When Angel City FC midfielder Kennedy Fuller arrived in Los Angeles in March of 2024 she was just a 16-year-old prospect with an incredibly high ceiling and proven track record with the United States National Team Youth setup. She was also, understandably, incredibly shy. “Those first two years I was a bit shy, a bit scared and timid with my passes” said Fuller when recalling her first couple of seasons in Los Angeles. “I want to be perceived as a confident player, and be assertive with everything that I do.”
Kennedy Fuller’s got the footwork.
Kennedy Fuller’s got the strike.
Kennedy Fuller’s got Angel City’s first goal of 2026! pic.twitter.com/oF8ZY67sAK— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) March 15, 2026
The growth of Fuller from that first year has been clear as day to anyone who has followed this team, and not just on the pitch. Entering her third season, Fuller is not only one of the youngest players on an incredibly younger squad than we’ve ever seen from Angel City FC, but she has also now reached veteran status, something she is embracing and looking forward to building upon as she continues to build her confidence not just as a player, but leader. “I really learned my first two years, I didn’t say much. I really was just a backseat partner and I think to be able to see what worked for us, what didn’t work for us, learning how I want my teammates to feel and how do I not want them to feel, thats super important as something I’ve grown into” said Fuller. “Being able to learn from Ali Riley, Christen [Press]. Sarah [Gorden], to learn from people who have done everything, obviously I want to step into that role. If I need to be a leader, I can be a leader.”
While that leadership role may be something Fuller is working on growing into with Angel City, it’s not something new for her as she was the captain throughout her time with the US Women’s Youth National Team U17 cycle, captaining them in their third-place showing during the 2024 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, and now that she has made the move up to U20, she has continued that captaincy as they prepare for the upcoming FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup this summer in Poland.
The touch on the pass. The vision. This ball from Kennedy Fuller is nearly impossible to defend. 🫣
Kennedy Fuller earns @cvspharmacy Assist of the Week honors! pic.twitter.com/XTWrzZrzgV
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) March 24, 2026
For a player like Fuller, evolving into a leader is more a matter of when, not if, but for now, the focus for the midfielder is on continuing to do her part and having fun while she does it. So far this season she has already found the back of the net with a screamer of a goal, and she’s got two assists under her belt, one of those assists being what is so far, the pass of the season in the NWSL on a ball that went distance, and fell right into the lap of forward Sveindís Jónsdóttir who didn’t need an invitation to finish it off for the goal. That joy the team as a whole has played with this season was permeant throughout the offseason and it’s something Fuller attributes to the team coming together off the pitch. “I think a lot of it is built from what we do off the field, we’ve really gotten vulnerable with each other” said Fuller.
“We ask each other ‘what’s your why?’ What makes you push everyday on the field, in the gym, what makes you run faster? That’s so important to know from your teammates because if I know what they are doing it for, it makes me push harder knowing we’re doing it for something bigger than ourselves.” Year three for a lot of athletes across all sports is that ‘prove it’ season. The year where they are expected to take that next step on the field, as a person, begin to find their space within the team. It very much is that for Fuller, who’s had a great start to life in the NWSL despite already having gone through three coaches in her time with Angel City FC so far. Through it all though, the 19-year-old isn’t letting the pressure get to her in the slightest.
“I think the unique thing about soccer is that it’s meant to be fun” said Fuller. “A lot of people don’t have fun for their jobs and we get to do the thing that we love the most. I was talking to someone and they said ‘how do you not just have the time of your life when you’re playing’ and thats truly what it is. Whenever you step on the field at BMO that’s exactly what it is. I just want myself and my teammates to go out and experience that and if we need a leader, we need a leader. If someone needs me to yell at them, then we’ll yell at them and get them going.”
Year three for Kennedy Fuller is the year she paves her own path. Taking lessons she’s learned from legends like Ali Riley and Christen Press, the experiences she’s gained as the captain throughout her time at the United States Youth National Team, and her first two seasons just observing, she is evolving into the player and person, she wants to be. If there’s one thing this early stage of the season has shown us, it’s that Fuller is going to do things her way. Gone are the days of the shy 16-year-old with the warrior buns, here are the days of the rising star in the NWSL, primed and ready to lead with joy, happiness, and on her terms.
Thoughts on Kennedy Fuller so far this season? Let us know in the comments below!