2025 has seen a lot of change, excitement, and drama when it comes to women’s soccer. Even though it’s been a quiet year as far as major tournaments go, the USWNT has still been up to all kinds of trouble, and we’ve been here to report on all of it. Let’s take a look at the top 10 GSN USWNT moments of 2025!
Rose Lavelle’s come back
We were so happy to have Lavelle back on the pitch after battling an ankle injury for the better half of a year. In her first game back she helped the USWNT shut out Ireland by netting one of their four goals. Welcome back, Rose!
Lo’eau LaBonta’s time to shine
We’ve long since known LaBonta as the celebration queen, and now it’s our turn to celebrate her. At 32, LaBonta has finally made the USWNT roster and broken the record as the oldest player to debut for the squad. This just proves that talent goes beyond age!
The WNT Way
Emma Hayes just keeps getting better and better. This season she debuted her new coaching strategy, The WNT Way. This approach to coaching centers women’s soccer, rather than the standard approach that has been developed through coaching men. Hayes is out to set the bar for women’s soccer at a global scale with this approach.
Shrinking the pay gap
2025 was an unprecidented in sponsorship for women’s soccer. While this bump in sponsorship deals is across the sport, both international and domestic, several of the top sponsored players are USWNT members, including Lindsey Heaps, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson. This is not just a huge deal in shrinking the pay gap across the genders in sports, but a great sign that the world is more interested than ever in women’s sport.
Carli Lloyd’s Induction
This year’s class of US Soccer Hall of Fame inductees had only one woman on the list—the incomperable Carli Lloyd. As one of the best to ever do it for the USWNT, this nomination and induction came four years after her retirement.
USWNT babies
This year, we got not one but three pregnancy announcements from USWNT players. Sophia Wilson announced in March and gave birth to daughter Gianna in September, Mallory Swanson announced in May and should be due anyday now, while Lynn Biyendolo announced in October. This is the biggest baby boom this team has ever seen!
Finishing on a high note
We saw a lot of great work from the USWNT this year. Even thought the SheBelieves Cup didn’t go the way we planned, this year’s crop of players made and excellent showing. They shut Ireland out twice and finished the calendar year with four consecutive wins.
Saving Savy King
This one is maybe a bit on the heavier side, but Savy King‘s emergency medical event back in May really brought the league together and made us interrogate things as a sport. King is still recovering from surgery after collapsing during a game and being ressucitated by a teammate, but in her recovery she has turned to nonprofting. Partnering with the American Heart Association, her organization, Savy King of Hearts, like supply CPR training to all 16 NWSL teams. This initiative will make the NWSL the only American sports league to have all players and staff CPR and AED trained and certified.
Fresh faces
If there’s one thing we know about Emma Hayes, it’s that she’s going to take a chance on a young player. This year, between major tournaments, we have seen so many new and young players shine on the USWNT roster. Catarina Macario has been on fire and so has Jaedyn Shaw. We’re going to get to know the names Lily Reale, Jordyn Bugg, and Lilly Yohannes very well in these upcoming matches.
Trinity Rodman’s Return
Trinity Rodman has had a year of ups and downs. When she’s on the pitch she’s brilliant, but the injuries that have taken her off the pitch have been worrying. First a back injury benched her and then it felt like immediately she sprained her MCL. But now she is back with the USWNT and is the most sought after free agent in the world.
A lot of these things will still be buzzing in the new year, so let’s see what kind of good trouble the USWNT can get up to in 2026!
Image via @trinity_rodman
_
GIRLS SOCCER NETWORK: YOUR SOURCE FOR GIRLS SOCCER NEWS