‘My job is to develop more leaders’ - USWNT roster takeaways from Emma Hayes’ NWSL-exclusive squad and Trinity Rodman’s return

Headlining the roster release is the return of Trinity Rodman, who made just one appearance for the USWNT in 2025 and had not featured since the 2024 Olympics, where the Americans won gold. Rodman was named to Hayes’ January camp roster with her club affiliation listed as “unattached.”

Rodman has been central to recent conversation around the National Women’s Soccer League’s newly introduced “High Impact Player” rule, a mechanism designed in part to help retain top domestic stars. Even so, her plans for 2026 remain unclear. Rodman is a free agent and has been gauging interest from overseas, leaving her short-term future unresolved.

That uncertainty quickly became a talking point on Thursday, with Hayes facing questions about Rodman almost immediately when she spoke to reporters following the roster announcement.

"I know she has been working hard in the offseason just to keep developing her resiliency and her robustness," Hayes said. "I think with regards to the free agency piece, we haven't discussed that, [it's] still ongoing...I think that when Trin has time to have something to say on that, then she will when the time's right for that. But as of the moment, I don't have any new updates on it."

Hayes then touched the health status of Rodman, who's been faced with an ongoing back injury over the course of the last year before adding a joke about her boyfriend, tennis player Ben Shelton.

"I think when it comes to the playing front, I don't know where she's at, like I haven't seen Trin train or play... all I can say is I saw her having a foot race with Ben Shelton on the tennis court the other day."

Hayes strikes a balance between being protective of her players and trusting them. When a player like Rodman indicates she is healthy and ready, Hayes is willing to take her at her word and back that judgment.

With the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup drawing closer, Hayes was clear about the purpose of this window, calling it the “last opportunity” to evaluate new players ahead of the tournament cycle.

Following the January camp - which includes matches against Paraguay and Chile - the USWNT will shift its focus to the SheBelieves Cup. For Hayes, that tournament will mark a turning point, with selections beginning to resemble the core group she envisions for the 2027 World Cup.

“I think it’s pretty fair to say that, going into SheBelieves, it will be whittled down,” Hayes said. “Without question, I will pick the strongest possible rosters from February onwards.”

The SheBelieves Cup, now entering its 11th year, will take place during the first week of March.

Beyond results, Hayes also sees the January camp as an opportunity to accelerate leadership development within a younger group.

“What a great opportunity to start to develop next-generation leaders,” Hayes said. “I haven’t decided who that will be yet - they still have to come into camp = but I would absolutely relish the chance to start developing players who may not be part of the leadership group now, but will be tomorrow’s leaders.”

Selecting players for camps, particularly those that fall within a FIFA window, is rarely straightforward. Hayes, however, kept her explanation simple when asked about the challenge.

“You can only pick the players that are available,” she said.

Last January camp the stakes were different, there weren't any games and Hayes decided to hold a Futures Camp with up and coming prospects in the youth national team system. 

While this year there are two games and no Futures Camp, Hayes has relied heavily on the personnel from the Under-23 team. 

"I talk so much about the 23s, and when I speak with Heather Dyche about the impact Riley Jackson and Maddie Dahlien had in camp for her and how consistent their performances have been, or how good Reilyn Turner's back end of last season was. And yes, ordinarily, if we had the European-based players or Gotham players, we might not see these players. But that's the opportunity that presents itself."

Hayes has consistently emphasized the importance of expanding the playing pool and taking a long-term view of player development - themes she has returned to publicly and reflected in her roster decisions since taking over the USWNT.

"The January camp is an opportunity to actually look at players that might have an impact for some. Some might push into '27, but actually '28, I still have to prepare for that, as well as the World Cup," she said. "There will be ample playing time for everybody because of the stage of the season that the realities are in game one, at least five players have to play 90 minutes, but I can make six changes."

Depth has rarely been a concern for the USWNT at the No. 10 position. The same cannot always be said at No. 9. When Sophia Wilson was sidelined on maternity leave, Hayes turned to Cat Macario to fill the role of a central striker, even though Macario is more naturally suited to operating as a No. 10.

“Listen, it’s competitive for that number 10 position,” Hayes said. “So you have to be at the top end and performing.”

That distinction matters, particularly for this January camp. Traditional No. 10s such as Rose Lavelle, Jaedyn Shaw, Lindsey Horan and Olivia Moultrie are either unavailable or absent, with the roster featuring no Gotham FC players and no players based abroad. Of that group, only Moultrie is in camp.

Rather than forcing the issue, Hayes opted to bring in alternative options capable of handling the role. The group includes 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune, young call-up Riley Jackson, and Kansas City Current veteran Lo’eau LaBonta.

The camp presents a genuine opportunity for Bethune in particular. She has remained in the picture — earning selection to the 2024 Paris Olympics roster — but has struggled with injuries and consistency. If she can stay healthy and find rhythm, she could firmly reinsert herself into the No. 10 conversation.

With Alyssa Naeher retired from international duty, the question facing the USWNT has been clear: who takes over as the long-term No. 1 goalkeeper?

While the program has rotated through several capable options in recent years - including Casey Murphy and Jane Campbell - Hayes effectively began with a clean slate last year, using the cycle to evaluate the entire goalkeeping pool. After nearly a full year of assessment, Hayes spoke to the media on Thursday and was direct about which two keepers currently sit at the top of her depth chart.

“I feel strongly about Claudia [Dickey] and Phallon [Tullis-Joyce] at this time,” Hayes said.

Tullis-Joyce was not named to the January camp roster due to her club commitments with Manchester United during the FIFA competition window, but Hayes still referenced her as one of her leading options.

“I think Claudia’s in a strong position,” Hayes added. “I think it’s fair to say that she and Phallon have been given more of the minutes over this period of time. Phallon obviously can’t join this camp because she’s a European-based player, but I’ll get the chance to see how Mandy’s progressing in her preseason.”

Dickey is joined in camp by Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals) and Jordan Silkowitz (Bay FC).

Between them, Dickey, McGlynn, and Silkowitz have a combined 10 international caps. Dickey accounts for six of those and has started the last four matches for the USWNT. McGlynn has four caps, while Silkowitz remains uncapped but earns her second senior call-up.