Jordynn Dudley Named NWSL Rookie of the Month for April

Gotham FC forward Jordynn Dudley was named Rookie of the Month for April after scoring her first NWSL goal and recording an assist in late April. The 21-year-old Florida State product started just once in the team’s first five regular-season games before solidifying her place in the starting lineup. Dudley scored her first NWSL goal 46 seconds into the match against Chicago in late April 2026.

She recorded an assist against Bay FC on April 24, 2026, and was called up to the USWNT U-23 camp in April 2026. The reigning NWSL champions drew 1-1 with Boston Legacy on May 9, 2026, at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Attendance reached 11,308, the fourth-largest regular-season crowd in Gotham FC history.

Jaedyn Shaw scored Gotham FC’s only goal in the 37th minute. Alba Caño equalized for Boston Legacy in the 40th minute, ending Gotham FC’s three-game winning streak that had run from the end of April to the beginning of May 2026. Dudley had a shot from outside the box stopped by Boston goalkeeper Casey Murphy in the ninth minute.

In the closing minutes she had two shots from inside the box blocked by defenders, missed a header wide right and helped set up a close-range shot by Lilly Reale that was stopped by Murphy. U.S. Women’s National Team coach Emma Hayes attended the Gotham FC match on May 9, 2026.

Hayes stated, “When you’re monitoring players on a regular basis, we’re looking at things that relate to the very things we’re looking to develop within our game model. ” Teammates praised Dudley’s impact after the match. Jaedyn Shaw said about Dudley, “I think that she’s just unpredictable.

She can do anything. She can hold the ball up, she can run it behind, she can dribble, she can combine. ” Sarah Schupansky added, “I think she’s a super exciting player to watch any time she gets the ball.

You know that she’s going to do perhaps the best to create for herself or the team. … This coaching staff has done a great job of finding a position for her on the field where she feels like she can exhibit her skills and thrive, and really be herself. She’s an incredible player.

I think that she worked through a lot at the very beginning of this season. It’s never easy to come in as a rookie, especially onto a team like this, a roster like this. com reported that Dudley’s rise followed a slow start in which she came off the bench for the majority of the first five games before earning consistent starts in late April.