Sisters Alyssa and Gisele Thompson were both called up Tuesday to the women’s national team for this month’s SheBelieves Cup, marking just the third time siblings have been named to the same senior national team roster. But among the names missing from the 23-woman roster is defender Naomi Girma, who last month moved to Chelsea on a $1-million transfer, the most expensive in women’s soccer history.
Girma, who last year named to the FIFA global Best XI after helping the U.S. to a gold medal in last summer’s Paris Olympics, was one of 10 Olympians left off the team to give coach Emma Hayes a chance to audition a new wave of players. Girma is also returning to fitness after recovering from a calf injury.
Others missing include midfielder Rose Lavelle and forwards Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson and Trinity Rodman. Four of the women Hayes called up have never appeared in a senior national team while seven others have eight or fewer caps; the average age of the 23 players in 24.9 years.
“This team is still growing,” Hayes said in a statement. “With many players at the beginning of their club preseasons, we’ll be patient with them. But at the same time, we’re going to maximize the time we have together.”
The U.S. will open the four-team tournament against Colombia on Feb. 20 in Houston, then face Australia three days later in Glendale, Ariz., before finishing against Japan on Feb. 26 in San Diego. All three teams reached the quarterfinals of the last World Cup while Colombia and Japan also made the final eight of last summer’s Paris Olympics.
“We are facing three excellent teams with three very different styles and the tournament will be a great test to see who can perform against world-class players,” Hayes said. “But to see that we need to give them opportunities. We have put a lot of thought on how best to accomplish that while continuing to evolve and putting out a team that can win.”
The Thompson sisters signed with Angel City as teenagers; Alyssa, a forward, in the winter of 2023 and Gisele, a defender, a year later. Alyssa, now 20, went on to play in the World Cup as a rookie while Gisele, 19, has been called into a previous national team training camp but has not appeared in a game.
The first pair of sisters called up for senior national team games were twins Lorrie and Ronnie Fair in the 1990s. More recently Samantha and Kristie Mewis were on the 2021 Olympic team together.
Sixteen of the players called up this month play in the NWSL while seven other come from five European clubs. One of those is Chelsea forward Catarina Macario, who had to withdraw from the Olympic team with a knee injury last summer. She hasn’t played for the U.S. since last June.
Defender Savy King, recently acquired by Angel City in a trade with Bay FC, will be in camp as a training player but will not appear on any game rosters.
U.S. women’s national team roster
Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals)
Defenders: Tierna Davidson (NJ/NY Gotham), Crystal Dunn (Paris Saint-Germain), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Tara McKeown (Washington Spirit), Jenna Nighswonger (Arsenal), Emily Sams (Orlando Pride), Emily Sonnett (NJ/NY Gotham), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC)
Midfielders: Korbin Albert (Paris Saint-Germain), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns FC), Lindsey Heaps (née Horan) (Olympique Lyon), Claire Hutton (Kansas City Current), Jaedyn Shaw (North Carolina Courage), Lily Yohannes (Ajax)
Forwards: Lynn Biyendolo (née Williams) (Seattle Reign FC), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Catarina Macario (Chelsea FC), Yazmeen Ryan (Houston Dash), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Utah Royals), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City)
