Former Arizona Western Women's Soccer player Yui Suetsugu has been invited to participate in the inaugural season of NWSL (National Women's Soccer League) Combine. The event is being touted as, "A first for the league. A new stage for the next generation." The combine will be held this month in Florida. 

For us to have a player that now has the opportunity to be a part of the first NWSL combine which is the highest level of women's professional soccer in the United States, it just shows the incredible opportunity for a player we had," Arizona Western Women's Soccer head coach Victor Verdugo said. "How the combine works, Yui has an opportunity to get a contract there. If she is offered a contract, she would be our first player ever to play in the NWSL. It would be quite a feat."

Suetsugu played the 2023 season at Memphis University before landing with Arizona Western as a sophomore for the 2024-25 season. In 20 games with Arizona Western, Suetsugu scored 21 goals and added five assists for a team high 47 points along with four game winning goals. 

After her time as Ariziona Western, Yui Suetsugu joined the University of South Florida for the 2025-26 season. This season, Suetsugu appeared in 20 games for the Bulls scoring one goal and adding two assists. 

The NWSL Combine and Youth Combine are exclusive, invitation-only events for top soccer talent, designed to provide NWSL clubs with a centralized platform for scouting. The Combines will be held in December 2025 in Florida, with each session capped at 60 players. A league-wide scouting network identifies players for both the NWSL and Youth Combines.

"All of the teams in the NWSL are sending scouts, the front office, instead of a draft it's now a combine," Verdugo said. "I know Yui is on some team's radar, she getting some looks and I think Yui because of her characteristics as a player, has the possibility to be on any roster because she is the special and different player that we are looking for at every level."

The NWSL Combine (U18-23) focuses on college-aged and post-college players, providing them with performance testing, competitive matches, and direct interaction with NWSL clubs to showcase their readiness for the professional level.

The Youth Combine (U13-17) aims to identify rising talent, offering training sessions, competitive matches, and off-field educational workshops. This event serves as a crucial link between youth development and professional soccer, preparing young athletes for their transition to the next level.