The United States Women’s National Team is set for a busy year, with an eye on the back-to-back gauntlet of the 2027 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games. The time for experimentation is slowly drawing to a close, as the tested depth chart will be trimmed down into a roster of the best available options. Jameese Joseph has entered the competition at an interesting juncture, having received her first senior call-up and made her debut during the previous camp. The 23-year-old Chicago Stars midfielder-forward
is an emerging talent in the National Women’s Soccer League and provides a combination of production and diligent industriousness.
Born in Beltsville, Maryland, Joseph competed at the club level with Bethesda SC and was “one of the top scorers in the Elite Clubs National League.” She also played with Good Counsel High School and contributed 30 goals and seven assists in 15 matches as a senior. Ranked a three-star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer and named to the High School All-American Game, the forward committed to North Carolina State University.
“Jameese is one of those natural creative players on the ball who you must give freedom to,” said the program’s former head coach, Tim Santoro. “Her attacking instincts are very good and her dribbling is fun to watch. Add to that athleticism and ability to score goals, and she has potential to be special at the next level.”
As a freshman, Joseph started in all 23 matches and contributed three goals and three assists, being named to the 2019 Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman Team and United Soccer Coaches All-Region Third Team. She contributed one goal and two assists in the COVID-shortened spring season, followed by nine goals and two assists in 20 fixtures during the following fall, receiving Second-Team All-ACC and USC Atlantic All-Region First Team honors. Her senior campaign included eight goals and two assists in 20 starts and earned her a spot on the Third Team All-ACC. With an extra year of eligibility, her time in Raleigh concluded with three goals and one assist in 17 showings, once again receiving Third Team All-ACC.
Entering the professional ranks, Joseph was selected by the then-Chicago Red Stars (now Chicago Stars FC) with the 15th pick of the 2024 NWSL Draft and signed a three-year contract after ”showing a readiness to compete at the level and contribute.” “Coming in with a lot of personality,” she quickly entered the rotation and converted her first goal in a 3-0 victory over San Diego Wave, becoming a “mainstay” due to her “willingness to be bold and make mistakes.” Her debut campaign that showed “a ton of potential” ended with four goals and three assists in 27 appearances across all competitions, meriting her club’s Rookie of the Year and Grit Award.
Last year, Joseph was firmly entrenched in the lineup from opening day and contributed four goals and two assists in 21 appearances, performing as “one of the Stars’ most important attackers” despite dealing with a medium-term lower leg injury. Midway through the calendar, the club signed her to a contract extension through 2028 with a “mutual option for 2029,” believing in her potential to “become one of the best players in the league.” Unfortunately, Chicago endured a dismal campaign and finished the schedule at the bottom of the table, with her performances noted as “one of the few positives to follow over the last two seasons.”
Joseph was able to bounce back from her injury and arguably returned stronger. “My teammates really helped me mature and really see the game as a bigger picture, as well as the coaching staff,” she told local media. “I try to take advice from all of them and apply it to my game. I would say I’m a fast learner, and I like to learn and adapt to things. Whatever my teammates and whatever the coaches tell me, I try to apply it to my game as best as I can to help the team. Just listening and learning, for me, is what I took and what I was able to do while I was out and injured and just watching the game and seeing how I could potentially play when I came back.”
At the international level, Joseph participated in an Under-14 training session for the United States in 2016, followed by an invitation with the Under-20 team in 2022. Emma Hayes included her in four different Under-23 sessions in 2025. She received her first senior call-up last November and picked up her debut cap in the first friendly against Italy, coming off the bench for 13 minutes in the 3-0 victory; Goal rated her performance at a six out of ten. Her name was listed for the January camp that concludes with matches against Paraguay and Chile.
Standing at five feet, seven inches tall, Joseph is a forward, winger, and midfielder who puts in a solid defensive shift with over five ball recoveries per 90 minutes, picks her passes judiciously, and challenges opponents off the dribble. She has “another level of athleticism to go with her skill,” and Busy Watching Women’s Soccer praised her decision-making that was on display with the USWNT. With intense pressure, weaving runs, and lightning-fast breaks on the counter, her contributions can shift the tenor of proceedings in an instant and introduce an element of chaos against the run of play.
“Though often humble and reserved in team media availability, Joseph is expressive on the pitch,” penned Lesley Ryder for Gal Pal Sports. “She makes creative runs to beat defenders, and fights for every loose ball in her grasp. She plays in a way that may not always show up statistically, at least not yet, but her tenacity in the press allows her to be a magnet in the midfield, and her instincts tend to bring her to the right place, at the right time.”
Joseph is still developing and determining her best role in the professional game, having suffered through a dismal 2025 season in Chicago. Despite a down year at the club level, her play has attracted the interest of Emma Hayes, which indicates a potential future with the USWNT. With two major competitions on the approaching horizon, there are limited opportunities to work her way into the roster, but she has the talent to play a role in this cycle or the next.
