Women’s hockey made its Olympic debut in 1998 during the Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. And ever since, Team USA has won two golds, four silvers, and one bronze – medaling in every Olympics.
As they face strong competitors from Italy in the quarter final, Team USA’s women’s hockey team is undefeated and the clear frontrunner for the gold in the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina. During the preliminaries, Team USA beat their supposed biggest threat to the gold, Canada, five to zero.
So, who are the members of Team USA? Here’s everything HELLO! Knows about the players vying for the country’s third gold medal.
© Getty ImagesAbbey Murphy
Abbey Murphy is a forward on Team USA and is competing in her second Olympics. The 23-year-old comes from an athletic family. Her mom, Lynne Murphy, played college softball and her two older brothers, Patrick and Dominic, played college sports.
At seven, Abbey started playing hockey when she saw her neighbor playing in his backyard. She went on to have a successful college career – still playing for Minnesota State as she utilizes her COVID-19 eligibility exemption.
In 2023, Abbey set a record at the IHF Women’s World Championship for the fastest goal in history – she scored seven seconds into a game against Switzerland.
© Getty ImagesLaila Edwards
Defender Laila Edwards is making history. She is the first Black woman to score a goal for Team USA. The 22-year-old is still in college, skating for the University of Minnesota and appearing in her first Olympics.
Laila grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio and started playing hockey when she was four. Her sister, Chayla, also plays hockey for the University of Wisconsin. When thinking about the mark she is making by becoming the first Black woman to score in the Olympics, she told Essence: “I want to leave a legacy that I was a great player, but an even better person and an inspiration. I want [young Black girls] to see that I was at that level, but also that I succeeded at that level and I was one of the top people at that level because getting there is wonderful.”
© Getty ImagesMegan Keller
Competing in her third Olympics, Megan Keller has scored two goals so far in Milan-Cortina. The left wing grew up in Michigan watching her brother Ryan play hockey. After begging her parents to play, she started skating at five.
Megan played college hockey at Boston College, graduating as the school’s all-time leader in defenseman scoring. Megan is now in the PWHL playing for the Boston Fleet.
© Getty ImagesCayla Barnes
27-year-old Cayla Barnes is also competing in her third Olympics. She grew up in California the youngest of five siblings with four older brothers. As a kid, Cayla was a figure skater – influenced heavily by her mom after having four sons.
But, Cayla was destined to be a hockey player. She switched to the sport when she was three and never looked back.
“I just loved it from the start,” Cayla told Red Line. “I just kept going with it. But I definitely got into it because [my brothers] all played, and I just wanted to do what they did.”
Like her teammate Megan, Cayla played college hockey at Boston College. In 2025, she began playing for the Seattle Torrent.
© Getty ImagesKendall Coyne Schofield
Kendall Coyne Schofield is more than just a four-time Olympian. She’s also a mom. Kendall, who has scored twice in Team USA’s game against Italy, married her husband former NFL player Michael Schofield in 2018. And in July 2023, she gave birth to her son, Drew.
Michael, who played for the Denver Broncos when they won Super Bowl 50, is a huge fan of his wife. He is regularly seen cheering her on during the Olympics from the stands.
The same year Kendall gave birth to Drew, she became one of the first players to sign a contract with the PWHL. She plays for the Minnesota Frost.
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