The USWNT is pouring itself a triple shot of espresso, as attacking trio Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Wilson headline today’s 26-player roster for next month’s friendlies in Brazil.
Swanson returns to the US women’s national team for the first time since 2024, joining “Triple Espresso” teammates Rodman and Wilson for the first time since winning the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It’s fantastic for our team, both on and off the field, to have Trinity and our two soccer moms back on the same roster,” said Hayes, as Wilson and Swanson continue their returns from parental leave.
The USWNT will manage key absences against the 2027 World Cup host, as Naomi Girma nurses a lingering calf knock, Catarina Macario deals with a heel injury, and Sam Coffey recovers from knee surgery.
Third goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn is back in the lineup, alongside fellow returners Michelle Cooper, Croix Bethune, and Riley Jackson.
“Few challenges in women’s international soccer compare to facing Brazil in Brazil, so we’re excited for the valuable lessons this experience will bring,” Hayes added.
The US kicks off against Brazil on June 6th at 5:30 PM ET, live on TBS.
USWNT and Chicago star Mallory Swanson is back, returning to the pitch for the first time since 2024 in Saturday’s 4-0 loss to No. 8 North Carolina.
Swanson subbed on in the 76th minute, registering one shot for the No. 16 Stars in her first competitive appearance since giving birth in November — and hinting at the possibility of rejoining the US as early as next month’s Brazil friendlies.
“For me, it’s just checking the next box, checking the next progression, and just continuing to feel everything as it comes,” Swanson said postmatch.
Ranked last in the NWSL standings on an -18 goal differential, Chicago will need Swanson at her best this season. However, the Olympic gold medalist wasn’t sweating the details.
“I don’t feel like it was a journey to the finish line, I feel like it was a journey to the start line,” she added. “Because I feel like I’m a whole new person.”
“Mal is Mal and now she’s back, which will be huge for us,” Stars manager Martin Sjögren said. “But we also need to understand that now she made her first minutes after being away for a very, very long time, so we can’t put too much pressure on her.”
Mallory Swanson Continues Her NWSL Return Sunday
Swanson could be back in a Chicago uniform on Sunday, as the Stars visit Bay FC at 5 PM ET, live on ESPN.
The Chicago Stars parted ways with second-year manager Lorne Donaldson on Wednesday, as the last-place NWSL club attempts to bounce back from a dismal 1-5-0 start to the 2025 season.
"We are grateful to Lorne Donaldson for the culture, respect, and sense of self-belief he helped build within our squad. We appreciate his work and wish him the best for the future," said Stars GM Richard Feuz in a club statement.
Stars assistant coach Masaki Hemmi will step up in an interim capacity while the Chicago front office conducts its search for a replacement for Donaldson.
Depleted roster a factor in Stars' struggles
Following an eighth-place finish and short-lived playoff push in 2024, a relatively dormant offseason transfer window, and a somewhat controversial rebrand, Chicago has struggled to find results this season — due in part to a dwindling lineup.
The team's opening day roster featured only six defenders — including an injured Natalia Kuikka, who has yet to make her 2025 club debut after suffering a knee sprain while on international duty with Finland in February.
Superstar USWNT forward Mallory Swanson also remains out indefinitely, having missed the first six games of the NWSL season due to personal reasons.
When points aren't coming, front offices often try to shake things up with sideline changes — though Chicago's troubles appear to extend far beyond the former head coach.
USWNT forward Mallory Swanson has yet to join the Chicago Stars for 2025 play due to a personal matter, with the NWSL club confirming Wednesday that the standout striker will not feature in their Friday season opener against the reigning league champion Orlando Pride.
Chicago originally noted Swanson’s absence alongside their preseason roster announcement, adding that the organization is "fully supportive of her decision."
"I'd like to thank the club and the fans for their understanding during this time," Swanson said in the club's January release. "I appreciate the kindness and encouragement from my teammates and all the Stars staff and hope to be back with the team and playing in front of our fans as soon as I can."
Triple Espresso dwindles to a single shot
After lighting up the Paris pitch last summer, the USWNT's gold medal-winning attacking trio of Swanson, Sophia Wilson (neé Smith), and Trinity Rodman — self-dubbed the "Triple Espresso" — have yet to reunite on the national team roster, due in part to load management.
While a lingering back issue has kept Rodman out of every USWNT camp since the 2024 Olympics, the Washington standout made her return to play as a second-half substitute during the Spirt’s 2025 Challenge Cup win last Friday.
Portland Thorns star Wilson — who hasn’t played with the US since October — is officially out for the entire 2025 NWSL season after announcing her first pregnancy last week.
As for Swanson, a return timeline for both club and country remains unclear, with Chicago now preparing to open the season without their celebrated striker.
"Top player in the world, but the game still goes on," Stars head coach Lorne Donaldson told media Wednesday. "We still have players that we have to focus on, and I think that just gives somebody else another opportunity to come out and just say, 'Okay, I can do it,' because the game is not going to wait for us."
In a year without a major international tournament, maintaining player health on and off the field is massively important, leaving clubs adjusting to their shorthanded rosters and fans cheering for a very different NWSL than last season.
How to watch the 2025 NWSL season kick-off
The first peek at the new NWSL rosters in action hits fields this weekend, with all 14 clubs notching their first minutes by Sunday night.
The Chicago Stars will kick off 2025 play against the Orlando Pride at 8 PM ET on Friday, with the match streaming live on Prime Video.
At the same time, Rodman's Washington Spirit will take on a new-look Houston Dash, streaming live on NWSL+.
With Wilson sidelined, the Portland Thorns will face 2024 NWSL semifinalists KC Current in their 12:45 PM ET season opener on Saturday, with live coverage airing on ABC.