Shaw Made History in 2022 as Youngest Player to Score in Debut NWSL Match

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Jan. 6, 2023) –  San Diego Wave Fútbol Club’s Jaedyn Shaw was voted the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year after a standout rookie season in the NWSL and a solid performance at the 2022 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup. Shaw joins a long line of talented players to win the U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year Award, like Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach and fellow Wave FC teammate Naomi Girma.

“It means everything to me to be a part of the list of players who have won this award, but it also tells me I have so much work to do to keep improving and growing. I just feel super honored and blessed and it’s an amazing way to start the year. I want to say thank you to everyone who voted for me and to all the National Team coaches I’ve worked with since the U-14 level and to my coaches on the Wave. Thanks also to all my teammates who have pushed me and will continue to push me. All of this makes me even more excited to get going with this NWSL season and to get back into camps with the Youth National Teams. I’m just excited for what’s to come and I wouldn’t be where I am today without God’s grace and favor over my life.”

Jaedyn Shaw, San Diego Wave FC Forward/Midfielder

Shaw, who turned 18 last November, entered the NWSL via the Discovery Process and signed her first professional contract with the Wave on July 18. She made her pro debut on July 30, scoring 28 minutes into her first game and first start against the Chicago Red Stars. The goal turned out to be the game-winner in the Wave’s 1-0 victory, and she got on a plane the next day to join the U.S. U-20 WYNT for its pre-World Cup training camp in Houston, Texas.

The Texas native not only became the youngest player to score in her first National Women’s Soccer League match, but remarkably, scored in three of her first four professional matches, finishing the season year with three goals — one with her left foot, one with her right and one with her head – in seven games spanning 378 minutes played, helping the Wave reach the NWSL semifinals.

“I’m really pleased that the talent Jaedyn has has been recognized. Jaedyn has an extremely high ceiling and has such a bright future in front of her.”

Casey Stoney, San Diego Wave FC Head Coach

Shaw made a late run to earn a spot on the roster in Costa Rica, but then she played in all three matches, starting two, in what was her first FIFA World Cup. She ended the year with seven U-20 caps and three goals, scoring against Costa Rica, Mexico and the Netherlands, the latter two to help the USA win the Sud Ladies Cup in Aubagne, France. Shaw is age-eligible for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Twenty-two of the 25 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year winners have earned caps with the full USWNT and 15 of them have gone on to play in a FIFA Women’s World Cup.

About San Diego Wave Fútbol Club

San Diego Wave Fútbol Club is the 12th and newest member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). The club’s vision is to be a force for good through the game of football and is led by President Jill Ellis, former head coach of the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) and two-time World Cup champion. Together with Head Coach Casey Stoney, the club is bringing the highest level of world-class, professional soccer to San Diego. USWNT standouts Alex Morgan and Abby Dahlkemper were two of the first players signed to the club, which consists of athletes representing five international soccer federations, including the US, Canada, Sweden, England and Australia. The new Snapdragon stadium serves as Wave FC’s permanent home, where San Diego broke the record for both the NWSL Playoff attendance record and the NWSL regular-season record, with 26,215 and 32,000 fans. Wave FC also made history in 2022 as the first expansion team to make the playoffs before advancing to the NWSL Semi-Final. Learn more about the club and players at www.SanDiegoWaveFC.com.