In just a few short years as a professional, Naomi Girma has achieved acclaim not usually afforded to defenders.
She has never scored a goal for club or country, yet her play and accolades have made her one of the most popular players in the NWSL and for the U.S. Women’s National Team.
Girma’s ascension story is highly inspirational and she’s a role model for young players -- especially young defenders -- all over the country.
Now, imagine you are one of those young defenders, and at the age of 16, you get to train with her, be mentored by her and soak up her knowledge on the daily?
You would then be Jordyn Bugg.
Bugg hails from San Diego, and her youth club, the San Diego Surf, shares a training site with the San Diego Wave. At the age of 16 during the 2023, and as one of the elite players for the Surf, the high school junior got the chance to train with the Wave. She joined the team for training on a more consistent basis for NWSL pre-season in 2024, midway through her senior year, after having recently made the transition to full-time central defender.
Bugg’s training stints with the Wave were predictably eye-opening.
“It was crazy to just walk on the field and play with Alex Morgan and Naomi, and a lot of really talented players and experienced pros,” said Bugg. “I was worried about the speed of play, the size of players and the physicality of all of it and I was right. Everything just moved so fast, but I adjusted over time and all the players and coaches were just so great in helping me out and letting a kid learn the ropes.”
As with any young player with options, forgoing college (she had originally committed to Stanford before flipping to Florida State) and turning pro was a difficult decision fraught with pros and cons.
In the end, her training time with the Wave, and then later with the Seattle Reign, sealed the deal.
