5 Elite USWNT and NWSL Players Who Came Back After Injury
The NWSL is a league of powerful athletes who consistently defy expectations. But even the toughest players are not immune to injury. These five stars faced career-threatening setbacks, battling through grueling recoveries and doubts to make stunning comebacks.
Christen Press
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We all know the triumphant story of Angel City’s Christen Press, who was sidelined for two years following her ACL injury in 2022. A complicated recovery forced her into four different surgeries, casting doubt on the star’s return. But, in August 2024, she made her first appearance back against San Diego Wave, scoring a penalty kick that helped LA seal the win.
“It never even dawned on me to give up. That’s just how I’m wired,” Press said to ESPN.
Trinity Rodman
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Washington Spirit’s Trinity Rodman’s back is relentless. For three years, she’s faced back spasms and pain, and in a September 2024 game against KC Current, was wheeled off the pitch in a wheelchair after falling to the ground. Rodman is not only a critical player for The Spirit, but is also a star of the U.S. Women’s National Team, appearing in every single USWNT game over the past two years.
Unfortunately, Rodman’s spasm came to a head in the NWSL final against Orlando Pride on November 23. “I decided to stay in the game. I could have pulled myself out. That’s not an excuse but I wasn’t the Trin that I wanted to be today,” she told ESPN.
Regardless, Rodman helped bring the team to the final and registered five shots in the game.
Lynn Williams
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Lynn Williams is no stranger to injury. She tore her hamstring in 2022, missing the entire season. Additionally, Williams injured her arm during her Gotham FC debut in March 2023, but that didn’t stop her. She had the medical team wrap her arm in a splint, and got back out on the field, scoring the game winning goal against Angel City.
“I’m not one to pull myself out of the game,” she said in a Just Women’s Sports article. “It’s an arm. I need my legs to play soccer, not my arm.
Jaedyn Shaw
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After suffering a training injury just a day before she was to take the pitch in the Olympics, Jaedyn Shaw was sidelined from play as the youngest member of the roster. Shaw came back to the NWSL regular season with the San Diego Wave and returned to the international stage with the U.S. Women’s National Team during the October international break, showing off the impressive skills and star quality that landed her on the roster in the first place.
“Every single one of our locker room is over the moon for Jaedyn Shaw, knowing what she experienced in the summer,” Coach Emma Hayes said in a press conference.
Abby Dahlkemper
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Bay FC’s Abby Dahlkemper is no stranger to back pain. She has a history of spondylolysis, a stress fracture in the lower back. This caused her to have transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion surgery. She was off the pitch for a year, finally returning post surgery to the San Diego Wave against the OL Reign. Now, the veteran defender is back in her hometown and playing with Bay FC, on contract until 2026.
Image via @christenpress
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