The 18-year-old is having a strong second season in the NWSL, so much so that she's been bumped up into the U.S. Under-20 national team

Getting starstruck as an up-and-coming soccer prospect is par for the course, especially in the United States, where the stars of tomorrow are so often based in the NWSL, meaning they are either playing with or against those they have watched win World Cup titles and Olympic gold medals for their country. Kennedy Fuller is no different. She's trained with Alex Morgan and can call Christen Press her team-mate. These are realities that would've surely been beyond her wildest dreams as a young girl.

But the name of Marta, the Brazil icon who is widely considered the greatest women's soccer player of all time, is that which Fuller blurts out when asked who has made her the most starstruck, either as a team-mate or an opponent, in her young career to date. "Oh my gosh, every time I watch her or have played against her, every time she gets the ball, I'm like, 'She's going to do something amazing'," she told the Athletic's podcast.

The 18-year-old, who is part of the United States' squad for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship this week, has faced Marta three times since signing for Angel City and, sure enough, the Brazilian has always conjured up some magic, with her goal in their most recent meeting kickstarting the Orlando Pride's 3-2 comeback win. One could argue, though, that only Marta herself put on a better individual performance in that game than Fuller, who has been making a real name for herself as one of the most promising talents in the U.S. for a while now – but is going to new levels in 2025…

Imagn ImagesWhere it all began

Raised in Southlake, Texas, Fuller "fell in love" with soccer during the 2015 Women's World Cup, as she watched the likes of Morgan, Press and Carli Lloyd – her idol – lift the United States women's national team's third title. "I thought they were the coolest people on the entire planet," she told , reflecting on how she got into the game.

A star for Southlake Carroll High School, and making a name for herself in the U.S. youth national teams, Fuller won the prestigious 2023 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award and committed to the University of North Carolina when she was 15 years old – but her plans soon changed. Able to complete high school in just two-and-a-half years "opened up a lot of doors" when it came to the professional game, with opportunities to train with clubs in the NWSL, and even abroad, emerging.

In the fall of 2023 – around the same time she signed a name, image and likeness deal with Nike – Fuller spent time with Washington Spirit, Kansas City Current, San Diego Wave, North Carolina Courage and Chelsea, then coached by Emma Hayes. She soon realized that she was good enough for these environments and, as such, chose a path that didn't involve college.

AdvertisementImagn ImagesThe big break

It was with Angel City that Fuller decided to start her pro career, signing a contract just a few days before her 17th birthday, in March 2024. It made her the second-youngest player to put pen to paper with the Los Angeles side, after South Korea international Casey Phair. "I chose Angel City because the culture and the environment that the team creates is very welcoming and warm," she explained. "There’s not a big gap between the older players and the younger ones. It's very cohesive and they work really well together. It's just a fun environment."

Going into her first NWSL season off the back of a Golden Boot-winning U17 CONCACAF Championship, Fuller started 10 of her 19 league appearances in her rookie year, bagged her first senior goal in a 3-2 win over Racing Louisville in June and closed out a big 2024 with the U17 Women's World Cup, where she scored four goals and provided three assists in six games as the U.S. took third place.

Imagn ImagesHow it's going

Now, Fuller is only building on that with an even bigger 2025. She's gone to new levels with Angel City, starting all 10 league games so far this year, contributing one goal and three assists in those outings, as well as moving up into the U20 national team for the first time.

Having spent her first year in the NWSL settling into a new environment and a new challenge that involves getting to know new people, as well as just playing pro soccer for the first time, her increased confidence and comfort is paying dividends now, leading to her becoming a more central figure at Angel City. Consistency of playing time has helped, too, as has the ability to understand not to get too high or get too low. After all, 2024 wasn't easy for the club, as it finished 12th in a 14-team league, resulting in Becki Tweed's departure as head coach in December.

"For me, it was more of a mental battle," Fuller told . "The biggest thing I took from last year is I couldn't let my team-mates, my coaches, the circumstance, the experience, any of that, mess up my confidence, because, at the end of the day, I should be the only one that's able to dictate my confidence. That's something that I struggled with last year."

Imagn ImagesBiggest strengths

There's a lot to like about Fuller's game, especially when she is full of confidence – as she is this year. A creative attacking midfielder who can use both feet brilliantly and has an eye for goal, it's her ability to drive at defenders that really stands out when you watch her. Indeed, it's something the 18-year-old describes as one of her "biggest strengths" as well as something that "will open things up and make it an easier decision for me" when she is looking to make something happen in the final third.

More positives come from the mental side of things. Fuller's understanding of the game – and that bamboozling ambidexterity – allows her to play out wide if needed, while her "committed" attitude has been praised by Sam Laity, Angel City's interim coach for the first half of the 2025 season. Then there is the increased maturity and seniority with which she speaks of, making it no surprise that she has been a captain within the youth national teams.