,” Humphrey said. “I don’t know if I’ve had a chance to let everything sink in, but it feels like I’m living the dream.”

Humphrey hasn’t stopped playing lacrosse at a high level since January, transitioning from the college season to the U.S. Women’s National Team circuit. It’s the kind of workload that would challenge even the most elite of athletes.

“Never!” she joked about whether she was tired. “Maybe physically, but mentally, I love this game so much.”

Humphrey was a junior at Darien (Conn.) High School when The World Games were played in 2022. That summer, she also watched as stars like Sam Apuzzo, Marie McCool and Charlotte North helped the U.S. win gold in the World Lacrosse Women’s Championship.

Now, she joins a roster that includes three other Tewaaraton winners — and she’s feeling right at home, even if she has to pinch herself.

“I’ve watched highlights of every player on this team,” she said. “I just love learning from them and taking it all in.”

Even when she was in Chapel Hill preparing for the gold medal run, she had someone who could help her understand the experience of playing in a foreign country and what it takes to win gold.

McCool, the North Carolina assistant, traveled from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to the U.S. Women’s staging camp in Los Angeles. She and Humphrey have spent plenty of time together over the last eight months, establishing a connection that is paying dividends across the world.

“I’ve never seen anything like her,” McCool said. “Her work ethic is something the coaches have never seen before. She doesn’t just focus on one part of her game, like shooting or dodging. She’s always trying to learn — even in Los Angeles, she’s coming up to me asking, ‘Did I do this right?’”

Their closeness shows when the U.S. take the field in Chengdu.  

“We always know where each other is on the field,” McCool said. “I know if I pass it to her that she’ll be able to get a great shot off.”

Humphrey has earned the trust of the rest of her U.S. teammates, and she sits in a tie for first on the team’s points leaderboard with 20.

McCool is excited for the future.

“This has been a lot of fun,” McCool said. “But I still get three more years with her at Carolina.”