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Jaedyn Shaw Sets Records in Women's Pro Soccer
By Kelli Luu | 02 Jul, 2025
Jaedyn Shaw's record makes her much more than just the first Vietnamese American in professional women’s soccer.
At just 20 years old Jaedyn Shaw is an Olympic gold medalist and the first Vietnamese American to play pro soccer in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Born in Frisco, Texas to a Vietnamese mother and African-American father, Jaedyn began playing soccer at just five years old and always had high hopes of going pro.
In 2018 she was developing an international career playing for the U-15 team at the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football Championship where she also won the golden ball award which is given to the best player in the tournament.
By 2019 Jaedyn was only 14 years old when she committed to joining the Tar Heels’ 2024 season with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and 15 when French club Paris Saint-Germain invited her to train with the team.
Her senior year she was the second ranked top prospect for the high school class of 2023 by Top Drawer Soccer.
And when she was 17 she had the National Women’s Soccer League bending their own rules approving a discovery process that would adjust age restrictions allowing her to sign with the San Diego Wave.
In her second season, Jaedyn scored the most goals for a teenager in NWSL history earning her a multi year contract with the Wave through 2026. This deal seemed like a fantastic investment until she was acquired by the North Carolina Courage in January 2025 in a trade that involved the Courage sending San Diego $450,000 in allocation and transfer fees.
While her pro career was blossoming in the States, Jaedyn kept pursuing her dream internationally as she became a starter for the U-20 and helped her team win the Sud Ladies Cup in France, leading her to be added to the USA U-20 roster for the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
After being called up to the senior team in September 2023, it was only a month later when she scored her first goal for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team in a friendly match against Colombia. Months later she earned her spot with Team USA for the 2024 Paris Olympics where she won her first gold medal.
Aside from the clear skill and record breaking stats, Jaedyn Shaw is breaking barriers as the first Vietnamese American to be a national soccer champion. Not only is she playing for herself, she is playing for the young generation of girls who have never seen themselves represented in this sport.
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