Laken Litman
College Football & Soccer Analyst
Emma Hayes has named 23 players to the U.S. women’s national team’s SheBelieves Cup roster, only 12 of which were on the gold-medal winning Olympic team last summer.
Before digging in, know that there are some big stars sitting out. Trinity Rodman (still regaining her fitness as she rehabs a back injury), Mallory Swanson (personal commitments) and Sophia Smith (not physically ready for USWNT competition) will once again miss camp. So will Rose Lavelle (recovering from ankle surgery) and Naomi Girma (recovering from calf injury).
However, there is good news: Catarina Macario is back. The Chelsea star has not played for the USWNT since June 1, 2024 due to knee irritation that held her out of the Paris Olympics — a roster she initially made but was forced to withdraw from because of that injury. She’s played 13 games for her club this season, started five, and has scored five goals with two assists. Ironically, Macario made her valiant return to the national team at last year’s SheBelieves Cup after a much longer injury layoff.
The 10th annual SheBelieves Cup takes place in Houston (Feb. 20 vs. Colombia), Glendale, Ariz. (Feb. 23 vs. Australia) and San Diego (Feb. 26 vs. Japan).
“This team is still growing, and I continue to be impressed with the dedication of our player pool to get better, individually and as a group,” Hayes said in a statement. “With many players at the beginning of their club preseasons, we’ll be patient with them but at the same time, we’re going to maximize the time we have together.
“We are facing three excellent teams with three very different styles and the tournament will be a great test to see who can perform against world-class players, but to see that, we need to give them opportunities. We have put in a lot of thought on how best to accomplish that while continuing to evolve and putting out a team that can win, so every game should be a lot of fun for the staff, the players and the fans.”
Since the U.S. won gold at the Olympics, Hayes has spent the last several months broadening the player pool. She’s given opportunities to younger players, held a Futures Camp alongside the senior team’s January training camp, and said she hoped to have a “core group” by the time this tournament rolled around.
While there are significant names not participating in this window, it’s notable which young players have clearly made impressions on the coach. For example: 19-year-olds Claire Hutton and Gisele Thompson, as well as 22-year-old Michelle Cooper earned their first senior call-ups after attending the Futures Camp in January. Thompson’s inclusion, along with her older sister Alyssa, marks only the third time in program history that a pair of sisters have been on the same roster. Tara McKeown, 25, made her first senior team roster at the January camp, and is the fourth uncapped player in this group.
Hayes also named three training players who will not be on the game day rosters, but will train with the squad for the duration of the tournament. All three – Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, Angel City defender Savy King and Bay FC midfielder Hannah Bebar – are uncapped.
Meanwhile, the average age of the squad is 24.9, while the average number of caps per player on this roster is 33.2. Captain Lindsey Heaps (formerly Horan) – who got married in December – leads the way with 161 camps and 36 goals.
USWNT SheBelieves Cup Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; 8), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 1)
DEFENDERS (8): Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 65/3), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 155/25), Emily Fox (Arsenal FC, ENG; 62/1), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit; 0/0), Jenna Nighswonger (Arsenal FC, ENG; 18/2), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride; 2/0), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham FC; 103/2), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 0/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA; 22/1), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC; 28/1), Lindsey Heaps (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 161/36), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current; 0/0), Jaedyn Shaw (North Carolina Courage; 21/8), Lily Yohannes (Ajax, NED; 2/1)
FORWARDS (7): Lynn Biyendolo (Seattle Reign FC; 75/21), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current; 0/0), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC, ENG; 19/8), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash; 4/0), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 3/1), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals; 2/0), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC; 13/1)
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of “Strong Like a Woman,” published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman.
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