Jaelene Daniels

Jaelene McKenzie Daniels (née Hinkle; born May 28, 1993) is an American professional soccer defender.

Jaelene Daniels
Daniels playing for the North Carolina Courage, 2017
Personal information
Full name Jaelene McKenzie Daniels
Birth name Jaelene McKenzie Hinkle[1]
Date of birth (1993-05-28) May 28, 1993
Place of birth Denver, Colorado, United States
Height 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Position(s) Defender
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2014 Texas Tech Red Raiders 84 (1)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Western New York Flash 35 (2)
2017–2020 North Carolina Courage 64 (1)
2022 North Carolina Courage 19 (1)
International career‡
2010 United States U17
2013–2015 United States U23
2015–2016 United States 8 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of February 16, 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of February 15, 2016

Early life

Daniels attended Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado (a suburb of Denver) where she played soccer and basketball.[2] In 2009, she was awarded the league's Player of the Year and was named to the all-conference team, first team all-state and All-Colorado team by The Denver Post.[2] During her senior year in 2010, she was the league's top scorer and named to the all-conference team, first team all-state and All-Colorado team by the newspaper for the second consecutive year.[2] The same year, she received Parade All-American honors.[3]

Daniels played club soccer for Real Colorado for four years and captained the team during the 2010–11 season. She helped the team win the state championship in 2007.[2] She was a member of the Olympic Development Program (ODP) team that advanced to the regional championship in 2006.[2]

Club career

Western New York Flash, 2015–2016

Daniels was selected seventh overall during the 2015 NWSL College Draft by the Western New York Flash.[4][5] During her first season with the team, she started in all 20 matches[6] and scored a goal while playing in the defender position.[7] The Flash finished in seventh place during the regular season with a 6–9–5 record.[8]

Daniels played in 15 games and scored one goal during the 2016 NWSL season. She was in the starting lineup for the Flash in their semi-final game against the Portland Thorns. Western New York secured an upset victory over the Shield winners.[9] Daniels was once again in the starting lineup for the Championship Game. The game went to penalties, she converted her penalty, helping the Flash win the 2016 NWSL Championship.[10]

North Carolina Courage, 2017–2020

In January 2017, the Flash were sold and relocated to North Carolina and re-branded as the North Carolina Courage.[11] Daniels started in 22 games for the Courage in 2017. North Carolina won the 2017 NWSL Shield, but lost in the NWSL Championship game 1-0 to Portland.

Daniels was named to the NWSL Team of the Month for March & April 2018.[12] She was an important part of North Carolina's backline which broke the record for fewest goals conceded, and won the NWSL Shield for the second straight year.[13] She played every minute of North Carolina's play-offs games, as the Courage won the 2018 NWSL Championship.[14]

On November 4, 2020, Daniels announced her retirement from soccer.[15]

Return from retirement

On December 19, 2021, North Carolina Courage announced they have signed Daniels on a one-year deal, with an additional one-year option, marking her return from retirement.[16] The signing was widely scrutinized at the time,[17] leading the Courage to release a statement defending it.[18][19]

On October 17, 2022, the Courage announced that they had declined their contract option on Daniels for the 2023 season, making her a free agent.[20][21]

International career
Daniels (19) with the United States women's national soccer team, January 2017

In October 2015, Daniels was called into camp for the senior national team in preparation for games against Brazil during the team's victory tour following their win at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada.[22] She earned her first cap with the national team during a friendly match against Brazil in Seattle on October 21 which resulted in a 1–1 tie.[23]

In 2016 Daniels was named to the roster for the 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship, she appeared in three games for the U.S., as they won the tournament and qualified for the 2016 Summer Olympics.[24] She was also called up for the 2016 SheBelieves Cup but did not appear in any games. The U.S won the inaugural edition of the SheBelieves Cup.[25]

In June 2017, Daniels was called into camp for international friendlies against Sweden and Norway but did not attend, citing "personal reasons."[26]

In a May 2018 interview with The 700 Club, Daniels revealed that she withdrew from the team for the June 2017 friendlies because she did not want to wear the US Soccer jerseys honoring LGBT Pride Month, saying "I just felt so convicted in my spirit that it wasn't my job to wear this jersey."[27][28]

In July 2018, Daniels received a call-up to the USWNT training camp for the 2018 Tournament of Nations, which marked her first call-up to the national team since withdrawing from camp in 2017.[29] She was not named to the Tournament of Nations final roster.[30] Daniels has failed to receive consistent call ups to the national team since then.

Personal life

Daniels has spoken publicly about her Christian faith and views.[31][32][33]

On June 26, 2015, after same-sex marriage in the United States was established in all 50 states, Daniels tweeted "This world is falling farther and farther away from God... All that can be done by believers is to continue to pray."[34] In May 2018, shortly after she revealed her decision to not wear the U.S. team jersey honoring LGBT Pride Month, Daniels was booed several times by some Portland Thorns supporters during an NWSL match with the Courage.[35][36] On July 29, 2022 she declined to play in the Courage's "Pride Night" match that night against the Washington Spirit, after a spokesperson confirmed she refused to wear the club's Pride flag-themed jersey. The club noted "While we're disappointed with her choice, we respect her right to make that decision for herself".[17]

She is married to Matthew Daniels.[19] Formerly known as Jaelene Hinkle, Daniels began using her married name in 2020.[37] She gave birth to a daughter, Zoe, in August 2021.[19][17]

Honors

Club

Western New York Flash

North Carolina Courage

References
  1. "Candidates for Undergraduate Degrees – College of Human Sciences: Bachelor of Science, Human Sciences" (PDF). The Commencement. Texas Tech University. December 2014. p. 31. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 22, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  2. "Jaelene Hinkle". Texas Tech University. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  3. "Three Colorado girls named Parade soccer All-Americans". The Denver Post. June 7, 2010. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  4. Hays, Graham (January 16, 2015). "NWSL DRAFT: 5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW". ESPN. Archived from the original on October 25, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  5. "WNY Flash adds six players at NWSL College Draft". The Buffalo News. January 16, 2015. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  6. DiVeronica, Jeff (September 18, 2015). "WNY Flash announce team awards; Becky Edwards wins MVP". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  7. "Jaelene Hinkle". Soccer Way. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  8. "Flash win finale over Alex Morgan, Portland". Democrat and Chronicle. September 4, 2015. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  9. "Flash beat Thorns FC, 4-3, in extra time". October 2, 2016. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  10. "Western New York Flash win 2016 NWSL Championship". October 9, 2016. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  11. "NWSL champion WNY Flash to relocate to North Carolina". January 6, 2017. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved June 3, 2018.
  12. "FOUR NC COURAGE PLAYERS NAMED TO NWSL TEAM OF THE MONTH FOR APRIL". May 3, 2018. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  13. "NC COURAGE FACES NWSL SEMIFINAL TEST AGAINST CHICAGO RED STARS TUESDAY IN PORTLAND". September 17, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  14. "Courage cap off record-setting season with NWSL Championship win". September 22, 2018. Archived from the original on February 1, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  15. "North Carolina Courage defender Jaelene Daniels retires from pro soccer". Soccer Wire. November 4, 2020. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  16. "Jaelene Daniels Returns to NC Courage". North Carolina Courage. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  17. Jackson, Wilton (July 29, 2022). "NC Courage Player Declines to Play in Team's Pride Night Game". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  18. Murray, Caitlin (December 23, 2021). "NWSL's Courage sorry over re-signing Jaelene Daniels, who refused to wear USWNT gay pride jersey". ESPN. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  19. Hartman, Matt (June 30, 2022). "The Courage to Change". The Assembly NC. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  20. Yanchulis, Kate (October 17, 2022). "Courage waive Jaelene Daniels after controversial return to NWSL". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  21. @TheNCCourage (October 17, 2022). "[ROSTER MOVE]: The Courage have declined a team option on defender Jaelene Daniels for the 2023 season, making her an unrestricted free agent" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  22. "Ellis calls 31 for U.S. matches against Brazil". Goal.com. October 16, 2015. Retrieved October 18, 2015.
  23. "Lloyd's late equalizer preserves U.S. home undefeated streak". Sounder at Heart. October 21, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  24. "2016 CONCACAF WOMEN'S OLYMPIC QUALIFYING CHAMPIONSHIP". Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  25. "J. HINKLE". Archived from the original on September 25, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  26. Lauletta, Dan (June 6, 2017). "OFFICIAL: Jaelene Hinkle not with #USWNT in Europe due to personal reasons. Roster is at 19". @TheDanLauletta. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
  27. "Citing her faith, Jaelene Hinkle admits she withdrew from US Soccer team over LGBTQ pride jerseys". May 31, 2018. Archived from the original on May 31, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  28. "Jaelene Hinkle: Defender refused to play for US because of LGBT shirt". BBC Sport. June 1, 2018. Archived from the original on June 1, 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  29. "Hinkle returns to USWNT for Tournament of Nations". July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  30. "ELLIS NAMES FINAL USA ROSTER FOR 2018 TOURNAMENT OF NATIONS". July 23, 2018. Archived from the original on July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
  31. "Is Christian US soccer player boycotting team over these jerseys?". New York Post. June 6, 2017. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  32. "Christian Soccer Player Jaelene Hinkle Withdraws From Friendlies as US Team Is Set to Wear Gay Pride Jerseys". The Christian Post. June 7, 2017. Archived from the original on May 23, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  33. "Defending Faith: Soccer Player Jaelene Hinkle Puts God First". Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
  34. Jaelene Hinkle [@JaeHinkle_15] (June 26, 2015). "This world is falling farther and farther away from God... All that can be done by believers is to continue to pray" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  35. "Jaelene Hinkle said no to USWNT Pride Month call-up because of faith". ESPN. May 31, 2018.
  36. "Soccer player hears boos over her past LGBTQ protest". New York Post. May 31, 2018. Archived from the original on July 1, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  37. Brown, Morgan (March 4, 2020). "NC COURAGE INKS CONTRACTS WITH KEY DEFENDERS IN ERCEG AND DANIELS". NC Courage. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
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