USWNT star Tierna Davidson talks Olympics gold medal, Emma Hayes, and women's soccer

Tierna Davidson stood on the gleaming Olympic field at the Stade de Nice, the summer sun casting long shadows as the crowd's roar washed over her. The pain — both physical and mental — of the torn ACL that forced her to miss the 2023 World Cup was still fresh in her mind. The memory of her rehabilitation sessions seemed almost tangible in the stadium's energy.

Every step she took onto the pitch was a reminder of the battles she had fought to return to this moment. As the game kicked off and the whistle blew, Davidson channeled every ounce of her struggle and hope into her play, determined to turn her story of adversity into one of triumph and redemption.

She accomplished just that. Davidson and her teammates went on to defeat Brazil 1-0 in the Gold Medal Match at the 2024 Paris Olympics, returning the USWNT to the pinnacle of the women's soccer world following a disappointing finish in last year's FIFA World Cup.

Four years prior, Davidson, at just 19 years old, was the youngest member of the 23-woman squad that emerged victorious in the 2019 FIFA World Cup. The California native soon became a regular fixture in the USWNT squad, earning 64 caps before the age of 26.

Unfortunately, tragedy struck when Davidson suffered a torn ACL in March 2022, an injury that would ultimately force her to miss the 2023 World Cup. It's been a long road back to the starting lineup for one of the youngest "veterans" on the squad, but Davidson is taking the adversity in stride.

"Unfortunately it's something that you agree to when you sign up to be a professional athlete," Davidson told reporters at a local Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers in Astor Place earlier this month.

"You agree to the uncertainty, you agree to the possibility of injury. My story is not unique in that sense. People get injured, people get traded, choose to go to a new team, or get left off a roster. I think that that's what makes the moments of triumph so much sweeter."

Davidson was forced to watch from home as her teammates on the USWNT crashed out in the Round of 16 at the World Cup, prompting the team to fall to fifth in the FIFA rankings — the lowest they've placed since rankings began.

Ever the optimist, Davidson did her best to take some silver linings from her extended absence.

"When I was injured in 2022, all I was able to do was watch the games," Davidson said. "I couldn’t play, all I could do was watch. I think that’s really allowed me to see different dimensions of the game."

Her efforts clearly paid off, as Davidson returned as a regular starting center back alongside fellow Stanford alum Naomi Girma for the Olympics. The center-back duo of Davidson and Girma combined to allow a total of zero goals while on the pitch together this summer.

Although she missed two games due to a different knee injury, Davidson returned in time to start the Final. The result was a culmination of her remarkable journey through adversity, marking her triumphant return to the USWNT and their climb to Olympic gold. She was back.

"There are bits of it that only I will know and only my family will know, and that's why we have to celebrate these moments and appreciate these moments," Davidson said regarding the adversity she faced. "Because for us as athletes, they're very fleeting, and there are a lot of darker moments that lead to these ones — [it’s] important for our growth as players and as people. So I wouldn't change it."

Tierna Davidson on Emma Hayes and the USWNT's uncertainty entering the Olympics

Davidson's triumphant return to the field was a powerful symbol of overcoming personal adversity. Yet, as the USWNT faced the 2024 Olympics under new manager Emma Hayes, the team itself was navigating a different kind of uncertainty.

Hayes was hired as the new manager of the USWNT in November but only took over the program a few months before the summer games were set to begin, as she finished up her season coaching Chelsea in the Women’s Super League.

This, of course, provided a unique challenge to Davidson and the rest of the team. Nonetheless, the highly-regarded manager led the USWNT to victory in a major international tournament just a few months into her tenure.

Davidson spoke about how the team adapted to their new manager and what it took for them to achieve the heights they did this summer.

"We all knew that she was a great coach," Davison remarked. "We saw what she had done at Chelsea and knew she was going to be really great for our group. It’s exactly what we needed during this time. But as always, we weren’t exactly sure [about] the basic things like how she wanted to run a training session or how she coached on the sideline. Those are things we had to adjust to."

Much has been made about the rediscovered joy in the USWNT locker room following Hayes' arrival. The previous tournaments had been plagued by tensions, miscommunications, and obvious frustration, but these issues seemed to fade away at the Olympics. It's almost as if a weight had been lifted off the players' shoulders.

Davidson chalked some of it up to avoiding the pressure of unrealistic expectations. The entire team recognized the "awkward" position they were in, and in many ways, they embraced it.

"It was really [about] us committing to the process and committing to each other," Davidson insisted. "We didn’t expect perfection from ourselves. We didn’t put those unrealistic expectations on ourselves. We knew there would be bumps in the road."

Hayes has been the catalyst behind this recent resurgence. The longtime Chelsea manager has quickly endeared herself to the USWNT players and fans alike. Her sideline energy and likable demeanor have made her the face of this new era of women's soccer in the United States.

Davidson spoke highly of her new coach when asked about how Hayes has helped "restore the joy" in the locker room.

"She does a great job humanizing herself and recognizing the difficulties of both her job and our jobs," Davidson said. "It allows everyone to take a deep breath and realize that it’s ultimately just a game that we play. Each game that we play is a 90-minute game — in some cases 120 — but we have the same objective that we always do."

This year's Gold Medal Match in the Olympics drew an average of 9 million viewers on NBC and Peacock, more than any women's Final since the 2004 Athens Games. The sport is on the rise, both domestically and internationally.

This surge in viewership is part of a broader trend in the rising popularity of women’s sports. We've witnessed significant growth across various leagues in recent years, with the WNBA’s record-breaking season this year standing out as a prime example.

The increased visibility and support for women athletes reflect a shifting landscape in sports, where female athletes are garnering the attention and recognition they've long deserved. Davidson is excited to watch the progress unfold.

"I’m really proud of the progress that women’s soccer is making both in this country and internationally," Davidson said. "I think that speaks volumes about the quality of soccer that we put on the field and the excitement we’re able to bring to the game. I’m just really excited. Hopefully it’s only up from here.”

As for the USWNT, the sky is the limit. Or rather, there is no limit, if you ask Davidson. "The potential is limitless," she insists.

The global rise in women's soccer has intensified competition for the USWNT, who have long been the benchmark for excellence in the sport. As more nations invest in their women's programs, the gap has narrowed, challenging the country's typical dominance.

However, with their current talented crop of players, Davidson is confident in the team's ability to reclaim their place atop the world of women's soccer and continue setting the standard for the sport.

"This group got a taste of what it's like to win at the international level on a big stage," Davidson insists. "I think everybody wants to be back there again."