Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw

Foden took home the Players' Player of the Year award for the first time, while Palmer was named the Young Player of the Year.

The women's Players' Player of the Year honour went to Shaw, with the Young Player of the Year award copped by Grace Clinton.

Two-time Young Player winner Foden had already been announced as the Premier League Player of the Season and the FWA Footballer of the Year.

Following the midweek ceremony, he has now also been recognised by his fellow professionals after starring in Manchester City's fourth straight title triumph.

Ex-City man Palmer had likewise been nominated for the top award after an outstanding first season at Chelsea, in which he netted 22 league goals.

However, Palmer was not included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

Foden made the cut alongside City team-mate Erling Haaland and Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in attack.

There were four City players included, with Kyle Walker and Rodri selected, but the champions were outnumbered by Arsenal's five representatives.

David Raya, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard earned recognition, with Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk completing the XI.

The PFA WSL Team of the Year included both Players' Player of the Year Shaw and Young Player of the Year Clinton.

Shaw was one of six City stars in the XI despite her side being pipped to the title by Chelsea, who could count only three players in the team.

The Manchester City striker was in fine form in Monday’s game, scoring a brace to help her side to a dominant 4-0 victory over the Haitians to secure a second consecutive World Cup berth.

“It means a lot, especially because throughout the beginning of the campaign we came under a lot of pressure. We just stood together and held our composure,” said Shaw.

“We knew that once we did that, at the end of the day we were going to be victorious and, I think, it just goes to show that we’re a small island, but we can do big things,” Shaw added.

Despite already booking their spot in Australia and New Zealand next year, their CONCACAF Women’s Championship campaign is not over with a semi-final against Canada on Thursday at 9:00pm Jamaica time (10:00pm EST). Defending world champions the USA will tackle Costa Rica in the other semi-final. 

Shaw outlined how the team can overcome the challenge of the unbeaten Canadians.

“We need to remain confident and stay positive. We also have to continue to support each other and communicate. If we continue to stick together and stay confident, I’m sure we can do big things,” Shaw said.

But Head coach Lorne Donaldson doesn’t need a statistics lesson to know that his ever-improving Reggae Girlz team faces a stern examination of their history-making credentials, as they seek to end a winless run against the formidable reigning Olympic champions in an important assignment.

Donaldson’s side ranked at 37th and the number 10-ranked Canadians lock horns in the first of their two-leg Olympic qualifying playoff at the National Stadium on Friday at 7:00pm Jamaica time, with both aiming to draw first blood and, by extension, put themselves in pole position to secure a berth to next year's Olympic Games in France.

The second leg is scheduled for September 26 at a sold-out BMO Field in Toronto.

While acknowledging the daunting nature of their task against the three-time Olympic medallists, Donaldson is hoping the Reggae Girlz can turn in an efficient performance in their bid to defy the odds and their doubters on local soil.

“Canada is the Olympic champion, they have won a lot of stuff, we haven’t proven anything yet so they have a right to be favourite. So we have to be good, we have to play really well to beat the Olympic champions,” Donaldson told Sportsmax.tv.

“We’re ready for a tough battle and it will take its own course, I’m sure. it’s a pretty important game to both teams so we just want to come out and play hard…as hard as we can and see what we can get out of it. That’s our aim, to come out and play as hard and be very effective in what we are trying to do,” he added.

The Reggae Girlz, who are coming off a confident run at the Fifa Women’s World Cup, where they finished second in Group F, holding top 10-ranked teams France and Brazil to goalless stalemates, complemented by a 1-0 victory over Panama, before losing 0-1 to Colombia in the Round of 16.

It was the first time since 1938 that a Caribbean team –male or female –contested the knockout stages at the global showpiece and the Girlz have a chance to not only build on that momentum, but also become the first Caribbean team to qualify for women’s football at the Olympics.

This, as Canada in seven matches so far this year, have registered two wins, one draw and four losses, scoring just five goals, while conceding a whopping 12.

But, even with that in mind, Donaldson maintains that his team will have to be at their best to achieve the intended results.

“We had a journey of all sorts, including the World Cup and those highs and lows prepares us for games like this. So it’s a challenge that we’re looking forward to and we have to try and score goals, it is as simple as that.

“We have to minimize what we give up because it’s a two-leg fixture, so we have to get a result from this leg and then go from there. So yeah, we’re going to have to be in top form to get a result,” Donaldson reasoned.

Though he has 20 players from his World Cup squad, led by 2022 Concacaf Women's Player of the Year and a finalist for this year's Ballon d'Or, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw in camp, Donaldson pointed out the decision on a starting team remains up in the air, as a few players are nursing niggles.

However, he expressed pleasure with what was displayed during three full sessions, all focused on their tactical approach.

“The first session was lively; the second one was a bit sub-par, but the players regained some tempo for the last session because they know the objective and I am sure they are shooting for it.

“Everything has been focused on tactics and what we want to do, which is to go in and get a result. So, we are just taking it in stride honour anything we need to honour, and try to finish up on a good note,” the tactician said.

Meanwhile, Canada’s head coach Bev Priestman will have 19 of the 23 players, who were part of her World Cup roster, including captain Christine Sinclair and a trio of Chelsea players — workhorse midfielder Jessie Fleming and defenders Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence.

Notable absences from that group are now-retired veteran midfielder Sophie Schmidt, as well as fullback Allysha Chapman, who is out for personal reasons. Fullback Jayde Riviere and forward Deanne Rose were originally named to the roster but will miss the qualifiers due to injuries.

Still, Priestman said her team is ready and raring to go.

“We all are itching to get back on the pitch and we want nothing more than to start our journey to the Olympic Games through these playoffs,” Priestman noted.

“We know it will be a tough challenge in front of us and it won’t be easy, but we are ready to rise to that challenge, the group feels fresh and excited, and we’re ready to go,” she added.

Shaw also had an assist as she fed teammate Jess Park, who scored the opener in the 21^st minute to see Manchester City take a 1-0 lead into the half-time break.

Shortly after the resumption, Shaw got her goal smashing in from 10 yard to give the Cityzens a 2-0 lead in the 47^th minute.

“Got the job done. On to the next,” a proud Shaw posted on Instagram afterwards.

Toni Duggan headed in in stoppage time for Everton’s consolation. The former Manchester City player was scoring her first goal since she returned from maternity leave after giving birth to a daughter in March.

Shaw scored in the 21^st minute and 89^th minute after Elizabeth Terland had pulled Brighton level in the 33^rd minute. These were Shaw’s 25^th and 26^th goals in 22 games this season surpassing the previous 24 goals in the 2018/2019 season by Nikita Parris.

In 2023 alone, the Jamaican striker has scored two hat-tricks, while also striking four times in an 8-1 FA Cup win over Bristol City in February. Since joining Manchester City from Bordeaux in the 2021/2022 season, Shaw has scored 45 goals in 51 appearances, at an average of 0.88 per game.

Following Sunday’s record-breaking performance, team manager Gareth Taylor expressed his pride at Shaw’s achievements.

“I’m super proud of Bunny and all the players are. She understands the support and help she gets here to allow her to be herself,” Taylor said.

“I think what she’s done is remarkable, really - to go from the first game of the season scoring and not really have a dry spell at all, maybe a couple of games. She’s continued to score goals. She’s certainly a proven goal scorer, but it’s the types of goals she’s getting now and everything else she brings to us in the games.

“I think that’s nine in three games now, which is crazy.”

The local delegation from Jamaica will depart on Thursday, June 3 out of Montego Bay at 2:20 pm.

The squad will have a camp in Houston from June 4-7 after which it will relocate to the host hotel.

Jamaica will play number 38 ranked team Nigeria on June 10 and World champions the USA on June 13. Both games will be played at the BBVA stadium in Houston, Texas. The games will be the first for the Jamaican team since they participated in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers in February 2020 and they will do so without their prolific striker Shaw.

Jamaica's number-nine, the leading scorer for Bordeaux in the Division 1 Féminine, the highest division of women's football in France, has reportedly asked for time to recover from what was an intense season in which the team fought successfully for a Champions League spot.

Shaw was the joint-leading scorer, alongside PSG’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto, with 21 goals for Bordeaux, which finished third in the division.

Meanwhile, five new players have been named to the squad including Rebecca Spencer of Tottenham Hotspur, Drew Spence of Chelsea, and Shania Hayles of Aston Villa as well as Mikayla Dayes of the University of Maryland and Satara of FC Austin Elite.

They will join 14 veterans who represented Jamaica at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

According to the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), once the teams arrive in Houston both for training camp as well as the tournament, they will operate under a highly controlled environment that will include testing on arrival for the camp and testing at the host hotel.

The staging of the official training and matches will fall under the comprehensive US Soccer Return to Play Protocols and Guidelines and in accordance with CONCACAF Return to Play Protocols. The JFF has also developed protocols for the training camp in keeping with these guidelines.

The full squad comprises Sydney Schnieder (Washington Spirit FC USA), Rebecca Spencer (Tottenham Hotspurs FC), Chantelle Swaby (Glasgow Rangers) Konya Plummer (Orlando Pride), Allyson Swaby (AS Roma), Deneisha Blackwood (Houston Dash), Havana Solaun (Carolina Courage), Chinyelu Asher (Washington Spirit FC), Olufolasade Adamamouken (University of Southern California), Drew Spence (Chelsea FC), Peyton McNamara (Ohio State University), Sashana Campbell (Petah Tikva), Tiernny Wiltshire (Maccabi Emek Hefer), Jody Brown (Florida State University), Shania Hayles (Aston Villa WFC), Gabrielle Gayle (South Alabama), Kayla McCoy (Training with Glasgow Rangers), Vyan Sampson (Charlton FC), Cheyna Matthews (Racing Louisville), Yazmeen Jamieson (Unattached) Tiffany Cameron (Ferencvaros), Mikayla Dayes (University Of Maryland), and Satara Murray (FC Austin Elite).

The pre-tournament camp which is mainly financed by the JFF has received support from the Bob Marley Foundation, the Reggae Girlz Foundation, Cool Runnings based in Houston, Arm Wave and Wisynco with its Wata brand.

“The journey continues. Few more years with @Nike. Happy to be part of the family,” she posted under a picture of her about to sign a document representing her new contract.

The length of the contract is unknown.

Shaw initially signed with Nike in 2019 and became the first Jamaican and Caribbean female footballer to sign with a global sports apparel company.

Since then she led Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz to qualification for a second consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup. Shaw is in her second season with Manchester City Women after winning the golden boot award at Bordeaux in France.

After 13 matches this season, Shaw has scored 10 goals for Manchester City Women.

The nominees, who were selected for the coveted Confederation Award based on performance statistics and the input of football experts, were announced on Tuesday as fan voting also opened to allow football enthusiasts to vote for their favourite players.

To be eligible to be shortlisted, players must have played for a Concacaf Member Association's senior Men's or Women's national team in eligible Concacaf and FIFA competitions and matches. Additionally, regardless of nationality, players must have represented a club in the 2023–24 season in a Concacaf and FIFA-sanctioned top division Men’s or Women’s professional league in the Concacaf region.

Bailey, 26, had a superb season with English Premier League (EPL) outfit Aston Villa last season, in which he earned a few Player of the Month awards. He scored 10 goals and registered nine assists to help the club to a fourth-place finish in the league.

Though his appearances, or lack thereof, on the international scene were marred by controversy, the dynamic winger did enough to make the shortlist, which also includes Adalberto Carrasquilla of Panama and Houston Dynamo.

Jonathan David of Canada and French club Lille; Canada’s and Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies; Santiago Gimenez of Mexico and Feyenoord; and American Christian Pulisic, who also represents AC Milan, are the other nominees.

Meanwhile, Reggae Girlz and Manchester City striker Shaw, had an unforgettable 2023–24 season in which she was named the 2023–24 Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) Player of the Season and was named the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Women Footballer of the Year.

The 27-year-old, whose season was cut short due to a broken leg, registered 21 goals in just 18 appearances and also provided three assists.

Shaw was the first player to score three WSL hat-tricks in a calendar year last year, and between November 2023 and January 2024, the forward again registered three trebles in just four matches.

Finding the net in both WSL Manchester derbies, the Jamaican’s clinical finish at the Etihad Stadium in March also saw her become City’s record goalscorer, as she swept past Georgia Stanway in the process.

By all indications, Shaw, who won the Concacaf Player of the Year award in 2022, seems set to repeat the feat on this occasion, but she will have five other nominees to contend with.

They are Charlyn Corral of Mexico and Pachuca Femenil; Haiti’s Melchie Dumornay of Olympique Lyonnais; Adriana Leon of Canada and Aston Villa women; Mexico’s Jacqueline Ovalle of Mexico and Tigres Femenil; and American Sophia Smith of Portland Thorns.

The voting process, which includes players, coaches, media, and fans, will determine the winners.

A total of 100 votes will conclude the process, with 41 votes to be cast by Men’s national team head coach—one for each Concacaf Member Association—and 41 Men’s national team captain with the same stipulation.

One vote each for the nine representative members from the Concacaf region will make up the nine media votes, while the remaining nine van votes will come through www.concacaf.com/awards. The player with the most fan votes will receive four votes in the overall voting process, second place three votes, and third place two votes, regardless of how many people vote online.

The process is the same for the Women’s award.

At the conclusion of the voting period, on August 2, the player in each category with the most votes out of the 100 available will be named 2023/24 Concacaf Men’s and Women’s Players of the Year.

Meanwhile, Reggae Boyz goalkeeper Andre Blake is among the six nominees for Concacaf Men’s Player of the Year. He is vying for the award alongside Tyler Adams and Christian Pulisic of the USA, Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies of Canada and Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico.

Fan voting opened on Friday, March 17, 2023, for the two categories. They will now be able to cast their votes at www.concacaf.com/concacaf-awards.

The 2022 nominees have been selected based on performance statistics and the input of technical experts. To be eligible to be shortlisted for these Concacaf awards, all players have met at least one of the following criteria:

Have played for a Concacaf Member Association's senior Men's or Women's national team (in eligible Concacaf and FIFA competitions and matches). Regardless of nationality, played for a club (in 2022) in a Concacaf and FIFA sanctioned top division Men’s or Women’s professional league in the Concacaf region.

Following the nomination process, Concacaf will continue its football-first philosophy with a voting process that ensures players, coaches, media and fans determine the winners.

Blake has 63 caps for Jamaica and represents Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer (MLS). He has four MLS all-star selections and two MLS Goalkeeper of the Year awards.

He was also the recipient of the 2022 John Wanamaker Athletic Award, which is presented annually since 1961 to the "athlete, team or organisation that has done the most to reflect credit upon Philadelphia and to the team or sport in which they excel."

Shaw, the runner-up for the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year when Jamaica became the first Caribbean nation to ever qualify for a FIFA Women’s World Cup, Shaw played a huge role in helping her country qualify for their second straight Women’s World Cup, leading the Reggae Girlz to a Third-Place finish at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship in Monterrey, Mexico, which punched their ticket to Australia/New Zealand.

In the tournament, Shaw scored three goals, including the game-winning score in the opening 1-0 win versus Mexico and a brace in the 4-0 victory against Haiti, which sealed Jamaica’s Women’s World Cup qualification. For her efforts, Shaw was named to the 2022 CWC Best XI.

Shaw was just as lethal in CWC Qualifying, amassing nine goals to help Jamaica top their group to then qualify for the CWC. Shaw had braces versus Bermuda (4-0), Grenada (6-1) and the Dominican Republic (5-1), and a hat trick against the Cayman Islands (9-0).

At club level with Manchester City in England, Shaw was equally prolific.

During the calendar year 2022, she scored 15 goals in 19 Women’s Super League games, seven goals in eight domestic cup games (Women’s FA Cup and FA Women’s League Cup) and two goals in two UEFA Women’s Champions League games.

Shaw’s three goals in the knockout stage helped Manchester City claim the 2021-22 FA Women’s League Cup.

 Dumonrnay, a 19-year-old attacking midfielder played in seven matches with Haiti in 2022 and scored five goals. Of note were her three goals in Qualifying for the 2022 Concacaf W Championship, with a goal in the 6-0 win versus Cuba and a brace in the 21-0 victory over British Virgin Islands.

Dumornay then was a big part of Haiti’s campaign at the CWC in Monterrey, Mexico, creating headaches for opposing defenses with five steals and two clearances, while completing almost 82 percent of her passes.

Dumornay’s playmaking led to a penalty in Haiti’s opener versus the United States and then completed the tournament by twice hitting the post against Jamaica.

For her performance, she was named the winner of the 2022 CWC Best Young Player Award.

Dumornay helped Haiti finish third in their group to qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Inter-Confederation Playoffs for Australia/New Zealand 2023, where she scored a brace to help Haiti secure a first ever Senior Women’s World Cup berth in a 2-1 win versus Chile.

Her top performances also carried into her club season at Stade de Reims of France. In 16 games during the 2022 calendar year, Dumornay scored eight goals.

At the conclusion of the voting period, on April 13, 2023, the player in each category with the most votes out of the 100 available will be named 2022 Concacaf Men’s Player of the Year and 2022 Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year.

It was Whitmore’s 100^th game in charge of the national team and Tuesday’s impressive win means that the former Jamaica midfielder now boasts a record 52 wins, 16 draws, and 32 losses. As a player, Whitmore also represented Jamaica on more than 100 occasions, making yesterday’s game a historic landmark in the head coach’s career.

“This game was special for us,” Ricketts said in a congratulatory message to the head coach.

“Coach Whitmore has been with the team since 2007 in different capacities and has managed to rack up a great record in a very competitive region. I want to extend my personal congratulations and that of the Federation to him and hope that he will be around for at least another 100 games.

“I want to assure the coach that he will be given all the support he needs as he tries to get us back to a World Cup Final. Congrats coach!”

President Ricketts also congratulated the team and the rest of the technical staff for a truly Jamaican effort in ensuring that this milestone was special for a legend of Jamaica's football. 

As Jamaica commemorates the week in which the country qualified for its first World Cup, 23 years ago, President Ricketts used the opportunity to also congratulate Khadija Shaw for her spectacular performances in the French Women’s League where she was awarded Player of the Month of October and Reggae Boyz captain Andre Blake, who was selected as the best goalkeeper in the MLS for a second time.

"These accomplishments amongst others achieved in recent years is a testimony to the progress made and to the enormous potential of Jamaica's football and our players for the future," he said.

Shaw bagged five goals in three league appearances, including four in the recent 7-2 thrashing of Brighton and Hove Albion.

The other Manchester City player up for the award is Caroline Weir, who crafted Bunny's effort against West Ham in a 2-0 triumph and bagged two goals and two assists against Leicester and Brighton and Hove Albion.

Together, the pair played key roles as City finished the month with a 100 per cent record, with three league wins and an FA Cup semi-final victory over West Ham United.

The pair are up against Aston Villa's Rachel Corsie, Chelsea duo Jessie Fleming and Sam Kerr, Arsenal's Beth Mead and Birmingham's Louise Quinn.

Voting closes on May 6.

Shaw, in a heartfelt post on Saturday, expressed gratitude to Marley for the work done over the past 10 years, as she partnered with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) to raise funds for the Reggae Girlz, which inevitably led to consecutive FIFA Women's World Cup appearances in 2019 and 2023.

Marley on Thursday announced her resignation as Global Ambassador for Jamaica’s women’s football programme, citing the current state of affairs involving the senior Reggae Girlz World Cup representatives and the JFF as reason behind her departure.

She also stated that the federation is “neither receptive nor interested" in her "current manner of support”, and, as such, demitted the role with immediate effect.

As such, Shaw, who rose from humble beginnings and is now enjoying a decorated professional career at Women’s Super League (WSL) outfit Manchester City, paid tribute to Marley, who she said gave not only her, but other young girls, a chance to believe in their dreams.

“To the woman, who fought for us through all the constant struggles and mistreatment, I am forever grateful,” Shaw declared.

The towering striker, who is one of only a few players to have represented Jamaica at the Under-15, Under-17, Under-20 and senior levels, simultaneously at times, recalled when JFF cut the women’s programme due to a lack of funding.

With over three years of inactivity at that time, the country was kicked off the FIFA Women’s World Rankings. However, Marley gave the programme a new lease on life in 2014.

Through her tenacity and committed fundraising efforts, Marley ensured the Reggae Girlz have not only etched their names in the annals of Jamaica’s and the world’s sporting history on numerous occasions, but are currently ranked at number 40. They only recently slipped from the country’s highest ever ranking of 37.

“When the senior programme was abandoned in 2008, due to lack of funding, there was no senior pathway. In 2014, 10 years ago, you came, and you kept every young girl’s hopes alive to one day represent Jamaica at the highest level,” Shaw said.

“(I remember) when you said ‘they said y’all couldn’t, and I said tell me why. When they said y’all wouldn’t, I said watch me.’ Here we are years later, qualified for two World Cup back-to-back, all because of your dedication and willingness to ensure we are given an opportunity. For that I am forever grateful,” she added.

Despite her resignation, Marley declared that she would continue to support the Reggae Girlz’ journey via the Football is Freedom initiative.

The Bob and Rita Marley Foundation has also cut ties with the country's governing football body in what it said was a move was to “reassess its priorities.”

Shaw won the women’s Footballer of the Year award with 80 per cent of the voters opting for either the Manchester City striker or Chelsea’s Lauren James. James finished runner-up with another Manchester City standout Alex Greenwood finishing third. Yui Hasegawa, Elisabeth Terland and Khiara Keating completed the top six.

In a release on Friday, Ricketts pointed out that the award spoke volumes of Shaw's impact on Manchester City's Women's Super League charge, as she has been a model of consistency since joining the Gareth Taylor-coached club in 2021. Her performances have placed Manchester City on the brink of securing their first WSL title since 2016.

“This award is a beautiful feather in her cap and a massive advertisement for Jamaica’s football,” Ricketts said.

“I am happy to see the consistency in quality shown by Khadija. She has always been a top player, but her standard has risen a notch this season. This augurs well for the national team in the future. We wish her all the best on the road to recovery,” he added.

Prior to Shaw sustaining a broken foot during her last Women’s Super League match against West Ham, the Reggae Girls captain scored 21 goals, which were complemented by three assists in 18 games this season.

Shaw is the third Jamaican-born individual to have won the award after John Barnes (1987-88, 1989-90) and Raheem Sterling in 2019.

However, she is the first national representative to receive the honour, as both Barnes and Sterling were England internationals when they earned the recognition.

At 17 years old, Washington earned her senior Reggae Girlz debut at the Cup of Nations tournament in Australia earlier this year, not merely for the sake of a trial but because she possesses great ability and gives high-quality effort — both on and off the ball — that bely her age and inexperience.

Simply put, Washington, the sister of Jamaica's accomplished midfielder Giselle, demonstrated to Head Coach Lorne Donaldson and his assistants Xavier Gilbert and Ak Lakhani, that she was ready for a step up from youth football and they duly obliged.

Since the Cup of Nations outing in Australia, where she rubbed shoulders with some of the women's game top players from the host nation, as well as Spain and the Czech Republic, Washington has been a staple at Reggae Girlz camps, the last of which was in England where they did battle against Sheffield United.

The US-born player, who like her sister, earns the Jamaican colours through her mother, is relishing time in the senior environment and even credits team captain and Manchester City striker Khadija "Bunny" Shaw for her guidance along the way.

"It has been a great experience so far; being the youngest member of both the Australia and England camps was an amazing honour as well as a great learning experience for me," said Washington.

"I used these camps to grow and learn from both the coaches and my older and more experienced teammates. In fact, Bunny has acted as a great mentor to me, sharing advice as well as her own experience representing Jamaica and that has helped with my transition as a young player coming into a professional international environment," she added.

Playing at the highest level has also lifted her confidence to the point where Washington is now motivated to become a potent performer in the Reggae Girlz setup, as her appetite for success is clear for all to see.

She recently assisted Chamblee High School to a State Championship, becoming the first DeKalb County School District girls football team to achieve the feat.

Washington was also named Georgia High School Soccer Player of the Year for her 42 goals complemented by nine assists. She was also instrumental in guiding her Concorde Fire team to the ECNL Under-19 National Championship last year.

"Being coached by Lorne Donaldson has been amazing. He has helped improve my game through individual and team instruction and has been nothing but encouraging," Washington shared.

"I have grown so much and I know as I continue my time with the Jamaican national team and develop more chemistry with my teammates, my confidence will continue to grow.

"I have gotten more comfortable with the team and I think that is portrayed both on an off the field. Since the camps, I have been training and developing to best prepare myself for anything in the future, doing my part to put my best foot forward for the Reggae Girlz," she continued.

With Donaldson expected to name 23-player squad for the World Cup next month, Washington is optimistic that she will make the cut for the July 20 to August 20 showpiece in Australia and New Zealand.

"Yeah, I do hope to make it but I leave it up to the coaches to determine my chances," Washington, who has committed to continuing her career at Duke University, declared.

For now, the tall but nippy player is focused on improving her craft should she be called upon.

The Girlz are expected to contest a two-match send off series on home soul against an opponent to be named next month.

"All I can do is give my best effort. So moving forward I am looking to continue growing as a player. Mentally, I am preparing by studying game film with my coaches and looking for areas to improve strategically so I can adjust to playing at an international level," Washington revealed.

"Physically, I am continuing to strengthen my body through weightlifting, cardio training and improving my technical abilities," she ended.