For the first time since the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup send-off series, Northern California native Naomi Girma will pull on the United States women’s national soccer team jersey in front of her hometown crowd this April, a homecoming USWNT head coach Emma Hayes made official with her roster announcement Wednesday.
Girma, who was born in San Jose and rose to collegiate stardom at nearby Stanford University, is named to the 26-player squad for the U.S. team’s three-game friendly series against reigning Asian Cup champions Japan. The series kicks off April 11 at San Jose’s PayPal Park, a ground just minutes from where Girma grew up playing youth club soccer.
The 25-year-old defender’s last appearance on a national team roster in her home region came in a 2-0 pre-World Cup win over Wales in 2023, and she called the upcoming match a surreal, deeply meaningful opportunity. “Playing for the national team in the Bay always just feels like kind of surreal,” Girma said. “Seeing a lot of people who come to support me, who were there when I was playing club soccer, just playing for fun, and being like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that we’re all here and we’ve made it this far.’ So it always is really special for me.”
Girma’s career has reached new heights since her last hometown appearance. She made her USWNT debut in 2022, has earned 52 caps to date, and claimed a gold medal as part of the 2024 Paris Olympic roster. Earlier this year, she made a high-profile move to Women’s Super League side Chelsea in a $1.1 million transfer from NWSL’s San Diego Wave, and just last weekend she notched her first WSL goal in a dramatic 4-3 win over Aston Villa that pushed Chelsea into second place in the league table, just behind leader Manchester City.
Girma is not the only familiar Stanford product returning to the national team fold for this series. Her former collegiate teammate Sophia Sophia Wilson has earned her first USWNT call-up in 15 months, after stepping away from the game last year to welcome her first child. Experienced defender Tierna Davidson, who suffered an ACL tear last NWSL season, will also make her return to the squad after more than a year out of international play. The left-back last represented the U.S. in February 2025 before her injury, and Hayes confirmed Wednesday that Davidson will be on limited minutes for the series.
Wilson, who plays her club soccer with the Portland Thorns, was omitted from the recent SheBelieves Cup roster as she worked her way back to full match fitness following maternity leave. She has earned 58 caps for the USWNT, netting 24 goals including three during the Paris Olympic run. With 67 international caps to her name, Davidson’s return adds further depth to the U.S. defensive line, while Wilson’s comeback brings a proven attacking threat back to the pool.
Girma emphasized that the upcoming series against Japan will serve as a valuable measuring stick for the USWNT 15 months ahead of the 2027 Women’s World Cup hosted by Brazil. “They’re a great side, just won the Asian Cup,” Girma said. “I think they’re very organized in their defense, but then also in their attack and they bring something different to a lot of other opponents that we play. So I think it’s always a good test for us to measure ourselves against them.”
Looking ahead to the 2027 tournament, Girma said the combination of returning veteran players and the program’s ongoing integration of emerging under-23 talent has the team in a strong position. “Seeing a lot of younger players be able to come into a full team camp and not really miss a beat, and not seem like they don’t know what’s going on, or feel like it’s a little bit too much, I think that transition has become really smooth,” she explained. “And I think with having some players come back in that weren’t in last year, it’s a really exciting time for our team. We have a big pool who now has experience, whether it’s in the last year, in the last couple years, ready to fill any role that we need.”
After the opening match in San Jose, the series will travel to Seattle’s Lumen Field for the second fixture on April 14, before wrapping up on April 17 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. The full roster, with position breakdowns and club affiliations, is as follows:
– Goalkeepers: Jane Campbell (Houston Dash), Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United)
– Defenders: Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Naomi Girma (Chelsea), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC), Emily Sams (Angel City), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC), Gisele Thompson (Angel City), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave)
– Midfielders: Sam Coffey (Manchester City), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Claire Hutton (Bay FC), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes)
– Forwards: Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Emma Sears (Racing Louisville), Ally Sentnor (Kansas City Current), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea), Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns)