Tierna Davidson Brings Gratitude to USWNT Camp Following Year-Long Absence
Tierna Davidson Brings Gratitude to USWNT Camp Following Year-Long Absence U. S. Women’s National Team defender Tierna Davidson returned to the USWNT roster this week for the first time in over a year ahead of the three upcoming matches against Japan.
Coincidentally, Davidson’s most recent international match was also against the Nadeshiko, on Feb. 26, 2025 at the SheBelieves Cup. That tournament came at the beginning of a year that saw head coach Emma Hayes give 44 different players caps, 16 of which were their first.
A few of the 2025 debutants are on the April roster alongside Davidson who spoke to the media this week about seeing the growth of the team while she was away. “In some ways, I feel like the new player coming back in because there's been a lot of evolution,” Davidson said. “It’s been really fun to watch.
We have so much great talent coming out of our country, so to be able to see so many people get that opportunity and do so well has been really encouraging. ” This past year was the second time Davidson was forced to watch the team from the sidelines following an ACL tear. After helping the USWNT to a bronze medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the defender suffered an ACL injury in 2022 during NWSL play.
Davidson said she feels grateful to be back with the group, even if her minutes on the field will be limited. “I’m really trying to be present and focus on gratitude,” Davidson said. “That’s difficult when you’re in a really highly competitive environment, but especially after going through this injury process twice, to be able to do what I love as a job is something that I think is easy to take for granted.