For the first time since January 2020, the United States Under-18 Women’s Youth National Team is holding a full camp. Prior to this current camp, U.S. Soccer most recently held two “combined” U-18/U-19 camps in 2023 (January 2023 camp press release, April 2023 camp press release). Those camps only had a total of 34 and 23 players, respectively.
Here, a full complement of 24 players, all born in 2007, have been called up for a U-18 USWYNT camp that will run concurrently with a U-19 USWYNT camp that is also being held at the same facility in Fayetteville, Georgia.
The players in this U-18 camp have an outside shot of making the USA’s roster for the upcoming Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, which kicks off in late May. Meanwhile, the 24 players selected for this week’s concurrent U-19 camp likely have the inside track to the 21 spots for the qualifying roster.
Three players called into this camp are current NWSL professionals: Forward Mary Long of the Kansas City Current, defender Zoe Matthews of the Houston Dash, outside-back Katie Scott of the Kansas City Current. The Washington Spirit’s Chloe Ricketts was originally named to the roster, but was withdrawn on Sunday, March 30, due to an injury (USYNT x.com post).
Just six players are currently on NCAA teams, while the remaining 15 non-professionals are still in high school. One of those players, defender Emma Johnson plays for Lexington SC of the USL Super League via an amateur contract. All 15 non-pros have known NCAA commits.
Seven players who were members of the USA’s third-place squad at the 2024 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup have been called into this U-18 camp: In addition to forward Mary Long and outside-back Katie Scott, the other five players are goalkeeper Wicki Dunlap; defenders Kiara Gilmore, Leena Powell, and Jocelyn Travers; plus midfielder Y-Lan Nguyen.
Georgia forward Mya Townes, who was one of the more curious absences on the USA’s 2024 FIFA U-17 WWC roster, is attending her first U.S. youth national team camp since August 2024.
The Houston Dash’s towering quasi-rookie Zoe Matthews was previously called into a U-19 camp last October. The 6’2″ Matthews is a center-back candidate who has previously trained with the senior Jamaica women’s national team.
Jen Klein, who is currently the head coach of the University of Michigan women’s soccer team (profile), will be in charge of this camp, which runs from Monday, March 31, to Tuesday, April 8.
In addition to the U-19s, three other youth national teams are active the first week of April 2025:
- The U-23s are training in Carson, California, concurrently with the senior USWNT.
- The U-17s are attempting to qualify for the 2025 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
- The U-20s (most of whom were born in 2005 and thus too old for next year’s U-20 WWC) are holding a camp in Kansas City, Missouri.
Alphabetical Roster, By Position
Parenthetical Key (Current Team / Team Type; Expected High School Graduation Year, NCAA commit if known; Hometown)
- Collegiate team names link to the player’s team profile
Goalkeepers (3):
- Dunlap, Wicki (North Carolina Courage Acad. / Youth; 2026, Virginia; Raleigh, N.C.)
- Nakfoor, Daphne (Slammers FC HB Køge / Youth; 2025, UCLA; Carlsbad, Calif.)
- Nelson, Nyamma (Portland Thorns Acad. / Youth; 2025, Northwestern; West Linn, Ore.)
Defenders (8):
- Bello, Edra (San Diego Surf SC / Youth; 2025, Southern California; San Diego, Calif.)
- Chu, Tyra (Nationals SC / Youth; 2025, Minnesota; Sterling Heights, Mich.)
- Gilmore, Kiara (Wisconsin** / NCAA; Allen, Texas)
- Johnson, Emma (Lexington SC / USL SL; 2026, Penn State; Greenfield, Ind.)
- Matthews, Zoe (Houston Dash / NWSL; Southlake, Texas)
- Powell, Leena (Tudela FC / Youth; 2025, UCLA; Culver City, Calif.)
- Scott, Katie (Kansas City Current / NWSL; Fairview, Penn.)
- Travers, Jocelyn (Bay Area Surf SC / Youth; 2025, Duke; Santa Cruz, Calif.)
Midfielders (6):
- Atehortua, Sofia (UCLA / NCAA; Trumbull, Conn.)
- Cross, Riley (Penn State / NCAA; Chatham, N.J.)
- Kemmerley, Keira (Penn Fusion SA / Youth; 2025; Northwestern; Berwyn, Pa.)
- Nguyen, Y-Lan (Virginia Dev. Acad. / Youth; 2025, Stanford; Fairfax, Va.)
- Puerta, Ashlyn (Florida State / NCAA; Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.)
- Ring, Kennedy (World Class FC / Youth; 2025, Penn State; East Greenbush, N.Y.)
Forwards (7):
- Ajeto, Ryder (Legends FC / Youth; 2026, Florida State; Henderson, Nev.)
- Devey, Bella (North Carolina / NCAA; Draper, Utah)
- Long, Mary (Kansas City Current / NWSL; Mission Hills, Kan.)
- Maxwell, Kylie (Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals; 2025, Wake Forest; Langhorne, Pa.)***
- McLanahan, Rylee (Solar SC / Youth; 2026, Florida; Edmond, Okla.)
Ricketts, Chloe (Washington Spirit / NWSL; Dexter, Mich.)***- Strawn, Sealey (Solar SC / Youth; 2026, North Carolina; Prosper, Texas)
- Townes, Mya (Georgia / NCAA; Aldie, Va.)
*Player is apparently attending their first proper U.S. youth national team camp.
**In the press release, Kiara Gilmore’s listed team is the Wisconsin Badgers, but there is no conclusive evidence that she is a current University of Wisconsin student.
***On Sunday, March 30, Ricketts was withdrawn due to an injury and replaced by Kylie Maxwell (USYNT x.com post).
Detailed Roster
Table 1: U-18 USWYNT Roster for March-April 2025 Camp — Heights and Ages
PLAYER P. HEIGHT D.O.B. AGE
Dunlap, Wicki GK 5'10" 11/06/2007 17.41
Nakfoor, Daphne GK 06/15/2007 17.81
Nelson, Nyamma GK 6'0" 2007
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Bello, Edra DF 5'8" 06/08/2007 17.83
Chu, Tyra DF 5'6" 2007
Gilmore, Kiara DF 5'10" 02/11/2007 18.15
Johnson, Emma DF 5'3" 07/20/2007 17.71
Matthews, Zoe DF 6'2" 05/25/2007 17.86
Powell, Leena DF 5'7" 10/03/2007 17.51
Scott, Katie DF 5'6" 06/20/2007 17.79
Travers, Jocelyn DF 5'5" 10/10/2007 17.49
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Atehortua, Sofia MF 5'1" 03/15/2007 18.06
Cross, Riley MF 5'7" 09/18/2007 17.55
Kemmerley, Keira MF 5'7" 2007
Nguyen, Y-Lan MF 5'3" 06/02/2007 17.84
Puerta, Ashlyn MF 5'4" 02/27/2007 18.10
Ring, Kennedy MF 5'9" 2007
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Ajeto, Ryder FW 5'7" 02/11/2007 18.15
Devey, Bella FW 5'7" 04/23/2007 17.95
Long, Mary FW 5'10" 01/24/2007 18.20
Maxwell, Kylie FW 2007
McLanahan, Rylee FW 5'5" 08/14/2007 17.64
Strawn, Sealey FW 5'3" 10/01/2007 17.51
Townes, Mya FW 5'7" 07/29/2007 17.69
--- WITHDRAWN -------------------------------------
Ricketts, Chloe FW 5'3" 05/23/2007 17.87
Key:
- P. = Playing Position, per press release
- D.O.B. = Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy format)
- Age = Calculated age as of April 5, 2025 (the date of the first USWNT match this international window)
Sources: Heights and dates of births are primarily from FIFA youth WWC squad lists and USWNT media guides. Team profiles and recruiting profiles (PrepSoccer.com, HUDL.com, et cetera) were also used.
Notables
(Apparent) First-Timers
Just two of the 24 players are apparently attending their first proper U.S. youth national team camp: Goalkeeper Daphne Nakfoor and midfielder Keira Kemmerley.
Youth National Team Tournament Experience
Of the 24 players called up to this U-18 camp, 11 have played in either a Concacaf and/or FIFA youth tournament. Most of those 11 players were core members of the U-17 USWYNT in 2024.
2022 Concacaf Girls’ Under-15 Championship: Ashlyn Puerta, Katie Scott
2024 Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Championship: Riley Cross, Wicki Dunlap, Kiara Gilmore, Rylee McLanahan, Y-Lan Nguyen, Leena Powell, Katie Scott, Mya Townes
2024 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup: Wicki Dunlap, Kiara Gilmore, Y-Lan Nguyen, Leena Powell, Mary Long, Katie Scott, Jocelyn Travers
U.S. Soccer press release: “U.S. Under-19 and U.S. U-18 Women’s National Teams to Hold Concurrent Training Camps in Fayetteville, Ga.” (27-Mar-2025)
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