U.S. women’s national team player and 2024 Olympic gold medalist Jaedyn Shaw will begin her club season with North Carolina Courage. San Diego Wave FC and North Carolina announced a trade on Tuesday. The Courage get another dynamic attacker on their roster, while San Diego receives $300,000 in allocation money and $150,000 in intra-league transfer funds, along with a 2025 and 2026 international slot.
San Diego could receive an additional $75,000 in Allocation Money in 2025 in exchange for sending up to $150,000 in intra-league transfer fees to the Courage, subject to a conditional agreement with North Carolina. Shaw is the latest player to depart the club after a challenging 2024 season where the Wave missed out on the 2024 playoffs. She leaves San Diego after 61 appearances, 14 goals, and four assists.
“I want to thank the fans and the entire San Diego Wave organization for the incredible support and love you have shown me,” Shaw said in Wave FC statement. “It’s been an absolute honor to start my professional career in this city and represent this club. The opportunity to pursue a new chapter is bittersweet, but I am excited about what lies ahead. I’m deeply grateful to the Levine Leichtman Family and Camille [Ashton] for making this move possible.”
The trade to North Carolina is the conclusion to a player request that came last Spring, but with management turnover, and new executive hires made during the Summer, the offseason now closes the chapter in San Diego for Shaw.
“Jaedyn’s impact on and off the field has been a significant part of our club’s growth,” said Sporting Director and General Manager Camille Ashton. “Early last season, Jaedyn expressed her desire to take on a new challenge and explore other options outside the Wave. While it’s always hard to see a player of her talent move on, we respect and understand her decision to seek a new chapter in her career and we’re happy we were able to help facilitate the move she wanted. We wish her nothing but success in the future.”
In addition to an Olympic gold medal, Shaw is a 2022 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year recipient and was one of the youngest players to join an NWSL club at 17 years old. She scored in her professional debut, a record at the time as the youngest player in NWSL to score in their first ever appearance. Her breakout play with San Diego earned her a call-up to the USWNT in 2023. During the 2024 Concacaf W Gold Cup, she set another record when she scored in five consecutive matches — which were her first five starts with the national team.
At North Carolina, Shaw will get introduced to a new style of play and new teammates, though she’ll be reunited with U.S. national teammates Ashley Sanchez and Casey Murphy.
“She is someone who has every tool at such a young age and will be a key part of our club. Her quality on the ball, both in possession and on the dribble, along with her levels in and around the box can unlock opposition,” said Courage Head Coach Sean Nahas.
“She suits our style of play and our supporters will be able to see one of the top young talents every week. We can’t wait to welcome this truly gifted player and even better person to our team. It’s a great day for us and we look forward to having Jaedyn in Courage country.”
The Courage have recently gone through a quick rebuild and clinched two consecutive NWSL playoff appearances after missing out on the 2022 NWSL postseason.
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