The USA women's sevens team is searching for an identity.

As the Eagles kick off the HSBC World Series in Dubai this week, the biggest question marks surrounding the squad are not related to its individual pieces but instead how the USA will perform as a collective.

In essence, what is second-year coach Richie Walker's vision?

For a few years now, it's been a struggle to see that vision. However, the expectation, or at least the hope, is that the 2017-18 campaign will provide some answers.

In recent years, it's seemed like the Eagles have wanted to challenge their opposition physically but have generally struggled to do so. Overall, the squad has been small and built for staying out of contact and keeping the ball moving. And yet, too often the Eagles have taken the tackle rather than made the pass, and too often they have stayed in a line spread out rather than followed the pass to be in support.

That seemed to change in the later tournaments. With Naya Tapper, especially, providing that injection of pace, the Eagles started to a play a little more to the style they needed.

In addition, Walker started picking more players who could mix it up in the tight. One example is Sara Parsons, who drags defenders with her every time she is tackled and causes problems in the breakdowns.

The Bruisers

If you take a look at this USA squad for Dubai, you will see that the physical side of the game hasn't been overlooked. Jordan Gray is a powerful presence, just as she was for BYU. A No. 8 in 15s, she's an enforcer, as is Parsons. Abby Gustaitis is the same sort of powerful player — big, strong, and maybe a bit angry.

The Tackle-Breakers

Kelsi Stockert is kind of an all-around player — she has been capped in 15s as a wing but is strong enough to be a hooker and can be effective in other positions. However, her biggest attributes are that she puts ball-carriers on their backs and she breaks tackles. It's that tackle-breaking ability that will allow her to set up teammates.

Tapper's leap forward came when she started to do that, and teammate Kiki Morgan provides the same combination of pace and desire. Morgan, who started playing rugby at Brown, has embraced some rugby opportunities around the world and has been learning, which is always a good thing to see in a young player.

Alev Kelter, of course, leads the way in the idea of playing with some grit and attitude. You could picture Kelter and Stockert perhaps teaming up to just punish ball-carriers all day long.

The Scrappy Playmakers

There are smaller players on this team, too. But over time we're starting to see the right kind of small player. They are fast or shifty and able to glide or wriggle out of trouble. They are smart enough not to go face-to-face with a player 50 pounds heavier but tough and strong enough to hold their own when wrapped up.

Ryan Carlyle is a scrapper, as is captain Nicole Heavirland. Tia Blythe and Sarah Buonopane just have moves. And Megan Foster seems to drift out of trouble. 

This USA squad has a good combination of player types but still has to play a system that fits its personnel. The Eagles can't win by physicality alone — although the lineup is better suited to a physical game than before — and they can't just depend on passing to the fast player and watching her work. But an offense that moves the ball, tests defenses' fitness, and dominates contact when it needs to can be very, very effective.