Conversation so far:
What was Abby Wambach's time like with the team in 2002?
With Mia Hamm out for the first half of the season for knee surgery and recovery, the Freedom found themselves in sixth place.
How did Abby contribute to the team?
Wambach assisted on Hamm's 64th-minute goal, the team's second goal, after the Courage's Danielle Fotopoulos scored an own goal in the 31st minute.
Did she win any awards that year?
Five days before the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, the first World Cup that Wambach would play in.

Question: What happened before the World Cup that year?
Self-contained rewrite: What happened to Abby Wambach before the World Cup in 2003?