There was a bit of a surprise when BYU women’s soccer released its roster for the 2025 campaign:
Lynette Hernaez Bryant’s name wasn’t on it.
The Cougars’ star goalkeeper suddenly stepped away from soccer just before the start of the season, and while the move may have been somewhat unexpected to some, she felt it was inspired by God.
“Soccer is not where I want a (professional) career in, like playing pro soccer. It’s been so much fun, but I really want to focus on what I want to do and what I want to accomplish in my marriage now and what I want to accomplish in the future,” Bryant said in a recent appearance on the “She Rises with Rachel Clare” podcast.
“But soccer is still around. I’m hoping to get into coaching now and just focusing on continuing to grow and where God needs to take me.”
Bryant spent the past two seasons as BYU’s primary goalkeeper, starting in 35 contests with 129 saves and nine shutouts. She earned All-Big 12 Freshman honors in 2023 and was part of the Cougars’ squad that was one of the last four teams standing in the NCAA Tournament.
But before BYU, Bryant was taught by missionaries and baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a high schooler in Southern California.
Following a year at Washington State, the once highly-recruited prospect elected to put soccer on hold and go on a mission of her own, serving in the Utah Salt Lake City South mission.
Bryant transferred to BYU after her mission, where she met her now-husband Mark Bryant, a member of the Cougars’ track and field program. The couple was married in Los Angeles in June.
“Soccer led me to all my big life accomplishments,” Bryant said. “It led me to the gospel. It led me to one of the best universities in the country, and it led me to my husband. So at this point in my life ... soccer has given me everything that I needed, and it has done everything that it possibly could give me.”
