Kennedy Wesley

Kennedy Wesley
Wesley with the San Diego Wave in 2024
Personal information
Full name Kennedy Megan Wesley[1]
Date of birth (2001-03-08) March 8, 2001
Place of birth Santa Monica, California, United States
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Position(s) Center back
Team information
Current team
 San Diego Wave
Number 12
Youth career
SoCal Blues
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2023 Stanford Cardinal 104 (4)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– San Diego Wave 22 (2)
International career‡
2016–2018 United States U–17 13 (1)
2020 United States U–20 5 (1)
2025– United States U–23 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of May 26, 2025
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of May 30, 2025

Kennedy Megan Wesley (born March 8, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center back for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Wesley played college soccer for the Stanford Cardinal, where she won a national title in 2019 and set the program record for career appearances.

Early life

Wesley was born in Santa Monica, California,[2] to Kristen and Kevin Wesley. In her youth, she participated in both soccer and gymnastics before committing fully to soccer at age 13.[3] She attended Valley Christian High School,[4] where she helped the team win a California state championship in 2017.[2][5] The same season, she was named the Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year after scoring 22 goals and tallying 9 assists in her sophomore high school season.[6][7] She played club soccer for SoCal Blues, with which she won the 2015 ECNL U15 National Championship.[8] Wesley's play with the SoCal blues helped her gain attention with the Olympic Development Program and earn time on United States youth national teams.[3]

College career

Wesley played college soccer for the Stanford Cardinal over five seasons from 2019 to 2023.[2] She played in all 25 games as a freshman, operating mainly as a left back. Her playing time increased as the year went on, and she ended up starting 13 of the Cardinal's final 14 matches of the year. She helped contribute to Stanford's 2019 NCAA tournament victory, playing in all of the squad's NCAA matches.[2] During the college cup final, she converted a must-score penalty shot past North Carolina goalkeeper Claudia Dickey that helped Stanford win the shootout, 5–4.[9] At the end of the year, she was named to the All-Pac-12 Freshman Team alongside teammate Maya Doms.[10]

In her sophomore season, Wesley started all 13 matches in which she played. She operated as a center back, playing every minute of 8 games. The following year, her playing time increased to 19 games (18 starts). She synergized with the Cardinal backline to produce 9 shutouts on the year. Wesley was recognized for her efforts with a spot on the All Pac-12 third team.[2]

As a senior, Wesley was named team captain, a position she would maintain control of until her departure from Stanford.[11] She started all 22 of the Cardinal's matches and accumulated the second-highest minutes of any field player in the squad.[2] Wesley was named to the All-Pac 12 second team after leading the team to a Pac-12 Championship, the second of her college career.[12][13]

Wesley returned to Stanford for a fifth year in 2023. Once again, she started all of the team's matches and logged the second-highest minutes for a field player. During the Cardinal's opening match, she netted her first collegiate goal, scoring from distance in a 4–0 victory over the San Diego Toreros.[14] Wesley would go on to score three more goals over the course of the season, reaching a career high. She completed her ascendancy with her first All-Pac-12 first team honor and a recognition on the All-Region third team as well.[2] Of a possible 106 career appearances, she played in 104 games, setting a school record.[15] Her 92 starts, including in the final 60 matches of her college career, were 9th highest in Stanford history.[16]

Club career

San Diego Wave

Wesley was selected in the first round (12th overall) of the 2024 NWSL Draft by San Diego Wave FC.[17][16] On February 8, 2024, San Diego signed her to her first professional deal, a two-year contract through 2025.[18] She made her club debut in a scoreless draw against Racing Louisville on April 13,[19] starting in place of the injured Naomi Girma.[20] Wesley scored her first professional goal on July 20, in a NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup match against Bay FC.[21] She tallied her first NWSL regular season goal on September 8, scoring San Diego's lone goal in teammate Alex Morgan's final match, a 4–1 defeat to the North Carolina Courage.[22] Both her Summer Cup and NWSL goals were header goals from María Sánchez corner kicks.[21][22] Wesley was named the NWSL Rookie of the Month for September after sporting an 85.66 percent passing accuracy and having the second-most clearances on the Wave.[4]

On May 4, 2025, Wesley scored the opening goal in a 2–1 victory over Bay FC. It marked her third goal in a row from a María Sánchez corner kick.[23]

International career

Wesley has represented the United States at multiple youth levels. In the fall of 2016, she was a member of the under-17 team that won the 2016 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship and consequently qualified for the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. Wesley herself was named to the tournament's Best XI.[3] She also participated in the ensuing World Cup, in which the team was eliminated in the group stage.[24] The following year, she repeated the cycle with the U-17 squad, playing in the 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship and scoring her first youth national team goal in the process. However, she suffered an injury in the lead-up to the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and was not able to participate in the tournament.[25]

In 2020, Wesley was a member of the under-20 team that won gold at the 2020 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship.[26] She earned her first U-20 cap in the first game of the competition, a 9–0 drubbing of Cuba.[27] During the tournament, she tallied her first U-20 goal after heading in a cross from eventual Stanford teammate Katie Duong to help the United States win their quarterfinal match over Canada.[28]

While in her second year playing in the NWSL with the San Diego Wave, Wesley received a call-up to the under-23 squad for two friendlies against Germany.[29]

Career statistics

Club

As of May 26, 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] Playoffs[b] Continental[c] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
San Diego Wave FC 2024 NWSL 13 1 0 0 — 2 0 1[d] 1 16 2
2025 9 1 — — — — 9 1
Career total 22 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 25 3
  1. ^ Includes the NWSL Challenge Cup.
  2. ^ Includes NWSL Playoffs.
  3. ^ Includes CONCACAF W Champions Cup.
  4. ^ Appearances in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup.

Honors

Stanford Cardinal[11]

San Diego Wave

United States U17

United States U20

Individual

  • 2019 All Pac-12 freshman team
  • 2021 All Pac-12 third team
  • 2022 All Pac-12 second team
  • 2022 United Coaches All-Region first team
  • 2023 United Coaches All-Region third team[15]
  • 2023 All Pac-12 first team[15]
  • NWSL Rookie of the Month: September 2024[4]

References

  1. ^ "FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Jordan 2016 – List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. September 24, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 4, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Kennedy Wesley Stanford profile". Stanford University Athletics. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Kennedy Wesley a special leader for Valley Christian girls soccer". Press Telegram. March 8, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c NWSL (October 3, 2024). "San Diego Wave FC Defender Kennedy Wesley Named September Rookie of the Month, presented by Ally | National Women's Soccer League Official Site". NWSL. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  5. ^ "CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 6 GIRLS SOCCER FINALS: Wesley kicks Valley Christian to school's third championship, first outright". Los Cerritos Community News. March 8, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  6. ^ Kopff, Loren (June 30, 2017). "Valley Christian's Wesley is Gatorade's National Girls Soccer Player of the Year". Los Cerritos Community News. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  7. ^ "Valley Christian's Kennedy Wesley named Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year". Press Telegram. June 22, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  8. ^ "2015–16". www.scblues.com.
  9. ^ "Third Star in a Thriller". Stanford Cardinal - Official Athletics Website. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  10. ^ "Macario, Girma earn top honors on All-Pac-12 soccer team". Palo Alto Online. November 14, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  11. ^ a b Eiwanger, Chantal (January 9, 2024). "Senior Spotlight: Kennedy Wesley reflects on breaking records and building friendships". Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  12. ^ "Pac-12 Women's Soccer Weekly Rundown - Nov. 9, 2022". pac-12.com. November 9, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  13. ^ "All-Pac-12 Women's Soccer Teams and awards announced". SoccerWire. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  14. ^ "Clean Sheet to Open 2023". Stanford Cardinal - Official Athletics Website. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  15. ^ a b c "Trio Selected in NWSL Draft". Stanford University Athletics. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Emerick, Tyler (January 13, 2024). "San Diego Wave Selects Two Players in 2024 NWSL Draft". San Diego Wave Fútbol Club. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  17. ^ Finley, Ryan (January 13, 2024). "Wave draft Stanford defender Kennedy Wesley in first round, continue Cardinal collection". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  18. ^ Emerick, Tyler (February 8, 2024). "San Diego Wave FC Signs 2024 NWSL Draft First-Round Pick Kennedy Wesley". San Diego Wave Fútbol Club. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  19. ^ Krasovic, Tom (April 14, 2024). "Tom Krasovic: Wave ride defense once again on road, earning scoreless draw at Louisville". San Diego Union-Tribune.
  20. ^ Stone, Chris (April 14, 2024). "16-Year-Old Makes Debut with San Diego Wave in 0-0 Draw with Racing Louisville". Times of San Diego.
  21. ^ a b Emerick, Tyler (July 21, 2024). "San Diego Wave FC Defeat Bay FC 3-1 at Torero Stadium in NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup". San Diego Wave Fútbol Club. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Emerick, Tyler (September 9, 2024). "Alex Morgan's Iconic Send-Off Highlights San Diego Wave FC's Match at Snapdragon Stadium". San Diego Wave Fútbol Club. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  23. ^ Grueskin, Birgen (May 5, 2025). "Trinity Armstrong Strikes Late to Secure San Diego Wave Victory Against Bay FC". San Diego Wave Fútbol Club. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  24. ^ "USA roster named for FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup". SoccerWire. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  25. ^ "Five Things to Know About the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup". www.ussoccer.com. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  26. ^ "Kennedy Wesley". San Diego Wave Fútbol Club. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  27. ^ "U-20 USWNT Launches World Cup Qualifying Campaign with 9-0 Win vs. Cuba". US Soccer. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  28. ^ "U-20 USWNT beats Canada 4-0 to reach Concacaf semifinals". SoccerWire. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  29. ^ Herrera, Sandra (May 21, 2025). "USWNT U-23 roster: Jaedyn Shaw, Mia Fishel and Korbin Albert named to youth squad for friendlies in Germany". CBSSports.com. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  30. ^ Emerick, Tyler (March 16, 2024). "San Diego Wave FC Defeat 1-0 NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2024 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup". San Diego Wave Fútbol Club. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
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