SSFC Spotlight: Evelyn Shores has first USWNT camp

In a fun bit of scheduling, the number-one and -two teams in FIFA’s rankings and the reigning champions of the premier international competitions faced off for a pair of friendlies, perhaps offering a preview of the upcoming World Cup or Olympics finals. The United States Women’s National Team played to a loss (0-2) and a draw (2-2) against Spain, indicating that there is still more work to do. Evelyn Shores was one of the new additions during the camp and was in the match-day squad for the second fixture. The 21-year-old Angel City FC fullback is having a stellar season in the National Women’s Soccer League as a chance creator and looks poised for a rise in prominence.

Born in Denver, Colorado, Shores relocated with her family to Atlanta, Georgia, and competed with Tophat SC at the club level. She also played for the Westminster Schools, winning three state titles and being named first-team all-state twice and a first-team All-American. TopDrawerSoccer rated her as a five-star recruit and the seventh-best player in the 2023 class; observers praised her as “an athletic and fit left-sided player who can play at every line and has the remarkable ability to play in the air” along with being “creative and unpredictable” and impressing with “game-reading ability, positional awareness, and confidence in high-pressure moments.”

Shores then matriculated at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her first campaign, she contributed four goals and three assists in 13 appearances before “sustaining a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament in mid-October” when “getting tangled up with an opposition player,” receiving Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman Team honors. As a sophomore, the versatile talent reentered the fold late in the schedule (following “two surgeries and a difficult rehabilitation period”), featured in 10 matches, and registered a goal and an assist in the 3-0 victory over Minnesota in the third round of the NCAA Tournament on the way to the Tar Heels claiming the College Cup.

The summer before what would have been her junior season, Shores played with North Carolina Courage U23 in the amateur USL W League. She also competed for the United States’ entry at The Soccer Tournament 2025, lining up alongside a group of program legends. Her goal in the final helped to secure a 3-0 victory over Bumpy Pitch FC and the title.

“I was sprinting back to recover on defense, saw Heather (O’Reilly) win the ball, and just went,” Shores told The Athletic. “I was exhausted, but I had to go. She put it on a platter for me. I had to finish it. Playing one-v-one in practice with Carli Lloyd the day after flying in from Germany? That was insane. They made us feel like equals … It’s such a fun tournament. The ball moves fast, everyone’s pressing, you sub out the second you’re tired, and fans are basically on top of the field.”

In July, Shores signed with Angel City FC on a three-and-a-half-year deal, eschewing her remaining collegiate eligibility and interest from other clubs. The new acquisition was praised for her ability to “link play with passes, break lines, get into areas, and play with purpose.” Being “thrown straight into it,” she stepped into the starting lineup and made 12 appearances, registering her first professional finish in a 2-2 draw with the Washington Spirit and emulating “a sponge” to “get as much information” and “learn from people with more experience.”

This season, Shores has maintained her standing and added three goals and eight assists in 26 appearances, including a brace to secure a September 2-0 win against Racing Louisville. After missing the playoffs in 2025, Angel City is a comfortable four points above the line and shortly should close out a spot. Her performances have been credited with helping to lead the resurgence, making an impact on both sides of the ball.

“Honestly, I kind of got thrown straight into it,” Shores shared with the Los Angeles Daily News. “It was definitely a whirlwind coming straight from college, coming off the summer, but I’m so grateful for the opportunity … It kind of feels like a six-month head start to my first season … I’m extremely comfortable now, I really love it here. I love L.A., I love the team and the culture that we’re building here.”

At the international level, Shores is a long-term member of the United States program, beginning in the Under-14 age group, and was a part of the squad that won the 2018 CONCACAF U-15 Championship. She featured with the Under-23 team several times in 2025 and clinched a 2-1 friendly victory over Germany with a “world-class finish.” Emma Hayes named her to the squad for the matches against Spain but declined to call her number in either fixture.

Standing at five feet, nine inches tall, Shores is a progressive fullback, centre-back, and midfielder who puts up impressive chance creation and production numbers while always looking to play the long ball and hit crosses. She wins her duels, particularly in the air, is a reliable source of turnovers through tackles and interceptions, and often clears away danger. Her play has been characterized as “doing a lot of nuanced work for the team that maybe isn’t flashy.”

Shores had the benefit of an initial half-season in the NWSL to get acclimated to the professional level before exploding in 2026, becoming one of the competition’s top creators. If she is able to hit an even higher level of production, then there is little that could keep her out of future USWNT rosters. With several major tournaments on the horizon, Emma Hayes may have added another powerful weapon to the arsenal.