USWNT Roster Takeaways: Girma, Thompson and More Return for SheBelieves Cup

The first big test of the year is here for the U.S. women’s national team. And, as promised, the strongest possible roster has been called up for the 2026 SheBelieves Cup.

On Tuesday, USWNT manager Emma Hayes named a 26-player roster for the tournament, which will feature three matches against Argentina, Canada and Colombia.

“The SheBelieves Cup is a fantastic tournament which gives us the opportunity to replicate the group stage of a FIFA tournament,” said Hayes. “Three quality games in quick succession also allow us to replicate conditions that will prepare us for the World Cup qualifying campaign this fall.

“As always, we want to keep developing our player pool to be more and more prepared. As we gain more experience, I expect our standards to keep improving.”

The USWNT open up the international window against Argentina on Sunday, Mar. 1 at GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tenn, before heading to ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio, to take on Canada three days later.

The 2026 SheBelieves Cup concludes with the USWNT taking on Colombia on Saturday, Mar. 7, at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J.

USWNT Roster: SheBelieves Cup 2026

Position (Club: Caps/Goals)

Goalkeepers (3)

Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign FC; 7/0)
Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals; 5/0)
Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United; 4/0)

Defenders (9)

Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign FC; 6/0)
Emily Fox (Arsenal; 71/1)
Naomi Girma (Chelsea; 50/2)
Lilly Reale (Gotham FC; 6/0)
Tara Rudd (Washington Spirit; 10/0)
Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC; 113/2)
Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC; 5/0)
Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave FC; 3/0)
Kate Wiesner (Washington Spirit; 3/0)

Midfielders (8)

Sam Coffey (Manchester City; 42/5)
Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes; 170/38)
Claire Hutton (Bay FC; 13/1)
Riley Jackson (North Carolina Courage; 1/0)
Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC; 116/27)
Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; 13/5)
Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC; 31/9)
Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes; 13/1)

Forwards (6)

Maddie Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC; 2/0)
Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars FC; 2/1)
Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit; 49/13)
Emma Sears (Racing Louisville FC; 14/6)
Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current; 15/6)
Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea; 26/3)

European Stars Return

Goal scorer Alyssa Thompson 🗣️

🎥 @ChelseaFCW pic.twitter.com/IicFSfPXaY
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 9, 2026

The top story is the return of the many European stars that missed the January window due to obligations with their club teams.

Among those to return are captain Lindsey Heaps, vice-captain Naomi Girma, Emily Fox, Lily Yohannes, Sam Coffey, Alyssa Thompson and first-choice goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

All seven players could well be starters, and their return is a sign that Hayes now has her core group back together to build momentum ahead of World Cup qualifiers in November.

Gotham Back in the Fold

Rose Lavelle (16) and Italy midfielder Manuela Giugliano (6) battle for the ball. — Rose Lavelle adds some hugely valuable experience. | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Also missing the January window were players from Gotham FC due to the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.

The quartet of Lilly Reale, Emily Sonnett, Rose Lavelle and Jaedyn Shaw are back on the roster, and they too could be regular starters for Hayes—the prominence of Gotham and European-based players in the team stronger than ever before.

Lavelle (116) and Sonnett (113) are the second and third most capped players on this USWNT roster, though they are some way behind skipper Heaps—a winner of 170 caps on the international stage.

Croix Bethune Misses Out After January Heroics

Croix Bethune in action for the USWNT at Harder Stadium. — Croix Bethune may be a little unfortunate to miss out on selection. | Will Navarro-Imagn Images

The biggest, and most surprising, omission from the USWNT roster is midfielder Croix Bethune, who was arguably the breakout player from the previous camp. In friendlies against Paraguay and Chile, Bethune got her first international goal and assist, and drew significant praise from Hayes.

“I think it’s been the best camp I’ve seen from Croix, in terms of her approach, her application,” the former Chelsea manager told the media in January. “I can feel that Croix is going to take another level in her game.”

For Bethune to star for the USWNT but not be invited back is a surprise. Her exclusion from the USWNT also comes hot on the heels of the 24-year-old moving from the Washington Spirit to the Kansas City Current for a hefty $1 million.

Will Ally Sentnor Take Her Chance?

On a freezing night in London, England 🥶@USWNT foward Ally Sentnor joins the podcast!

Tune In: https://t.co/ZpQtbKUn1T pic.twitter.com/D8ZthDJVtV
— U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) February 4, 2026

A surprise inclusion for this roster is hybrid winger/forward Ally Sentnor, who was not on the USWNT’s roster in January and instead traveled with the U23 group for a couple of friendlies in Europe.

Hayes has been keen to keep movement between the senior group and the U23 group pretty fluid. Last year, Jaedyn Shaw was placed in the U23s in May and then was bumped back into the senior group in October.

Sentnor is in a tight battle to keep her spot. The USWNT’s forward pool is incredibly deep and competitive, and the battle for places is expected to intensify when Sophia Wilson and Mal Swanson return from maternity leave.

Since moving to the Current in August 2025, Sentnor has struggled for minutes and impact in the National Women’s Soccer League. She made 11 appearances and had zero goal contributions down the stretch of last season.

Inconsistency has hurt Sentnor, but this window is a huge opportunity for the 21-year-old to impress Hayes and show she can fulfil her potential. The question is, will she take her chance?