USWNT development: USA soccer's Emma Hayes sees U-23s as crucial piece and Jaedyn Shaw is a glowing example

The U.S. women's national team will finally take the pitch after a long summer. The program had no matches with global tournaments across Europe, Africa, and South America this year, and head coach Emma Hayes has named a 26-player roster for the upcoming October friendlies.

The Stars and Stripes will play three games during the international window, beginning with two games against Portugal before closing out against New Zealand. Hayes spoke with the media about her roster selections and vision for the senior team as the group looks ahead to FIFA World Cup qualifiers on the horizon.

Qualifiers closer than you think

The Concacaf W Championship, set for Nov. 2026, is the official World Cup qualifying competition for the region. The USWNT, alongside Canada, is the top-ranked nation in Concacaf, and they will await the six winners from the Concacaf W Qualifiers, which begin next month.

"This is really the build towards qualification for next year. That's what the start of this cycle actually means. And that's not to say that this is the pool of players, solely. You know, It was difficult to make roster selections for this camp," Hayes told the media on Wednesday.

'We felt that by taking 26 players, one, I want to honor the place where NWSL is with playoffs and want to maximize. We take 26 so that I can play players, and also send them back to their clubs in a really good condition. But I think this was the one camp I had to make some really, really hard decisions, and that's the place that I wanted to be in, but it's the build for qualification for next year."

U-23 program an extension of the senior team

The USWNT manager was clear that three months away from competition isn't ideal, but time away is necessary sometimes and there's fresh energy about a reunion between staff and players. There's also continuing the work around "futures camps," with the U-23 team that was relaunched earlier this year.

"Three months feels like a long time, that's, you know, we're really excited to get back in with the players. Second of all, we've always looked at the futures, initially in the under-23 as an extension of a larger playing pool," said Hayes.

"I won't bore you with it now, but we know that we have to provide so many more development opportunities for younger players, and that's why there'll be a flip-flopping between [USWNT] and under 23s."

The U-23 roster will be announced on Thursday, and the training camp will run concurrently with the senior team while they're in camps preparing for friendlies in Philadelphia and Connecticut. Hayes and the staff are also integrating the U-20s team, with a camp that will join the senior team in Kansas City for the final match against New Zealand.

Jaedyn Shaw example of youth and senior collaboration

Midfielder Jaedyn Shaw is back in the mix with the senior team after for the first time since February. The 20-year-old was recently traded to Gotham FC and has been more productive in the attack since the move. She's split time with senior camps and U-23 teams throughout 2025.

"I think Jayden Shaw, even Jordan Bugg, maybe Lily Reale, are good examples of like the integration between under-23s and seniors," said Hayes.

"Do I think that Jaden Shaw will stay solely playing for the seniors from here all the way? No, I don't. I think there is a possibility, especially next camp, we may make the decision as a collective to give her games against top European teams. But what I feel is that Jaedyn has taken on board everything that we've been asking of her ... I think she's really starting to put all of those things together. She's an incredible goal threat in so many ways. And I think this is an opportunity for us to see from the last time, to now, how much of that gap she has closed."