Delanie Sheehan

Delanie Sheehan
Sheehan with Gotham FC in 2023
Personal information
Full name Delanie Breann Sheehan[1]
Date of birth (1999-01-13) January 13, 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Walnut Creek, California, U.S.
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[1]
Position(s) Forward / midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Houston Dash
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2021 UCLA Bruins 86 (15)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2024 NJ/NY Gotham FC 64 (3)
2021 → Paris FC (loan) 6 (0)
2024– Houston Dash
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 16, 2024

Delanie Breann Sheehan (born January 13, 1999) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward and midfielder for the Houston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins and was drafted by NJ/NY Gotham FC in the 2021 NWSL Draft. She won an NWSL Championship with Gotham in 2023.

Early life and college career

Sheehan was born in Walnut Creek, California, on January 13, 1999.[1][2] She started playing soccer at age four.[3] She played high school soccer at Liberty High School in Brentwood, California, and graduated in 2017.[4] She also played softball and basketball in high school.[3] She was a Gatorade State Player of the Year finalist, a three-time North Coast Section (NCS) first-team selection, and a two-time Bay Valley Athletic League (BVAL) MVP in 2015 and 2016.[1][4] In her senior year, she scored the tying goal in a 3–2 victory over Carondelet in the 2017 NCS Division I championship match.[5]

UCLA Bruins

Sheehan played college soccer at the University of California, Los Angeles, from 2017 to 2021.[1] As a freshman, she was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team and scored the tying goal in a 2–3 loss to Stanford in the 2017 NCAA Division I tournament final.[1][6] In her sophomore year, she switched positions to play as a defender and was named to the All-Pac-12 third team.[1] She was selected as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week in October 2018 and September 2019.[7][8] She began playing as a midfielder again in her senior year and was the team's vice captain.[1][9] Helping UCLA win their first Pac-12 Championship in six years, she was named to the All-Pac-12 first team and was the Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year, a Hermann Trophy semifinalist, and a Senior CLASS Award candidate.[9][10][11] Over four seasons in college, she tallied 15 goals and 18 assists in 86 appearances.[1]

Club career

Gotham FC

Sheehan playing for Gotham in 2023

NJ/NY Gotham FC (then known as Sky Blue FC) selected Sheehan 33rd overall in the fourth round of the 2021 NWSL Draft, which took place online on her 21st birthday.[3][12] She signed a national team replacement (NTR) contract with Gotham in July 2021.[13] She made five appearances for Gotham before she was loaned in September to the Division 1 Féminine club Paris FC for the rest of the year, a move that she said she eagerly accepted for the opportunity to improve her tactical skills.[3][14] She made nine appearances for Gotham in 2022.[3]

Sheehan signed a two-year contract with Gotham in January 2023.[15] That season, she had a regular starting spot in Gotham's lineup, her position varying between forward and attacking midfielder.[3] She scored her first professional goal on October 22, 2023, in the first round of the NWSL playoffs against the North Carolina Courage, notching Gotham's first NWSL postseason goal and helping the team to their first NWSL playoff win.[16][17][18]

Sheehan appeared in all 26 games (25 starts) for Gotham during the 2024 season and played the most minutes of any Gotham player in all competitions.[19]

Houston Dash

On December 4, 2024, the Houston Dash announced that they had signed Sheehan through 2026 with a mutual option for 2027.[20]

International career

Sheehan was a member of youth national teams at the under-18, under-19, and under-20 levels.[1] She represented the United States under-20 team at the 2018 Sud Ladies Cup.[21]

Career statistics

As of November 5, 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] Playoffs[b] Total Ref.
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
NJ/NY Gotham FC 2021 NWSL 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 [22]
2022 9 0 1 0 — 10 0 [23]
2023 18 0 5 0 2 1 25 1 [24]
Paris FC (loan) 2021–22 D1F 6 0 0 0 — 6 0 [25]
Career total 39 0 6 0 2 1 47 1
  1. ^ Includes the NWSL Challenge Cup and Coupe de France féminine
  2. ^ Includes NWSL Playoffs

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Delanie Sheehan – Women's Soccer". UCLA Athletics. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  2. ^ "#17 | Delanie Sheehan". NJ/NY Gotham FC. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Alfano, Michaela (October 21, 2023). "Finding Her Fit: Delanie Sheehan's Journey Through Soccer". Women's Sports Exchange. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Liberty soccer star drafted into the National Women's Soccer League". The Press. January 27, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  5. ^ Gallegos, Martin (March 1, 2017). "Highlight Reel: Week's top soccer performances". East Bay Times. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  6. ^ "Stanford edges UCLA to win NCAA women's soccer title". The Orange County Register. December 3, 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  7. ^ "Sheehan, Micah Earn Pac-12 Weekly Honors". UCLA Athletics. October 16, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  8. ^ "Sheehan, Micah Earn Pac-12 Weekly Honors". UCLA Athletics. September 3, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Sheehan Selected as Senior CLASS Award Candidate". UCLA Athletics. March 24, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  10. ^ "Pac-12 announces 2020 women's soccer All-Conference honors". Pac-12 Conference. April 21, 2021. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  11. ^ "Sheehan Selected as Semifinalist for MAC Hermann Trophy". UCLA Athletics. May 4, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  12. ^ Farinha, Diego (January 22, 2021). "Women's soccer sees 3 players selected in virtual NWSL Draft". Daily Bruin. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  13. ^ Lewis, Michael (July 8, 2021). "Delanie makes some friends: Sheehan signs replacement player contract with Gotham FC". Front Row Soccer. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  14. ^ "NJ/NY Gotham FC Loans Forward Delanie Sheehan to Paris FC". NJ/NY Gotham FC. September 21, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  15. ^ "Gotham FC Re-signs Delanie Sheehan to Two-Year Contract". NJ/NY Gotham FC. January 13, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  16. ^ "NWSL playoffs: Sheehan's first professional goal sends Gotham into semi-finals". The Guardian. October 22, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  17. ^ Hruby, Emma (October 23, 2023). "Gotham FC extend Ali Krieger's career with first NWSL playoff win". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  18. ^ "Match Recap: Gotham FC Advance to NWSL Playoffs Semifinals with 2-0 Postseason Win over North Carolina Courage". NJ/NY Gotham FC. October 22, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  19. ^ "2024 Gotham FC Stats (NWSL)". FBref.com. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
  20. ^ FC, Houston Dynamo. "Houston Dash sign NWSL Champion Delanie Sheehan through 2026 season". Houston Dash. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  21. ^ "United States squad announced for the Sud Ladies Cup 2018". Maurice Revello Tournament. June 3, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  22. ^ "Delanie Sheehan – 2021". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  23. ^ "Delanie Sheehan – 2022". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
    "Delanie Sheehan – 2022 Challenge Cup". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  24. ^ "Delanie Sheehan – 2023". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
    "Delanie Sheehan – 2023 Challenge Cup". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  25. ^ "USA – D. Sheehan". Soccerway. Retrieved November 6, 2023.