The 2024 NWSL draft included some immensely talented players, including the likes of Ally Sentnor, Croix Bethune and others towards the top of the draft. However, at 12th overall, San Diego Wave FC took center back Kennedy Wesley.
Despite Wesley’s tremendous success both before and during college, she has quietly flown under the radar. Now, Wesley is emerging as one of the most consistent and reliable defensive forces in the NWSL, and is gaining momentum at the international level with the 2027 World Cup on the horizon.
Kennedy Wesley’s early success on the pitch
Wesley was born in Santa Monica, California but calls Seal Beach her hometown. Growing up in the Los Angeles area, soccer very quickly became a mainstay in her life from a young age. As a youth, she played her club ball with the SoCal Blues, one of the most prominent clubs in Southern California. She found tremendous success with the Blues, winning the 2015 Elite Clubs National League U15 Championship with the club. It was also during this same time that Wesley popped up on the national radar, earning time with the United States Youth National Teams.
Wesley found just as much success at the high school level as she did with the SoCal Blues, attending Valley Christian High School. Her best ball in high school was played during the 2016-17 season, posting a ridiculous 22 goals and 9 assists across 17 games. This superhero-season led to a California state championship and the honor of Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year.
Impressive play on the pitch in high school, combined with excellence in the classroom, earned Wesley the right to continue her soccer journey at the prestigious Stanford University. She finished her high school career with 30 goals and 17 assists across just 25 games played.
From So-Cal to the Bay Area
Wesley arrived in Palo Alto in 2019, marking the beginning of what would be a five-year collegiate career with Stanford. Naturally, playing in the back line meant Wesley’s impact wasn’t reflected on the stat sheet, as she went her first four years of college without a goal. However, in her final season with Stanford, Wesley flipped the script, posting four goals and six assists with the team.
The biggest achievement of Wesley’s career at Stanford was her durability and consistency. Over the course of 106 games in her five seasons at Stanford, Wesley appeared in a whopping 104, setting a school record for games played. Additionally, she started 92 games total, which included starting 78 of a possible 79 games from 2020-2024.
When the dust settled on Kennedy Wesley’s time at Stanford, she had racked up numerous accolades, including winning a national championship in 2019. On an individual level, Wesley appeared on the All-Pac 12 first team, second team, and third team throughout the points of her collegiate career.
Instant Impact in San Diego
After an incredible five years at Stanford, Wesley headed back to Southern California after being selected 12th overall by San Diego Wave FC in the 2024 NWSL Draft. San Diego selected Wesley with the hope she would provide instant stability in their back line.
Wesley’s rookie season in 2024 proved to be a success, playing in 13 games and starting 12 of them. She showed her defensive prowess from the get-go, leading to her even winning NWSL Rookie of the Month in September of the 2024 season. Although the Wave didn’t have a particularly strong 2024 season, Wesley and the rest of the squad were still able to bring home the NWSL Challenge Cup.
It was in 2025 that Wesley really started to settle into NWSL life. She saw an uptick in time on the pitch, starting 20 of 22 games played on the season, as she continued to be one of the club’s most reliable defenders on the field. With her defensive production and reliability, San Diego and Wesley agreed on a new contract, keeping her with the Wave through at least 2028.
International usage on the upswing
Throughout Wesley’s soccer career, she appeared on several United States Youth National Teams. It was in 2025 that Wesley saw her first game action with the senior USWNT. In October 2025, Wesley would see her first international action in a game versus New Zealand, in which she started for the U.S. in a 6-0 win.
Since then, Wesley has made three more appearances for the squad, and looks to be someone who could see an uptick in playing time for the USWNT as the international competitions like the 2027 World Cup swiftly approach.
Featured image via @sandiegowavefc
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