Riley Tiernan Bio
Riley Shea Tiernan, born on November 14, 2002, is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Angel City FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Standing 5 feet 8 inches tall, she has built a reputation as a creative attacker with a strong eye for goal and an even stronger eye for setting up teammates. After a decorated four-year career with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, she transitioned to the professional ranks in 2025 and quickly emerged as one of the most promising rookies in the league.
Tiernan first gained national recognition at Rutgers, where she was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2021 and earned All-Big Ten honors in each of her four college seasons. Her combination of technical skill, vision, and composure in front of goal helped her leave the program as its all-time career assist leader. Her professional debut with Angel City FC marked the beginning of what many consider a bright career at the top level of American women’s soccer.
Early Life and Background
Riley Shea Tiernan was raised in Voorhees Township, New Jersey, one of three children born to Robin and Joe Tiernan. Her older sister, Madison, played college soccer at Rutgers and went on to play professionally for Sky Blue FC, establishing a clear family connection to the game. Madison later returned to Rutgers as an assistant coach during Riley’s sophomore season, providing both a familial and professional influence on the young forward’s development.
Tiernan began playing club soccer with Players Development Academy (PDA) at the age of nine, where she developed the technical foundation that would later define her playing style. She attended Eastern Regional High School, where she played four years of prep soccer. As a high school athlete, she won the Group IV state championship in 2018 and was later named the Courier-Post Player of the Year and a United Soccer Coaches high school All-American in 2020. These accomplishments established her as one of the top recruits in the region before she ever stepped on a college field.
Path to Soccer
Tiernan’s path to professional soccer was shaped by years of competitive club experience and a strong family tie to the sport. Her sister’s career at Rutgers and in the NWSL gave her an inside view of what it took to compete at the highest levels, and the early training she received at PDA helped refine her skills as a forward. By the time she finished high school, she had already accumulated state championships and individual awards that signaled her readiness for college-level competition.
Her recruitment to Rutgers allowed her to continue her development close to home while playing for one of the most competitive programs in the Big Ten Conference. The decision to join the Scarlet Knights paired her with a coaching staff familiar with her sister’s game, and it gave her a platform to showcase her abilities on a national stage. Her rapid rise through the Rutgers program confirmed what her high school accolades had suggested: she was ready for high-level collegiate competition from day one.
Riley Tiernan Career
Early Career (2021–2024)
Tiernan started all 25 games in her freshman season with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in 2021 and immediately made her mark. She helped Rutgers go 10-0 to win the Big Ten Conference regular-season title and then reached the final of the Big Ten tournament. In the NCAA tournament, she tallied four goals and two assists, including a goal and an assist in the 2-2 quarterfinal draw against Alabama that Rutgers won in a shootout to reach the national semifinals for the second time in program history. She finished her freshman year with 8 goals and 13 assists and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten.
Following her freshman season, Tiernan became one of the first five Rutgers student-athletes to sign a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal with the university’s NIL collective. She started all 20 games in her sophomore season in 2022, scoring 4 goals with 6 assists and earning third-team All-Big Ten honors. In her junior season in 2023, she started all 20 games and recorded 4 goals and 3 assists, earning second-team All-Big Ten recognition. In her senior season in 2024, she returned to a double-digit points total with 4 goals and 11 assists in 18 games, was named third-team All-Big Ten, and helped Rutgers reach the Big Ten tournament final. She left Rutgers as the program’s all-time career assist leader with 34 assists across 83 games.
NWSL Breakthrough (2025–Present)
Tiernan joined Angel City FC as a non-roster trialist during the 2025 preseason and impressed during the Coachella Valley Invitational. On March 3, 2025, the club announced it had signed her to her first professional contract, a two-year deal with a club option for an additional year. She made her professional debut on March 16, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 season-opening draw with the San Diego Wave. Two weeks later, on March 30, she scored her first professional goal, netting the eventual winner in a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Reign that gave Angel City its first win of the season.
Her momentum continued in April and May, as she recorded her first professional assist and another goal in a 3-1 win over the Houston Dash on April 12, then scored her first professional brace on May 2 against the Washington Spirit, with her second goal serving as a stoppage-time game winner in a 4-3 victory. By the middle of the season, she was tied for third in the Golden Boot race with six goals in her first ten games, was named NWSL Rookie of the Month for both April and May, and was selected to the NWSL Best XI of the Month for May. Although her scoring pace cooled later in the year, she finished her rookie season with 8 goals in 26 games, leading her team and all league rookies in scoring while tying for sixth in the league. She was one of only two rookies to start every game of the season.
Driving Style and Strengths
On the field, Tiernan combines sharp movement in the final third with the vision and passing range of a classic No. 9 who can also drop into the No. 10 role. Her composure in front of goal and her ability to deliver timely assists were hallmarks of her Rutgers career, and they translated directly to her NWSL rookie season. Defenders often have to choose between respecting her shooting instincts and respecting her ability to thread the final pass.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among her most memorable early professional moments was her stoppage-time brace winner against the Washington Spirit on May 2, 2025, which showcased her finishing ability under pressure. Her recognition as NWSL Rookie of the Month for both April and May underscored her immediate impact, and her selection to the NWSL Best XI of the Month for May confirmed her status as one of the league’s breakout performers.
Riley Tiernan Career Wins
Across her college career at Rutgers and her rookie season with Angel City FC, Tiernan has compiled a list of team championships, individual awards, and milestone performances that trace her rapid rise through American soccer. While team titles at the NWSL level remain a future goal, her collection of conference and national honors at the college level, combined with her rookie accolades, paints the picture of a winner at every stage.
NWSL Highlights
In her debut NWSL season with Angel City FC, Tiernan scored 8 goals across 26 appearances, leading her club and all league rookies in scoring. She was named NWSL Rookie of the Month for April and May 2025 and was selected to the NWSL Best XI of the Month for May. Her first professional goal came against the Seattle Reign on March 30, 2025, and her first professional brace, including a stoppage-time winner, came against the Washington Spirit on May 2, 2025.
Other Wins & Performances
At the high school level, Tiernan won a Group IV state championship in 2018 with Eastern Regional High School and was named the Courier-Post Player of the Year in 2020. In college, she helped Rutgers win the 2021 Big Ten regular-season title with a perfect 10-0 conference record and was a key contributor as the Scarlet Knights reached the NCAA national semifinals that same year.
Riley Tiernan Family
Family Background and Soccer Lineage
Tiernan comes from a close-knit New Jersey family with deep roots in the sport. She is one of three children raised by Robin and Joe Tiernan, and her older sister, Madison Tiernan, played college soccer at Rutgers before going on to play professionally for Sky Blue FC in the NWSL. Madison later returned to Rutgers as an assistant coach, providing Riley with both a sibling mentor and a familiar presence in the program during her formative college years.
Personal Life
Riley Tiernan focuses much of her public life on her soccer career, and she has signed a professional contract with Angel City FC that runs through 2027. She is known publicly through her play and through her social media presence, where she shares updates about her matches and her life as a young professional athlete.
2025 Season Performance
Tiernan’s 2025 rookie campaign with Angel City FC exceeded even the most optimistic projections. She opened the season as a starter in the 1-1 draw with the San Diego Wave on March 16, scored her first professional goal in a 2-1 win over the Seattle Reign on March 30, and never relinquished her place in the starting lineup. By the end of the season, she was one of only two rookies in the NWSL to start every game, and her 8 goals led both her club and the entire rookie class while tying for sixth in the league’s overall scoring chart.
Her midseason surge, which included NWSL Rookie of the Month honors in both April and May and a place on the NWSL Best XI of the Month for May, established her as one of the most talked-about young players in the league. Her stoppage-time brace winner against the Washington Spirit on May 2 served as the signature moment of her rookie year and demonstrated her composure in high-pressure situations. She also earned her first call-up to the United States U-23 team, making her international debut on May 30, 2025, in a 2-1 victory over Germany.
Looking ahead, Tiernan’s combination of proven production, league-wide recognition, and international experience positions her as a cornerstone of Angel City FC’s long-term plans. With her contract running through 2027, the 2025 season is widely viewed as the foundation of what could become one of the standout careers in American women’s soccer.
