The 19-year-old attacker is dominating on the international level already, which is bad news for the rest of the world
Jaedyn Shaw has arrived. There's no denying it anymore, is there? While there's always a waiting period when a young prospect emerges, a little bit of time before you want to make the official proclamation of what they are, that waiting period, when it comes to Shaw, is officially over.
No matter her age, no matter her inexperience, no matter the names around her in the depth chart, it has to be said: Shaw is officially the U.S. women's national team's newest superstar.
Her performances since breaking into the USWNT have solidified her status. Just six months on from her debut, Shaw has already locked down her place among the team's biggest stars.
Her rise comes at a crucial time, too. Last summer's World Cup disaster is still fresh in the mind of anyone who follows the USWNT. The program, always the best in the women's game, was exposed in Australia and New Zealand. For the USWNT, that was embarrassing, prompting a reset and refocus from the top down.
That reset is moving faster than expected, largely due to Shaw. They didn't have her last summer, but the USWNT sure does now. And, with the Olympics just around the corner, Shaw has already emerged as this team's game-changer.
USA Today Sports Strong start
In the aftermath of last summer's World Cup, the U.S. needed to start afresh. There was a short turnaround until the Olympics, so the program couldn't be completely turned over, but it was vital to start ushering in new faces to replace players like the retiring Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz.
Shaw was one of those who made sense to draft in. A legitimate star at the youth level and in her initial season-and-a-half in the NWSL, Shaw earned her first call-up in September, but didn't win her first cap until October against Colombia. She went scoreless in that first game, but that has since become the anomaly, rather than the norm.
Shaw scored her first international goal in her second cap, helping the USWNT to a 3-0 win over that same Colombia team. About a month later, she doubled her tally in front of her hometown crowd in Frisco, Texas. That was a game-winner, too, as Shaw completed a 2-1 comeback victory over China.
The Gold Cup is where Shaw really went from prospect to star, though. During the USWNT's run, Shaw played in all six matches and scored four goals, becoming the first player in program history to score in their first four starts. She was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player following the win over Brazil in the final.
Given she won't turn 20 until November, what Shaw is doing at this stage of her career is unprecedented, and it feels like this is just the start.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesRecord-breaker
With the Gold Cup now behind them, the USNWT turned their focus to the SheBelieves Cup, which began on Saturday. It opened with a clash between the USWNT and one of the world's top teams, Japan. The U.S. went behind early, conceding inside he first 30 seconds. but they weren't trailing for long
With her seventh goal in just 11 USWNT appearances, Shaw bagged the equaliser midway through the first half, before Lindsey Horan's penalty secured a 2-1 win for the hosts. Shaw's strike stretched her record-breaking run to goals in each of her first five USWNT starts. Additionally, she's only the 13th U.S. player ever to score in five consecutive starts at any point, and at 19 years and 138 days, also the youngest. Among the others that accomplished that feat? Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Carli Lloyd, Christen Press, Alex Morgan and Rapinoe. Not a bad list, to put it lightly.
The old saying states that if you're good enough, you're old enough, and Shaw has certainly proven that mantra to be correct. Playing with the USWNT, though, comes with off-field responsibilities, too, and Shaw seems to be stepping into her new role as one of the faces of a new generation.
Taking down Shaq
In these early days of her USWNT career, Shaw hasn't seemed phased by the increased media scrutiny that comes with starring for such a successful team. She's seemed comfortable and her personality has shone through in her interviews so far.
Shaw doesn't seem to be nervous when the cameras are on her, but even so, you have to imagine there were some butterflies when she found herself staring down Superman during a recent media appearance.
Alongside Trinity Rodman, Shaw featured on NBA coverage to promote the SheBelieves Cup. The selection of Shaw alongside Rodman to appear spoke volumes. Rodman, of course, is an obvious choice, given her status as a rising star over the past few years, as well as her famous last name being familiar to NBA viewers. Shaw is a relative newcomer, but has more than earned her place alongside Rodman as one of the faces of this USWNT.
As part of their appearance, the two took penalties against NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal. Rodman went for a social media clip, attempting to nutmeg the seven-footer, only to see her shot blasted away. Shaw, meanwhile, made no mistake, ensuring Shaq would have no chance at stopping her penalty.
It wasn't the most pressure-filled moment of Shaw's career… not by a longshot. But her appearance shows just how far she's come in such a short time. Thanks to her dominance on the field, Shaw is beginning to crack into the mainstream.
Getty ImagesAdding life to USWNT attack
Post-World Cup, the biggest focus for the USWNT has been figuring out its attack. It's a talented unit, one loaded with superstars, but one that went totally flat last summer. They scored just four goals in as many games at the tournament, and three of those came against minnows Vietnam.
The continued breakout of Rodman has helped, while the returns from injury of Catarina Macario and Mallory Swanson will, too. But it's Shaw's breakout that has been the biggest difference for the U.S. in the months since their defeat Down Under.
In total, the U.S. has scored 30 goals in 13 games post-World Cup, picking up wins over top teams like Brazil, Japan, Canada and Colombia, all of whom will be part of the Olympic field this summer. That Shaw has scored almost a quarter of those goals highlights her telling contribution.
It isn't all Shaw, obviously. A number of players have stepped up in this Twila Kilgore interim era, which will soon transition into the Emma Hayes era. Hayes will have plenty of dynamic attackers to choose from when she arrives from Chelsea this summer, but Shaw may just be the most game-changing of the group, despite being the youngest of them all.
“I think Jaedyn has always been a really good goal-scorer,” Kilgore said of Shaw. “I think finding your niche in this team and being able to score consistently is quite a feat, especially as you’re being integrated. And I would actually say even though she’s here, she’s doing a great job, we’re seeing great things from her and we’re really pleased."