Jaedyn Shaw Bio
Jaedyn Reese Shaw (born November 20, 2004) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward or attacking midfielder for Gotham FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team. She signed with the San Diego Wave at age 17 in 2022, becoming the NWSL’s second-youngest player at the time. In 2023, she helped the club win the NWSL Shield and was named to the NWSL Best XI.
Shaw has represented the United States across multiple youth levels and the senior team, winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup. After three seasons in San Diego, she moved to the North Carolina Courage before joining Gotham FC in a record intraleague trade, winning the 2025 NWSL Championship in her first season with the Bats.
Early Life and Background
Jaedyn Reese Shaw was born and raised in Frisco, Texas, in the United States. She was born to her Vietnamese-born mother, Ann, and her Black father, Lance, and grew up alongside an older sister and a younger brother. As a two-year-old, she began playing while attending her older sister’s games, and from a young age she set her sights on becoming a professional soccer player.
Her parents made significant sacrifices to support her goals. In one stretch, the family of four lived in a one-bedroom apartment to afford travel for out-of-state and international training, and her parents set aside vacations and personal milestones to manage the financial demands. For part of her youth, Shaw lived two blocks from Toyota Stadium, home of FC Dallas and the National Soccer Hall of Fame, and has spoken about her many early memories there.
Shaw played for ECNL club Solar SC from age five to eight, and later featured for the FC Dallas youth academy, helping the club win the under-15 championship in 2018. She also played futsal extensively and has credited the small-sided game with sharpening her technical ability and her understanding of space.
Path to Soccer
In April 2019, at the age of 14, Shaw verbally committed to joining the Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, beginning in the 2024 season. At 15, she was invited to train with the French first-division club Paris Saint-Germain. In spring 2022, she joined the Washington Spirit for pre-season and was named in the club’s initial preseason roster.
Her development continued through Solar SC and FC Dallas, where she played at the youth level and helped capture an under-15 championship. In 2022, Top Drawer Soccer rated her as the second-ranked prospect for the high school class of 2023, underscoring her status as one of the country’s top young talents.
Jaedyn Shaw Career
Early Career (2018–2021)
Shaw was part of the United States U-15 team that won the CONCACAF Girls’ Under-15 Championship in 2018. She scored two goals in the final, a 3–0 victory over Mexico, and earned the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. These early appearances established her as one of the country’s most promising young forwards.
At the U-20 level, she scored two goals in three matches to help the United States win the Sud Ladies Cup in Aubagne, France, in early 2020. She was later named to the USA U-20 roster for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, becoming one of two NWSL players on that squad.
San Diego Wave Breakthrough (2022–2024)
In July 2022, Shaw signed with San Diego Wave FC through an NWSL discovery process that allowed for an amendment of the league’s age restrictions. Thirteen days after signing, on July 30, she started against the Chicago Red Stars at 17 years and eight months old, making her the second-youngest player to compete in the NWSL at that time.
She scored the game-winning goal in the 27th minute of her debut, becoming the youngest NWSL player to score in their first match. Shaw went on to find the net against the Washington Spirit and Angel City in September, becoming the second player in NWSL history to score in each of their first three league appearances. She finished her rookie campaign with three goals in seven matches.
In August 2023, Shaw signed a multi-year contract with the Wave through the 2026 season. During the 2023 season, she scored the most goals as a teenager in NWSL history and helped the Wave claim its first-ever NWSL Shield, earning NWSL Best XI honors along the way.
North Carolina Courage (2025)
On January 14, 2025, the North Carolina Courage announced that they had acquired Shaw in a trade with San Diego. The deal sent the Wave $300,000 in allocation money, $150,000 in intraleague transfer fees, and an international spot in the 2025 and 2026 seasons, along with further possible allocation money and transfer fees.
Gotham FC Era (2025–Present)
On September 11, 2025, Gotham FC announced that they had acquired Shaw in a trade by sending the North Carolina Courage a league-record $1.25 million in intraleague transfer fees. She went on to notch two goals and one assist in the 2025 playoffs, including a goal and an assist in the opening match against the Kansas City Current, helping Gotham FC win the 2025 NWSL Championship in her first season with the club.
Driving Style and Strengths
Shaw has played across all attacking roles, including as a winger, center forward, and attacking midfielder, and prefers to play as a forward. She is known for seeking and recognizing openings to receive the ball and for her creativity under pressure, combining physical strength with technical control to protect possession and the agility to turn defenders. Her signature move is to drag the ball back under her foot to force defenders off balance, and she is an ambidextrous passer.
Notable Events and Milestones
Shaw became the youngest NWSL player to score on debut in 2022 and, in 2023, set the record for most goals as a teenager in NWSL history. She also became the first player in U.S. Women’s National Team history to score in her first four and then first five senior starts, a run that began during the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup and continued at the 2024 SheBelieves Cup.
Jaedyn Shaw Career Wins
Across her club and international career, Jaedyn Reese Shaw has accumulated major team trophies and individual recognition. She won the NWSL Shield with the San Diego Wave in 2023 and the NWSL Championship with Gotham FC in 2025, and added international titles with the United States at youth and senior levels.
San Diego Wave Highlights
Shaw’s standout moments with the Wave included a debut goal against the Chicago Red Stars in 2022 and a multi-goal month that made her the second NWSL player to score in each of her first three league appearances. In 2023, she set the NWSL record for goals as a teenager and helped the Wave win its first-ever NWSL Shield.
Other Wins and Performances
With the U.S. youth national teams, Shaw won the 2018 CONCACAF Girls’ Under-15 Championship and earned the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. At the senior level, she won the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup, where she was again named Golden Ball, the 2024 SheBelieves Cup, and Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Games.
Jaedyn Shaw Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Shaw is the daughter of Ann, a Vietnamese-born mother, and Lance, a Black father. Her parents made significant financial and personal sacrifices to support her youth career, and she grew up with an older sister and a younger brother in Frisco, Texas.
Personal Life
Shaw is the first Vietnamese-American to ever represent the United States Women’s National Team. She has spoken publicly about how her parents set aside personal milestones such as vacations and a honeymoon to help finance her early training and travel, and she has credited futsal, played extensively through age 12, with shaping her technical development.
2025 Season Performance
Jaedyn Reese Shaw’s 2025 season spanned three clubs and three different roles. She began the year with the North Carolina Courage after being acquired in a January trade from the San Diego Wave, then moved mid-season to Gotham FC in a record $1.25 million intraleague deal. With Gotham, she slotted in as a winger or attacking midfielder alongside teammate Rose Lavelle, providing creativity and direct running in the final third.
Her most decisive contributions came in the 2025 NWSL playoffs, where she recorded two goals and one assist. That included a goal and an assist in the playoff opener against the Kansas City Current, performances that helped drive Gotham FC to the 2025 NWSL Championship title in her first season with the Bats.
Looking ahead, Shaw remains a central figure for both Gotham FC and the United States national team setup. Her combination of record-setting scoring form, versatility across the attacking line, and growing trophy haul points to continued impact at club and international level in 2025 and beyond.
