For Trinity Byars, the road to her first USWNT call-up was anything but straightforward.

Five games into her senior season at the University of Texas, Byars tore her ACL. The injury interrupted the career of a player who had already established herself as one of the country’s top young talents. The All-American and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year was left wondering if she would ever be the same again. 

“Any big injury, any player has doubts. For me, it was really hard with those doubts. I don’t know where my career is going to take me. Am I going to be the same player when I get back?” Byars said in an interview with CBS8.

The Road Back

The hardest part of ACL recovery for Byars wasn’t physical. It was mental.

“The hardest part was being taken away from the field and being away from my teammates. You’re kind of isolated in your own little area in the gym, working day in and day out. And you don’t really see the results right away,” she told CBS8.

Even while Byars was still recovering, the San Diego Wave saw enough in her to take a chance. The club signed her to her first professional contract while she was still injured, giving Byars a confidence boost during a difficult stretch.

“The Wave still having faith in me and signing me was such a blessing, and that really motivated me to keep going. When a big injury like that happens, you have so many doubts,” she said during the interview.

Byars eventually returned to the field, making one appearance for the Wave in 2025. But this 2026 season has truly given her the opportunity to burst onto the scene.

Making Up for Lost Time

Byars has not wasted a single second in her first fully healthy season as a professional athlete. Through 21 matches so far, she has scored 10 goals and added three assists, despite starting in just 11 of those games. Her 13 goal contributions lead the Wave this season. She is just the second player in club history to score at least 10 goals in a single season, joining elite company in Alex Morgan.

The player who once wondered whether she would ever be the same has instead emerged as one of the league’s most dangerous young attackers.

“Looking back at it, seeing how scared and doubtful I was during the whole rehab process and seeing where I’m at now, it’s such a good feeling that I can count on myself to be the player I want to be,” Byars said.

Her performances have now earned her recognition from USWNT Head Coach Emma Hayes.

“Looking back at it, seeing how scared and doubtful I was during the whole rehab process and seeing where I’m at now, it’s such a good feeling that I can count on myself to be the player I want to be.”

Trinity Byars

A Dream Realized

Byars was named to the USWNT’s roster for two October matches against Spain, the reigning World Cup champions. It marks the first senior call-up of her career.

Hayes has been impressed by the same qualities that have made Byars so effective for San Diego.

“What I’ve liked about Trinity is the combination of how she can hold the ball up to bring her team into play, but she can stretch in behind getting into the box. She’s got a vicious finish, she strikes the ball so true. And I think she’s got huge potential so I want to look at her in camp,” Hayes said in an interview with Sports on Prime. 

For Byars, the call up represents the realization of a dream she has carried since childhood. 

“It’s such an honor. My family is obviously really proud of me, and since I was a little girl that was always my dream to get my first call up and I’m just so honored and blessed to be able to do that,” she said in a San Diego Wave FC Instagram post.

The U.S. will face Spain on October 10 in Washington D.C. and again on October 13 in Chester, Pennsylvania. For Byars, the matches offer the next step in a journey that began with an ACL tear and a year of uncertainty.

After once wondering whether she would be the same player again, she now gets to find out just how far she can go.