Over the past ten years, it’s become increasingly common for elite players in girls’ soccer in the US to skip college and head straight to the pros. Lindsey Horan and Mallory Swanson paved the way, with players like Trinity Rodman and Angel City’s Alyssa Thompson following in their footsteps. With the advent of the NWSL’s U-18 Entry Mechanism, even younger players—including ACFC’s Casey Phair and Gisele Thompson—have been entering the league in recent years.
Kennedy Fuller has taken it a step further: in order to devote herself fully to her dream of playing professionally, the 16-year-old Texas native finished high school in two and a half years.
“Being able to finish high school opened up a lot of doors,” says Fuller. “Since last year, I've been training with a bunch of clubs, trying to progress a little bit faster. Not having to worry about school just opened up whatever options came up.”
Initially, Fuller’s goal was to enroll in college early, but as the midfielder started receiving invitations to train with professional clubs, she quickly found she was good enough for that level. Before arriving in LA just a few weeks ago, she’d had stints with Washington, Kansas City, San Diego, North Carolina, and Chelsea.
It was at Angel City, though, where Fuller felt the most at home. “I chose Angel City because the culture and the environment that the team creates is very welcoming and warm,” she says. “There’s not a big gap between the older players and the younger ones—it's very cohesive and they work really well together. It's just a fun environment.”
The feeling was mutual: Fuller quickly impressed Angel City’s coaching staff. “She's an unbelievable talent,” says First Assistant Coach Eleri Earnshaw. “I can't wait for people to watch her. She's a true [No.10]—a goal-scoring, assisting 10.”
Fuller’s scoring ability is hardly a secret; she’s played a key role for the US Youth National Teams at both the U-15 and U-17 levels. She helped lead the U-15s to victory at the 2022 Concacaf U-15 Championship, scoring nine goals and earning the tournament’s Golden Ball award in the process. In 2024, she was the co-leading scorer at the U-17 Concacaf tournament, notching eight as the USA again came out champions.
In other accolades, Fuller was also named the 2023 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Texas—an award presented by Mallory Swanson—as well as being named player of the tournament at the 2023 Montaigu Tournament, an annual U-16 competition held in France, en route to a US win.
At that 2024 tournament, held in Mexico, Fuller got a firsthand look at the growth of the women’s game, and at what awaits her at BMO Stadium this season. “Being able to play Mexico in the final, in Mexico, was awesome,” she says. “It was a cool experience to be able to play in their home and against their fans. Obviously you’re nervous to step on the field and represent your country, but there's another level of nerves to have to play with their fans in the stadium.”
With the addition of Fuller, Angel City will have four players under the age of 20 on its roster, the most of any NWSL team. For the club, that represents a commitment to building both for the upcoming season and the longer-term future. For Fuller, it means she has multiple teammates around her own age, something most of the teenage players in the league don’t have.
“It's really fun—they just create an environment that you love to be in,” she says.
Angel City also has its share of veterans, and Fuller says Ali Riley and Sydney Leroux are two players she looks up to. “They’ve been very supportive and very helpful with me,” she says. “They would have supported me whether or not I decided to sign. And as a young player, it’s really cool seeing the way they carry themselves on and off the field, and to learn from them in person. I’ve seen their ability to nourish the team culture and their individual relationships within the team.”
Asked to describe herself as a player, Fuller says, “I'm energetic and I'm spunky, and I think that I'm a very creative player, whether that's on or off the ball. I think I use my voice really well—I like to talk and to lead.”
Fuller’s grandmother on her mom’s side is Vietnamese, and she recently got to travel to Vietnam with her mom and grandma. “We're able to experience a little bit of [Vietnamese] culture with my grandma and my mom, but getting to actually go and to taste the food and see how differently they do things was so cool,” she says. “Being able to do that with my mom and my grandma was even cooler. Not many people get to do that.”
She calls her move to California “fun and exciting,” adding that she’s looking forward to the quintessentially LA sport of celebrity spotting. “I’m excited to experience the Cali life.”
