Cheyna Matthews

Cheyna Matthews has transitioned from a professional soccer player to an advocate for mothers in sports, sharing insights from her career as an NWSL forward and Jamaican international. After making 17 appearances with six goals and six assists in her freshman year at Vanderbilt University in 2012, Matthews earned First-Team All-SEC honors in 2013, starting all 18 games and scoring 16 goals alongside five assists. Across her time at Vanderbilt and Florida State, she accumulated 51 appearances and 24 goals, including 10 goals in 25 games during her senior year. Matthews transitioned to professional football, being drafted seventh overall by the Washington Spirit in the 2016 NWSL College Draft and signing with the team in April 2016.

In March 2023, Matthews signed with the Chicago Red Stars, where she made 14 appearances and scored one goal before announcing her retirement from professional football on October 13, 2023. Post-retirement, Matthews has become a prominent advocate for mothers in sports. She became involved with a FIFPRO taskforce in 2024, dedicated to developing a groundbreaking Postpartum Return to Play Guide, addressing the critical need for robust support systems for athletes balancing motherhood and professional careers. Matthews continues to share insights from her extensive career as an NWSL forward and Jamaican international, highlighting her journey and advocating for systemic change within professional sports.