Thanks to Jaedyn Shaw’s stellar show in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, there wasn’t any doubt she would be in Emma Hayes’ USWNT Olympic squad. She made it as the youngest of the lot, only to pick a leg injury before Team USA’s Olympic opener. Revealing the moment she learned about the devastating injury, Shaw recalled thinking her first Olympic campaign had terribly gone awry. Making things further off-kilter for the San Diego Wave forward, she struggled to even pass a ball during training in Paris.

Speaking to former USWNT stars Tobin Heath and Christen Press, Jaedyn Shaw stressed that she had the longest MRI of her life in Paris when she picked up the leg injury. Shaw said that she was devastated to learn from the USWNT physicians that she will miss 10 days of Olympic action- which means all group games. She was told to work out and stay healthy, but that did the least to help her, she said. ” I was just like no freaking way like is this how I’m going to remember my first Olympics,” said Jaedyn Shaw during her appearance on the RE-INC podcast. 

Save lacing up for Olympic matches, Shaw couldn’t train with her teammates during the initial injury-hit phase. Anyhow, nobody is to blame for keeping Shaw out of training, as the injury challenged her from doing the basics on a soccer pitch. “You’re not even going to be training. No can’t train, I literally couldn’t pass [the ball],” Jaedyn Shaw added. Later on, the Wave forward detailed that she recovered before the quarter-finals, but still wasn’t ready to play a game fully.

Benched, Jaedyn Shaw had to watch her teammates lead the USWNT to Olympic gold

As Jaedyn Shaw puts it, Team USA’s medical staff gave her the okay to be on the bench. In fact, Shaw could only come in as a super substitute, that too if coach Emma Hayes feels is absolutely necessary. The Wave star again upset herself by doubting if she would ever play her part in an Olympic game. However, she was also convinced of the ability of her teammates to lead the USA to big wins. She said that the USWNT stars have successfully thrived in every testing stage in the Olympics to reach the final. So Shaw was happy that the team was better off, even if she didn’t play.

Echoing the 19-year-old’s selfless vision, Tobin Heath pointed out that honors such as the Olympic gold are won by an entire team. Heath observed that a starter, a sub, and the team’s coaching staff and medical staff all play a pivotal role in an Olympic gold medal win. Did you miss Jaedyn Shaw’s action in the otherwise exciting Paris Olympics? Tell us in the comments.