With her first SheBelieves Cup roster, United States Women’s National Team head coach Emma Hayes has provided plenty of fodder for discussion, not only regarding the typical player selection and positional questions, but also some other matters, namely the misguided inclusion of just two goalkeepers.
For the second-straight international window the USWNT will be without its “Triple Espresso” trio of forwards: Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Wilson (née Smith). While in the November-December window, the reasons for all three players’s absences were injury-related, this time only Rodman’s absence was explained in U.S. Soccer’s press release as due directly to injury:
- For Rodman, the official reason given that she is “still regaining her fitness as she rehabs her back injury”.
- Wilson’s absence could be related to her ankle injury, though the reason given by U.S. Soccer was that she is “not physically ready for National Team competition”. Additionally, Wilson got married at the end of January, so part of the rationale could be an excused absence.
- Swanson has not yet reported to the Chicago Stars (Bluesky post) due to unspecified “personal reasons”, so her absence was expected. In the roster release, U.S. Soccer used the phrase “personal commitments”.
Also unavailable are some other key players, including center-back Naomi Girma, who is recovering from a minor calf injury, midfielder Rose Lavelle, who had ankle surgery during the off-season, and midfielder Croix Bethune, who is returning to fitness after suffering a torn meniscus.
As this year’s SheBelieves Cup comes at an early stage in the cycle for the next Women’s World Cup, there is the opportunity for experimenting with different players and line-ups. With the unavailability of the above players, that opportunity is both expanded and necessary.
Thus, it is not really a surprise that Hayes has selected a relatively inexperienced squad, especially after her rosters for the last two international windows. The USWNT’s 23-player roster has just six players with 60 or more USWNT caps while the remaining 17 all have 30 or less caps, with 10 of those 17 players having four or less caps.
Five players who earned their first caps in October or November 2024 were called up: Orlando Pride defender Emily Sams, who was on the USWNT’s 2024 Olympics squad, plus Utah Royals goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn*, Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan, Racing Louisville forward Emma Sears, and Royals forward Ally Sentnor.
*After the December 2024 international window, McGlynn, who previously used “Haught” as her surname, resumed using her original surname.
One other player on the roster earned her first cap last year: 17-year-old midfielder Lily Yohannes, who was named to the USA’s 2024 SheBelieves Cup squad, but did not take the field for the USWNT until June 2024, when she scored a goal in her first match, against the Korea Republic (YouTube).
Hayes has also named four uncapped players, which is likely to be the most of any of the other SheBelieves Cup teams. (Both Australia and Japan only have one uncapped player. As of February 13th, Colombia has yet to release their roster.) Those four players include Kansas City Current forward Michelle Cooper and midfielder Claire Hutton, and Angel City outside-back Gisele Thompson. All three attended the January 2025 “Futures Camp”. This is the first call-up for both Cooper and Hutton, while Gisele Thompson was a training player in June 2024.
The fourth player uncapped player is Washington Spirit center-back Tara McKeown, who was called into the USWNT’s January 2025 camp and is the only uncapped player from that camp who was named to the SheBelieves Cup roster.
Also called into this camp is Gisele Thompson’s older sister, Angel City forward Alyssa Thompson. The Thompson sisters will be the third pair of sisters called up together to the senior USWNT. The other two pairs were the Mewis sisters, Kristie and Sam (2021), and the Fair sisters, Lorrie and Ronnie (1997).
The only player returning from an extended absence is Chelsea midfielder/forward Catarina Macario, who is back for the first time since June 2024. Macario was originally named to the USA’s 2024 Olympics roster, but was withdrawn due to an issue with her right knee (U.S. Soccer press release).
With the retirement of Alex Morgan, who finished her USWNT career with 224 appearances (USWNT stats), the most-capped active player is Olympique Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps (née Horan), who has 161 senior USWNT appearances.
Two other players named to this roster have over 100 USWNT appearances: Crystal Dunn (155 caps), who recently signed with Paris Saint-Germain, and Gotham FC center-back Emily Sonnett (103 caps). Sonnett’s centurion status will be recognized on February 20th, before the USWNT takes on Colombia.
Heaps, Dunn, and Sonnett, along with Seattle Reign forward Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams), and goalkeeper Jane Campbell will be the only players over age 30 on the USA’s roster, as all other players are age 27 or under. Campbell returns for the first time since the Olympics, as she was withdrawn from the October friendlies due to a muscle injury.
Those five players essentially give the USWNT at least one veteran leader in each of the four major position categories, with the defenders having two: Sonnett, for the center-backs, and Dunn, for the outside-backs.
From the roster for the last international window, seven players were not named to the USA’s SheBelieves Cup squad. Except for goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, who has retired from international soccer, and center-back Naomi Girma, who is unavailable due to injury, four players do not have known reasons for their absences: Center-back Eva Gaetino, outside-back Casey Krueger, outside-back Alyssa Malonson, and defensive midfielder Hal Hershfelt.
The seventh not-named player is Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who has been called into the USWNT’s camp as a training player. Meanwhile, Emma Hayes has named just two goalkeepers to the USA’s SheBelieves Cup roster: Jane Campbell, from the Houston Dash, and Mandy McGlynn of the Utah Royals.
In addition to Tullis-Joyce, two others were named as training players: Angel City defender Savy King and midfielder Hannah Bebar, who just signed with Bay FC but will not be joining the team until the spring. Bebar was called into the January 2025 USWNT camp after Lynn Biyendolo was withdrawn due to a minor hamstring issue.
Outside of only naming two goalkeepers, the omission of Malonson and Hershfelt are two of the more curious decisions for this SheBelieves Cup roster.
(roster discussion continues below)
See Also:
- Japan roster announced — Washington Spirit’s Narumi Miura returns, Utah Royals forward Mina Tanaka also called up
- Australia roster announced — Plenty of familiar names, plus “teenage sensation” Daniela Galić, the uncapped Laini Freier, and a healthy Holly McNamara
- Player Spotlights — Australia
- 2025 SheBelieves Cup — Teams, Schedule, and USA TV/Streaming Details Announced
Alphabetical Roster, By Position
Goalkeepers (2):
- Campbell, Jane (Houston Dash)
- McGlynn, Mandy (Utah Royals)
Defenders (8):
- Davidson, Tierna (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
- Dunn, Crystal (Paris Saint-Germain / FRA)
- Fox, Emily (Arsenal / ENG)
- McKeown, Tara (Washington Spirit)*
- Nighswonger, Jenna (Arsenal / ENG)
- Sams, Emily (Orlando Pride)
- Sonnett, Emily (NJ/NY Gotham FC)
- Thompson, Gisele (Angel City FC)*
Midfielders (6):
- Albert, Korbin (Paris Saint-Germain / FRA)
- Coffey, Sam (Portland Thorns)
- Heaps (née Horan), Lindsey (Olympique Lyon / FRA)
- Hutton, Claire (Kansas City Current)*
- Shaw, Jaedyn (North Carolina Courage)
- Yohannes, Lily (AFC Ajax / NED)
Forwards (7):
- Biyendolo (née Williams), Lynn (Seattle Reign)
- Cooper, Michelle (Kansas City Current)*
- Macario, Catarina (Chelsea FC / ENG)
- Ryan, Yazmeen (Houston Dash)
- Sears, Emma (Racing Louisville)
- Sentnor, Ally (Utah Royals)
- Thompson, Alyssa (Angel City FC)
Training Players (3)
- Bebar, Hannah (Bay FC)*
- King, Savy (Angel City FC)*
- Tullis-Joyce, Phallon (Manchester United / ENG)*
*uncapped
Detailed Roster
Table 1: USWNT 2025 SheBelieves Cup Roster — Basic Statistics
PLAYER P. HT. D.O.B. AGE WWC27 CAPS G. A.
Campbell, Jane GK 5'9" 02/17/1995 30.01 32.35 8 – –
McGlynn, Mandy GK 5'9" 11/03/1998 26.30 28.64 1 – –
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Davidson, Tierna DF 5'10" 09/19/1998 26.42 28.76 65 3 7
Dunn, Crystal DF 5'1" 07/03/1992 32.64 34.97 155 25 20
Fox, Emily DF 5'5" 07/05/1998 26.63 28.97 62 1 3
McKeown, Tara DF 5'7" 07/02/1999 25.64 27.98 0 – –
Nighswonger, Jenna DF 5'3" 11/28/2000 24.23 26.57 18 2 1
Sams, Emily DF 5'7" 07/01/1999 25.64 27.98 2 0 0
Sonnett, Emily DF 5'7" 11/25/1993 31.24 33.58 103 2 7
Thompson, Gisele DF 5'4" 12/02/2005 19.22 21.56 0 – –
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Albert, Korbin MF 5'8" 10/13/2003 21.36 23.70 22 1 1
Coffey, Sam MF 5'6" 12/31/1998 26.14 28.48 28 1 2
Heaps, Lindsey MF 5'9" 05/26/1994 30.74 33.08 161 36 37
Hutton, Claire MF 5'6" 01/11/2006 19.11 21.45 0 – –
Shaw, Jaedyn MF 5'6" 11/20/2004 20.25 22.59 21 8 1
Yohannes, Lily MF 5'8" 06/12/2007 17.69 20.03 2 1 0
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Biyendolo, Lynn FW 5'7" 05/21/1993 31.75 34.09 75 21 13
Cooper, Michelle FW 5'3" 12/04/2002 22.21 24.55 0 – –
Macario, Catarina FW 5'5" 10/04/1999 25.38 27.72 19 8 3
Ryan, Yazmeen FW 5'6" 02/25/1999 25.99 28.33 4 0 1
Sears, Emma FW 5'9" 02/23/2001 23.99 26.33 3 1 1
Sentnor, Ally FW 5'4" 02/18/2004 21.01 23.35 2 0 0
Thompson, Alyssa FW 5'4" 11/07/2004 20.29 22.63 13 1 1
--- TRAINING PLAYERS -----------------------------------------------------------
Bebar, Hannah MF 5'4" 09/05/2001 23.46 25.80 0 – –
King, Savy DF 5'5" 02/07/2005 20.04 22.37 0 – –
Tullis-Joyce, Phallon GK 6'0" 10/19/1996 28.34 30.68 0 – –
Key:
- P. = Playing Position, per press release
- Ht. = Height
- D.O.B. = Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy format)
- Age = Calculated age as of the first match of the SheBelieves Cup (February 20)
- WWC27 = Calculated age as of the first day of the 2027 FIFA WWC (June 24, 2027)
- Caps = Official senior appearances for the USWNT
- G. = Official senior goals scored for the USWNT
- A. = Official senior assists for the USWNT
Sources: Heights and date of births are primarily from the 2024 USWNT Media Guide and FIFA tournament rosters. Caps and goals are from the roster release. Assist numbers are from each player’s profile on the U.S. Soccer website.
Roster Discussion: By Position
Goalkeepers
Only two ‘keepers were named to the USA’s SheBelieves Cup roster, Jane Campbell, who has eight caps, and Mandy McGlynn, who earned her first call-up and cap last October, while a third, Phallon Tullis-Joyce, was named as a training player.
One reason given by Hayes for including Campbell is that she had been injured and missed the last two USWNT camps (FOX Sports article).
Not called in is 28-year-old Casey Murphy, who has 20 caps. Both she and Campbell have comparable major tournament experience, as each has been a backup and/or alternate for two FIFA tournaments.
With the retirement of Alyssa Naeher from the USWNT, one of Emma Hayes’s priorities is finding the team’s next starting goalkeeper as well as a complement of backups. Murphy is more of a known quantity, with 20 USWNT caps, so the reason for her exclusion could be simply a preference to try Campbell and McGlynn at this time.
Two other goalkeepers from the USWNT’s January camp were not called up: Seattle Reign’s Claudia Dickey and Angel City’s Angelina Anderson.
The explanation given by Hayes for bringing just two goalkeepers “was in part due to the ability then to bring in an extra field player, because SheBelieves being in NWSL preseason is so physically taxing on outfield players” (Bluesky post, quote may have been paraphrased).
Including just two goalkeepers goes against one of the purposes of friendly tournaments like the SheBelieves Cup: The format is designed to simulate a group stage at a major tournament such as a FIFA Women’s World Cup, a Summer Olympics, and a Concacaf championship (see the Jill Ellis quote in this 2019 roster release).
Since the 2015 edition of the FIFA WWC, the roster size has been 23 players, which is the same size as the rosters for this year’s SheBelieves Cup. For FIFA WWCs, the requirement of three goalkeepers is well-established, as that has been included in the regulations for the last five editions of the tournament (FIFA WWC regulation PDFs: 2023, 2019, 2015, 2011, 2007). By replacing a goalkeeper with a field player on the roster, the similarity to a Women’s World Cup or Olympics football tournament is decreased.
While including an additional field player to reduce the possibility of injury to other field players is a legitimate rationale, that needs to be balanced against the probability of injury to a field player forced to play goalkeeper in a situation where the two rostered goalkeepers are unavailable. A field player in that situation almost certainly does not have significant experience playing as a goalkeeper. That player’s inexperience could lead to an awkward incident with an opposing team attacker or even a teammate that could injure either the goalkeeper and/or the other player.
Defenders
The USA’s SheBelieves Cup roster includes eight listed defenders, which is one less than the roster for the last international window. Besides Naomi Girma, who has a calf issue and has yet to debut for Chelsea, three other defenders from the November-December roster were not called up: Center-back Eva Gaetino, plus outside-backs Casey Krueger and Alyssa Malonson.
Krueger’s absence is not surprising, given her age (34) and the fact that she was not called into the USWNT’s January 2025 camp.
However, the omission of Bay FC’s Malonson is more curious, especially given that the player she surpassed on Albertin Montoya’s depth chart for left outside-back, Savy King, was named as a training player for this window. King was recently traded to Angel City, ostensibly in hopes of more playing time.
The only other defender from the January 2025 camp not named to this roster is the uncapped Ryan Williams, who plays as a right outside-back for the North Carolina Courage.
From the January 2025 “Futures Camp”, only one defender was named to the SheBelieves Cup roster: Angel City right outside-back Gisele Thompson. Thompson has played in two FIFA youth Women’s World Cups (U-17 in 2022 and U-20 in 2024) as well as the 2023 Pan-American Games. One other “Futures” defender, Savy King, will be in the USWNT’s camp as a training player.
The other right outside-back on the roster is the experienced Emily Fox, who is more defensive-minded than the younger Thompson sister.
On the left flank of the USWNT’s back four will either be Fox’s new Arsenal teammate, Jenna Nighswonger, or the oldest player on the roster, Crystal Dunn, who recently signed with PSG. Nighswonger still needs to develop her defensive abilities in order to lock up a starting slot over Dunn, who has some higher defensive metrics compared to Nighswonger (CBS Sports article).
In central defense, Emily Sonnett and Tierna Davidson will be the veteran pairing in the absence of Naomi Girma. The only other match-tested pairing possibility is Sonnett and Orlando Pride’s Emily Sams, who played the full 90 in last October’s second Iceland friendly.
The fourth center-back on the USA’s roster is the uncapped Tara McKeown, who was primarily a forward until being converted in 2023 by the Washington Spirit. McKeown also has youth international experience as an outside-back, most notably when she was a member of the U-20 USWYNT in 2018. That year, she played in the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup with two current USWNT defenders: Naomi Girma and Emily Fox. McKeown’s first senior USWNT call-up was the January 2025 camp.
Midfielders
From the November-December international window, except for Rose Lavelle, who is recovering from ankle surgery, only Washington Spirit defensive midfielder Hal Hershfelt does not return.
Hershfelt was also among the midfielders called into the January 2025 USWNT camp who were not named to this SheBelieves Cup roster. Savannah DeMelo, who was a member of the USA’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad, Nealy Martin (uncapped), and Ashley Sanchez are the other midfielders from that camp who were not called in this time.
Jaedyn Shaw is listed as a midfielder for the second-straight camp, after being listed as a forward for all her previous camps under Hayes.
The one uncapped player is Kansas City Current 19-year-old midfielder Claire Hutton, who was a member of the USA’s third-place squad at the 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup. Hutton played in 22 regular season matches and two playoff matches for the Current last year, averaging about 76 minutes per appearance (NWSL stats). Hutton is the lone midfielder called up from last month’s “Futures Camp”.
The most experienced midfielder is 30-year-old Lindsay Heaps (née Horan), who is likely looking at a backup role if she makes the roster for the next Women’s World Cup.
The next youngest midfielder is Portland Thorns defensive midfielder Sam Coffey, who is 26. The other four midfielders are all age 21 or under.
The youngest player on the USA’s squad is attacking midfielder Lily Yohannes, who will turn 18 in June. Since 2023, Yohannes has been a regular starter for AFC Ajax. In November 2024, Yohannes announced her commitment to play for the USA. She could have been eligible to play for the Netherlands WNT, but does not yet have Dutch citizenship.
The continued inclusion of Paris Saint-Germain’s Korbin Albert is and will be controversial among a subset of the USWNT’s fans (The Athletic article). Primarily utilized as a holding midfielder, Albert can also be used at other central midfield roles. In her sophomore season at Notre Dame (player profile), she scored 16 goals, including a hat-trick against Florida State and braces against Duke, Santa Clara, and Wake Forest.
Forwards
As the USWNT builds toward the next FIFA Women’s World Cup, the absence of Rodman, Swanson, and Wilson creates both an opportunity and a necessity to try out different forwards and get them valuable experience, especially as there is no guarantee that all three members of “Triple Espresso” will be available and fully healthy for the next WWC. Additionally, it is likely that at least one of the trio could be superseded as a starter by a younger player.
From the November-December international window, all forwards return, though Jaedyn Shaw is now listed as a midfielder.
Three of the six forwards from the January 2025 USWNT camp return. The three players that did not were Ashley Hatch, Ella Stevens (uncapped), and Morgan Weaver.
With the return of Catarina Macario, she will be a player to watch, especially in the absence of “Triple Espresso”. Something else to watch is where Hayes utilizes Macario, as she primarily plays in the midfield for Chelsea FC, behind center forward Mayra Ramírez of Colombia. Though, in Hayes’s last year as the head coach of Chelsea, she used a 4-4-2 system (Sky Sports feature). In that formation, Macario either started as a forward or replaced a forward as a substitute.
The only uncapped forward called up is 22-year-old Michelle Cooper of the Kansas City Current. She is also the only forward from January’s “Futures Camp” who was named to this SheBelieves Cup roster. Cooper turned pro in 2023 after two seasons as a Duke Blue Devil (player profile). For the 2024 NWSL season, Cooper appeared in 21 of 26 regular seasons and both of the Current’s playoff matches, while starting a total of 17 matches. She tallied three goals and registered three assists over all 23 matches.
After debuting at Wembley during the last international window, Utah Royals forward Ally Sentnor returns for her third USWNT camp. Sentnor captained the U-20 USWYNT at the 2024 FIFA Women’s World Cup and was awarded the Bronze Ball as the third-best player at the tournament.
Racing Louisville forward Emma Sears is the tallest forward on the roster at 5’9″. She made her debut against Iceland in October and scored in the same match (YouTube), thus joining the USWNT’s “first goal in first cap” club.
The Houston Dash’s Yazmeen Ryan also debuted last October, but has yet to score her first international goal.
Ryan, who will turn 26 during the SheBelieves Cup is a full five years younger than Lynn Biyendolo, who is the only forward with substantial international experience. All the other forwards have less than 20 USWNT caps. Biyendolo will be 34 at the next WWC and is unlikely to make the squad for that tournament. However, at this stage of the cycle, her experience and leadership justifies her inclusion, especially in the absence of Swanson and Wilson.
Angel City forward Alyssa Thompson found her groove after the Olympic break last year, scoring five goals over five matches. In October 2024, she scored her first USWNT goal (YouTube).
Notes and Notables
NWSL Team Representation
All but two of the current NWSL teams have players named to the SheBelieves Cup roster. Angel City has the most, with three players, while, four teams have two players each. The only clubs without any players are the Chicago Stars and the San Diego Wave.
Counts By Team:
- Angel City FC: 3
- Bay FC: 1
- Chicago Stars: 0
- Houston Dash: 2
- Kansas City Current: 2
- NJ/NY Gotham FC: 2
- North Carolina Courage: 1
- Orlando Pride: 1
- Portland Thorns: 1
- Racing Louisville: 1
- San Diego Wave: 0
- Seattle Reign: 1
- Utah Royals: 2
- Washington Spirit: 1
Including the training players, Angel City has 4 players in this camp and Bay FC has 2 players.
League Distribution
Of the 23 players on the USWNT’s SheBelieves Cup roster, 16 currently play in the NWSL. England’s Women’s Super League and France’s Première Ligue both have three players. The remaining player, Lily Yohannes, plays in the Netherlands in the Vrouwen Eredivisie.
In list form, the counts per league:
- NWSL (USA): 16
- Première Ligue (France): 3
- WSL (England): 3
- Vrouwen Eredivisie (Netherlands): 1
Including the training players increases the NWSL’s count to 17 or 18, depending on whether Bebar, who has yet to join Bay FC in the de facto sense, should be excluded or included. Meanwhile, the WSL’s count would be four.
Birthdays
Two players on the USA’s roster will celebrate birthdays during the SheBelieves Cup: Emma Sears will turn 24 on the second match day, February 23rd, and Yazmeen Ryan will turn 26 on February 25th, one day before the final pair of matches.
Two other rostered players will have milestone birthdays during the international window: Jane Campbell hits the big 3-0 on February 17th. The next day, on the 18th, Ally Sentnor turns 21.
U.S. Soccer press release: “Hayes Names 23-Player USWNT Roster for 2025 SheBelieves Cup, Presented by Visa”
Women's Soccer Express 