USWNT SheBelieves Cup Roster Blends Veteran Leadership with Emerging Talent
Lindsey Heaps, Rose Lavelle, Naomi Girma make their returns; Sophia Wilson, Mallory Swanson absences create opportunities as "Triple Espresso" reunion awaits
When the U.S. Women’s National Team takes the pitch next month for the 11th edition of the SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa, the midfield might feature captain Lindsey Heaps earning her 171st cap beside Riley Jackson earning her second.
The juxtaposition encapsulates the sentiment head coach Emma Hayes expressed to the media on Tuesday after naming the 26-player roster for the upcoming tournament.
“As long as players are competing and performing,” Hayes said, “then everybody, no matter your age, no matter your experience, are all challenging for the jersey.”
The 2026 She Believes Cup roster displays a wider spectrum of experience than the ones Hayes has put together for previous USWNT windows. The average caps per player heading into the first match is 30.4 compared to the January camp roster, which averaged 6.6 ahead of the 2026 opener against Paraguay.
While the return of more veteran players like Heaps, Emily Sonnett and Rose Lavelle indicates a transition towards narrowing down the pool ahead of World Cup qualifying in November/December, Hayes is still providing opportunities for less experienced players to challenge for a spot on those rosters.
“You’ve got to create competition, but to create competition, you’ve got to give people experiences,” Hayes said. “I expect more competition as a result of the decisions we made last year, but you have to perform. That's the bottom line. And if you perform, then you're going to give yourself an even better shot of retaining it.”
Several of the players in camp earned this opportunity due to those who weren’t available for selection. Two-thirds of the “Triple Espresso” attacking trio – Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson – have yet to return since the births of their daughters, leaving just Trinity Rodman, who scored in both January matches against Paraguay and Chile to represent the trio who were so dangerous and effective for the USA at the 2024 Olympics. Catarina Macario, who scored a team-leading eight goals for the U.S. in 2025, is also unavailable due to injury.
Those absences left openings for Jackson and forward Maddie Dahlien, who are players Hayes said she has watched develop with the U.S. Youth National Teams, and forward Jameese Joseph, who scored her first international goal against Chile in what was her second cap.
“[Jameese] impressed me all week,” Hayes said, “and in particular in the (Santa Barbara) game, because I think she's got a combination of things that we look for in terms of her ability to hold up the play really, really well and stretch. Being a center forward at the highest level, you're not going to get a lot of opportunities, and you've got to take them. I felt she was clinical in what she did, and I want to see more of her in that position.”
Meese kicking off 2026 with her first international goal 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lwcesCp4qj
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) January 30, 2026
Meanwhile, the return of Sonnett and Naomi Girma, who were both absent from the January camp roster, creates more competition on the defensive end. With Emily Sams and Tierna Davidson unavailable for the tournament, Tara Rudd, Jordyn Bugg and Kennedy Wesley were the three defenders Hayes said were ones to watch as she solidifies a defensive unit.
“When you've got such experience in players like Girma and Sonnett,” Hayes said, “and then a big gap below, it's always a balance between developing them and developing the players who at this current time, are my starting center back pair. But I don't know who's going to be available for selection come the World Cup qualifiers. My job is to develop a squad to put themselves in the best position to do that.”
There is also competition among the goalkeeper group as Hayes is still giving chances within the position since the retirement of Alyssa Naeher in late 2024. Claudia Dickey, Mandy McGlynn and Phallon Tullis-Joyce combine for just 16 total caps and are the only goalkeepers among the 32 players who have earned their first caps under Hayes. Dickey and McGlynn earned clean sheets during the January camp but both are in their NWSL preseasons. Meanwhile, Tullis-Joyce has helped Manchester United to second place in the WSL table through 16 matches as well as to a deep run in the UFEA Women’s Champions League.
Whether this is their first SheBelieves Cup or their eleventh, the USWNT players are pushing for another title through both experience and youth. The tournament will be a first glimpse at a core group Hayes is forming that can win now while still building for the future.
Nashville, Columbus, and NJ, we will see you soon 👀
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 18, 2026
🎟️ https://t.co/u7SDVvwwVI pic.twitter.com/zJ06wo09xW