Recent graduate and Penn women’s lacrosse midfielder Anna Brandt is trading in the Red and Blue for the Red, White, and Blue.
On June 3, the Penn women’s lacrosse program announced via Instagram that Brandt had officially received an invitation to attend US Lacrosse’s National Team training camp ahead of the Pan-American Women’s Lacrosse Championship. Brandt is one of 34 players to receive a call-up, joining a field that includes 16 gold medalists and four Tewaaraton winners.
“I never really thought this would be a possibility,” Brandt said. “I'm super excited anytime I get to wear the USA penny or uniform or to just be alongside the best in the world. It's such an honor and privilege.”
The invite comes as no surprise as the four-year starter wrapped up one of the most impressive careers in program history. Brandt will be leaving at the top of the program record books for the most career goals (206), goals in a single season (64), goals in a single game (9), and career draw controls (214). Brandt also comes in third on the all-time points list, racking up 215 points across four seasons. After being named to the Second-Team All-Ivy as a rookie, Brandt would earn three straight unanimous First-Team All-Ivy nods, including two Ivy League Midfielder of the Year honors in 2023 and 2025.
After an impressive senior campaign that came to a close in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse tournament, Brandt earned a slew of All-American honors, including Inside Lacrosse First Team All-American, USA Lacrosse First Team All-American, and First Team International Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-American. And for the first time in program history since 2008, Brandt brought home an IWLCA positional award, earning IWLCA Midfielder of the Year honors.
Despite all of these achievements, Brandt is already looking toward her post-college career. Five years ago, playing lacrosse professionally wasn’t on her radar. Yet Brandt finds herself in the position where she can extend her time playing the game that she loves. On May 21, Brandt was drafted by Boston Guard coach Laurie DeLuca and attacker Charlotte North to feature in the Women’s Lacrosse League’s All-Star Game that is set to take place on July 4 in Kansas City, Mo.
Brandt is still getting used to the transition from collegiate to professional play, but she is more than excited by what the future has to offer. The Ivy League is one of the top women’s lacrosse collegiate divisions in the entire country, and playing against top-notch competition day in and day out has prepared Brandt well for a potential professional career. And especially at Penn, the stability offered by coach Karin Brower has provided an environment in which Brandt has grown and excelled.
“The Ivy League has become one of the most competitive conferences in women's lacrosse, which has been so cool to not only see but also to be a part of,” Brandt said. “It's finally getting some of the respect that it deserves, because you've got these really good schools … so I think it just speaks to the coaching and the level of talent that these Ivy League programs are recruiting.”
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Brandt is excited by the prospect of being able to call former college rivals teammates and to be playing alongside legends of the game, such as North. But at the end of the day, Brandt is simply just grateful for the opportunities she now has, many of which didn’t exist when she was playing the game as a kid.
“I'm still navigating [the transition] day by day, but I'm just so grateful that I still get the opportunity to play the game, and that this isn't the end, which is really nice to know,” Brandt said. “When I was, like, growing up, I think the highest form of the game was at the college level. There really wasn't much else after graduation. So to have that opportunity just speaks volumes to how much the game has grown.”
The US Lacrosse National Team training camp will be held from June 9-11 at USA Lacrosse headquarters located in Sparks, Md. There, Brandt will take the field to compete for a spot on the final 22-player roster led by head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein that will compete at the Pan-American Lacrosse Association continental qualifier slated to take place at the end of the month.
“I'm just really looking forward to seeing how I can grow my game, how I can get better, … seeing what I can do with the sport I love,” Brandt said. “I'm just kind of taking it day by day and savoring it all while I can because nothing truly does last forever.”
